Maggie Hensel-Brown is a multi-disciplinary artist who specialises in contemporising traditional lace techniques. In 2015 she started working with Australian lacemakers to study, teach and build the profile of needle-made laces. She has training in Reticella, Punto in Aria, Aemilia Ars and Venetian Gros Point needle laces, and creates her works using a combination of techniques drawn from each of those techniques. Her works are based on the long history of storytelling in needle lace. Drawing from her own life, her laces use thousands of tiny traditional stitches to tell stories of contemporary moments of frustration, boredom and bliss.

Since she started making lace, Maggie Hensel-Brown’s works have been recognised globally as significant pieces of contemporary lace. She has given public talks on lace making around Australia and the USA, including the Rhode Island School of Design and Bard University in New York. She exhibits widely around Australia and internationally and regularly teaches needle lace classes both digitally and in person.

Her lace works have been collected by the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney NSW, the Tamworth Regional Art Gallery NSW, the Denver Art Museum in Colorado USA, Newcastle Regional Gallery and the Art Gallery of South Australia. 

She is represented by King Street Gallery on William.

Upcoming projects:

July 2025 to July 2026: Window commission. “Process, Progress, Repeat”. A large scale installation at Newcastle Art Gallery

September 2025: “Jetsam” Solo exhibition at King on William st Gallery, Darlinghurst Sydney, 

August 2026: Artist residency to facilitate a community project, and solo exhibition at Columbia Gorge Museum, Stevenson Washington USA. 

Arrivals - Istanbul International Airport

We will organise your transfers to our start hotel any time day or night.

Off early to visit the Medusa  at the Basilica Cistern - it is atmospheric and amazing.

Then an introduction to the historic centre of Istanbul -we'll have a guided tour to the ancient Hippodrome, the World Heritage listed Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.

Next we will walk down to Sirkeci Train Station - this beautiful station is where the Orient express pulls into.

Then we will grab some lunch.

We will head back to our hotel, inspired by our first taste of Istanbul and Maggie will introduce you to lace-making and your lace-making project.

All skill levels welcome!

We will find a nice restaurant down by the sea for our Welcome Dinner

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Markets on our mind - Did you know Istanbul has a fabulous market full of beautiful wool, haberdashery and threads - perfect to explore and add to your supplies.

Nearby is the beautiful Rustem Pasha Mosque credited to have some of the best tile work of the many, many mosques in Istanbul. Let's drop by for inspiration.

The Bosphorus - Istanbul revolves around this narrow strip of sea between Asia and Europe. It is lively and sparkling and a pleasure to cruise along, we will join a ferry and take in the sights.

The afternoon is for lace.

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We will visit The Museum of Innocence. It is a real museum in Istanbul, Turkey, created by Nobel Prize-winning author Orhan Pamuk. It’s both a museum and a novel, sharing the same name and concept.

The museum is based on Pamuk’s 2008 novel The Museum of Innocence, which tells the story of Kemal, a wealthy man who obsessively collects objects related to his unfulfilled love for a woman named Füsun.

The museum is filled with everyday objects - cigarette butts, hair clips, shoes, photos, postcards, and more - that represent moments from the novel. Each exhibit corresponds to a chapter in the book, bringing the fictional world to life through physical artifacts. 

It's a poetic, nostalgic, and deeply emotional experience, even if you haven’t read the novel. The story is summarised and narrated via a headset.

Why Visit?

It's an unusual and intimate museum that blurs the lines between fiction and reality.

It gives insight into Istanbul's social history, especially life in the 1970s and '80s.

It’s a beautifully curated, slow-travel experience - perfect for thoughtful travellers and lovers of story, memory, and objects.

It is the type of place that will linger in your memory.

After that we will head over to Balat - this working-class neighbourhood is well known for its brightly painted buildings, cobbled streets and lively arts scene.

Let's have lunch in a cafe together, then continue with your lace or pop out and explore. It will be a stimulating afternoon.

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An early morning flight will find us heading to Ephesus.

Ephesus is one of the largest and most impressive ancient cities in the world and is one of Türkiye’s most significant ancient cities. Its cultural and historical significance was highlighted in its addition to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 2015. 

The city came to prominence under the ancient Greeks, who built the famed Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Though only one column remains of the temple today, it was said to be very grand and impressive indeed.

After ebbs and flows in the city’s fortunes, Ephesus became a city under Roman rule in 133 BC and the Capital of Asia Minor in 27 BC. This is seen as a historical turning point for the city, which truly flourished and became second in importance only to Rome within the vast Roman Empire.

Ephesus is also an important site for Christian history in the region. It was here that St. Paul wrote “First letter to the Corinthians” and St John is said to have written his Gospel. Ephesus is believed to be the final resting place of Mary and one of the most visited sites is St Mary’s Basilica.

The ancient complex is huge, we will have a guide to get an idea of it all and then take it slow and soak it all up.

Internal flight is included in Tour.

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A short drive east brings us to Pamukkale.

We'll visit the stunning Pammukale or Cotton Castle Hot Springs - an otherworldly landscape of white mineral terraces. There’s also the opportunity to take a dip in the thermal waters. 

Arising from springs in a cliff almost 200 m high overlooking the plain, calcite-laden waters have created at Pamukkale (Cotton Palace) an unreal landscape, made up of mineral forests, petrified waterfalls and a series of terraced basins.  

Stunning!

Hierapolis was a Hellenistic Greek city built on the site of a Phrygian cult center of the Anatolian mother goddess Cybele

At the end of the 2nd century B.C. the dynasty of the Attalids, the kings of Pergamon, established the thermal spa of Hierapolis. We will visit the ruins of the baths, temples and other Greek monuments. 

Slow Travel - so plenty of time to sit and wonder and make lace!

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Heading back to Istanbul today and ready for an afternoon to explore.

We will head across town to check out the Aqueduct of Valens, completed in 373 by Emperor Valens to ensure a good water supply for the city. The population was growing at an unprecedented rate, and there just wasn't enough water to sustain it.

The city of Byzantium was renamed Constantinople in 330 AD by Roman Emperor Constantine the Great. He dedicated the city to himself, and it became the new capital of the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire's capital was moved to Constantinople (formerly Byzantium) primarily for strategic and economic reasons. Constantine the Great recognized Constantinople's advantageous location for defense and trade, particularly in relation to the eastern frontiers and the wealthy eastern provinces.   

The nearby park and Shehzade Mosque are peaceful local neighbourhood places - there is an amazing mausoleum to explore, quiet spots to sit and work on your craft and people watch.

A short stroll down the road is the Grand Bazaar.

Open to shoppers since 1456 - it is calling us?

The construction of the future Grand Bazaar's core started during the winter of 1455/56, shortly after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople and was part of a broader initiative to stimulate economic prosperity in Istanbul.

Evening is free.

Internal flight is included in Tour.

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The Ottoman Empire was vast and extremely wealthy - the were called the Lords of the Golden Horn. 

The Golden Horn is a small peninsular that made Byzantium/Constantinople/Istanbul such a desirable capital city. 

Today we will visit the palace they ruled from - rooms of gold and jewels, amazingly rich textiles and more.

After all that bling you'll need a moment to settle down 😊

There is a great cafe nearby to have lunch and then we will find a nice spot to work with Maggie.

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Sunday Flea Market Day!

A huge treasure trove of items - textiles, lace, records and so much more. Let's see what we can find.

Afternoon is free.

There will be an the opportunity to finish up on your projects with Maggie and a bit of free time for last minute sightseeing or shopping.

Let’s celebrate with a special dinner! After a fantastic workshop, you’ll be feeling all laced up - having explored a fascinating city and shared inspiring moments with like-minded, enthusiastic souls.

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We will arrange individual drop to the Istanbul International Airport for departures.

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A small pair of sharp scissors.

Maggie will have some threads and other items to get you started.

We know some great supplies shops in Istanbul, too.

Physical Fitness for Sightseeing 

This adventure is designed for enthusiastic, active travellers with a good general level of health and mobility.

To make the most of your experience, you’ll need to be comfortable walking for 3 to 4 hours a day - sometimes over uneven ground, up hills, and a few flights of stairs. 

Getting in and out of local transport and navigating occasional over-the-bath showers may also be part of the journey.

If you’re up for a bit of daily movement and love immersing yourself on foot, you’ll thrive on this tour. 

Just a heads-up - it is not be the best match for those who like to take things very slowly or need lots of rest stops along the way.