Creative Stitch - Workshops for Adults are Back!

Friday saw the return of our workshops for adults after the summer break. We were back with Creative Stitch in York. This workshop holds a lot of memories for me - it was the first free-motion machine embroidery workshop I ran back in the days just after (dare I say it) 'lockdown' (I haven't been able to say this horrible phrase for a while - maybe enough time has passed to speak it again). I had mustered together around 6 Bernina sewing machines and our participants created a beautiful embroidered sparrow - and the sparrow is still going strong today! Around 5 years later and we have LOADS of template examples to choose from, with detailed step-by-step instructions - only if you want them though! If you are wondering what the workshops consist of, here is a little breakdown of Friday's session:

• 10am - session begins and the room is set up and ready to go! We started with introductions and looking at plenty of examples for inspiration.

• Hot drinks all round while you choose a template or plan your artwork. There is no need to design anything if you don't want to - you can just choose a template to use. Or you can work from the images folder or draw from your own imagery. You don't need to be an artist because...

• ...we have light-pads to use to trace outlines! Or you can freehand draw if you prefer. Everyone transferred the outlines onto fabric ready to add colour.

• Painting with watercolour next - not nearly as terrifying as it sounds. Each template has a photographic breakdown of where to put each colour and it is made very simple - you don't need any prior experience. Or you can create your own colours/layers. There were plenty of tips of how to use the paint, brush strokes and really helpful advice. On Friday we had a starling (very impressed at this as there were so many colours - aren't starlings beautiful - almost like reflections on oil), a wonderful Highland Cow, bees in a hive with a bit of personalisation, a stunning giraffe and a little bird.

• Time for lunch - usually around 30 min (bring your own lunch to our workshops, it helps to keep the costs down and our prices low).

• After lunch it was time to set up the machines! We use vintage Bernina machine - and we provide them! These machines are well looked after and do free-motion beautifully. We go through the machine basics - threading and some specific tips for free-motion embroidery. Then it is time to test the machine settings and tension (tensions is quite important in this type of sewing).

• Once we have mastered the tension and stitch speed/pace - it is on to the practice piece. We used this time to practice accuracy and get a feel for how to move the fabric, explore pace and get to grips with it - it is quite a different feeling to normal sewing as you are effectively 'drawing'.

• Throughout the session there is plenty of friendly chat - we talked about lots this week - including a rather deep and off-topic conversation about Artificial Intelligence! Every session is different - don't feel you need to chat if you are a quiet worker.

• Now it is time to stitch the main piece. Everyone added layers of stitch colour - and there are instructions if you want them - or choose your own! There are lots of coloured threads to choose from.

• And then, before you know it, time to finish - you can press your work ready to take home and frame, or use your hoop to make a wooden frame. At the end of the session you can take a different booklet to have another go at home, and you get a trouble-shooting booklet I have compiled to take too. Plus if you need any help at home, you can just get in touch.

And that's it! A fun day had by all. The outcomes were wonderful (see for yourself in the photos). Just to say, a few of these wonderful ladies had no experience of this technique at all - don't let that stop you. It is so different to typical sewing that it doesn't matter! I have been teaching for many years and I KNOW you CAN do it.  We had some great feedback. You can read our reviews on our Craft Courses reviews page. We use Craft Courses for bookings, and we now also list on Eventbrite (we are in the process of uploading all the current sessions on Eventbrite - they'll all be there very soon). I have been adding lots of new dates to book to Craft Courses and our website. A poster will be on it's way to you tomorrow! I will also be sharing a 20% discount code for use for a TWO WEEK PERIOD ONLY. We also do a 10% discount for group bookings (2 or more people) that runs all year (excludes Family Art sessions). More details to come tomorrow!

I will also be sending out details of my own artist blog very soon - for those who don't know, I create my own body of work as Holly Capstick Art - and I plan to share what I have been up to on ANOTHER blog - in case you can't get enough of me.

Thanks for reading - see you tomorrow