Over the next few months I’ll be squeezing in a final few classes here and there as I prepare for maternity leave and, as I take the Easter break to pause and plan, there’s also an opportunity to reflect on what’s been a very busy Spring Season. In addition to Stitch Club’s usual offering of clubs and classes, I’ve been doing some freelance teaching and workshop facilitation - fantastic opportunities that have allowed me to meet sewists from all walks of life.

Four women pose holding handmade tote bags. They stand in a line and smile at the camera — From left: Jane, Tracey, Ellen and Janice pose with their finished tote bags

Bags of Progress!

Congratulations to Jane, Tracey, Ellen, Janice and Daisy (not pictured) for their magnificent work making these beautiful tote bags, complete with a lining and zipped pockets

This four-week class is designed as an introduction to using a sewing pattern. Using the Everyday Tote from New Craft House, we looked at cutting, decoding pattern markings, understanding the terminology and tips and tricks for achieving a high quality finish.

Great fabric choices all round - I loved Tracey's bright and beautiful cat print (very apt, as she's a volunteer fosterer for Cats Protection), Ellen's cute vintage-inspired colours, and the classic, understated pallets in Jane and Janice's thicker cottons. All so different, but all so beautiful.

All of these participants had previously attended the Beginner’s Taster Class for Getting to Know a Sewing Machine. It’s not essential if you’re already familiar with how your machine works, but if committing to a four-week course seems daunting then the taster is a great place to start. I’ll be running one more taster class before my maternity leave. Space strictly limited - advance booking essential.

'Bag Ladies' - you all did fantastically well! Thank you for your hard work and enthusiasm - the results are gorgeous, and I hope you all carry your new bags with pride! I have to say I’m especially impressed with Jane, who’s since emailed to say that she’s reused her sewing pattern several times to make gifts for friends (and a very chic Harris Tweed version for herself, pictured below). Well done Jane!

I’m hoping to be able to run this course one more time before June, although various appointments and scheduling conflicts mean the exact dates are TBC. If you fancy coming, keep an eye on Stitch Club’s Facebook and Instagram - if I am able to get something scheduled in I’ll be posting it there first within the next fortnight.

In the foyer at Mareel, eight children stand in a row holding small handmade banners in front of their faces. The banners are embroidered and appliqued and finished with a pompom trim at the bottom. — Young participants pose in Mareel’s upstairs foyer with their finished banners.

Our peeriest ever sewists made beautiful banners at Shetland Arts

March saw the conclusion of Narrative Threads - an education project I developed with Shetland Arts.

Over 8 weeks, ten young people aged 9 - 11 made small banners on the theme someone who inspires me. Their muses were wide-ranging, including authors, actors, K-pop idols, athletes, sisters and grannies! Together we looked at embroidery, applique and sewing machine skills so that each of them was able to create their own design to be proud of.

I absolutely love working with young people - their unbridled enthusiasm and willingness to give things ago just fills me with joy, and makes me fall in love with crafting all over again. And the best bit? It's when they want to carry on, and come up with new ideas for what they want to make next.

Thank you Shetland Arts and the team at Mareel for hosting, and for making this project possible. It was a joy from start to finish!

A small green and blue flower, made with chain stitch and French knots, is embroidered onto a purple wool cardigan with an ornate silver clasp. — Juliet created a simple embroidered motif to cover and strengthen a small hole in her Shetland wool cardigan.

Visible Mending Workshop with Shetland Needleworkers

In March I also had the great pleasure of running a knitwear upcycling workshop for Shetland Needleworkers. This was something of a unique challenge - the Needleworkers are very skilled in various aspects of quilting, embroidery and crafts in general, so I have to admit I was more than a little nervous! So instead of delivering very specific and formal class as I normally would, I opted instead for a more flexible approach - a participant-led workshop where I’d be the guide on the side and not the sage on the stage, as we say in teaching!

Everyone brought along a bit of knit with holes or stains, and gave it a new lease of life with duplicate stitches, darning and embroidery. The focus was on extending the life of these much-loved pieces - keeping them out of landfill, reducing the need for new and saving some of the cherished memories in each piece of clothing. These are visible mends - creative solutions to celebrate the life the garment has led, rather than attempting to hide the damage with a subtle repair. Where darns have been made in colours similar to the originals, embroidery will be added at home, in the style of textile artist Flora Collingwood-Norris . The outcomes will all be totally unique - a celebration of handiwork and resourcefulness, and longevity over throw-away fashion.

Three teenagers stand in front of navy blue shutters, holding black and white printed tote bags. — Sam, Charis-Mia and Bee pose with their tote bags, which they made from scratch, having designed and printed the fabrics themselves.

And I’m just SO proud of these young people at Bridges Project!

Can we just take a moment to marvel at the work of Sam, Charis-Mia and Bee, who all finished off their printed tote bags at the Bridges Project last week?! What superstars!

Ten weeks ago they were all absolute beginners. In that time they've learned to:

Thread up and use a sewing machine
Follow a sewing pattern
Follow a lay plan
Make tailor's tacks
Design a repeat pattern motif
Lino cutting and printing
Use an iron (yes, really! Classic teenagers!)

They all created their own bespoke block printed fabric to make their bags, which were fully lined and completely with internal zipped pockets (again, this was the New Craft House Everyday Tote - a pattern that I love and make on repeat! You can actually download your own copy for free by subscribing to NCH’s e-newsletter).

Teenagers get a bad reputation, but personally I’ve never understood it. I’ve worked with teens for my whole teaching career, and invariably find young people who are quick to learn, ready to try new things and unknowingly hilarious! People are often surprised to learn that I prefer working with teens over any other demographic. And these three in particular were an absolute JOY to work with - they took everything in their stride and made really amazing pieces. They're an absolute credit to the fantastic work that’s done at Bridges, and to Shetland’s youth workers in general. Congratulations to all of them!

Five women lean on a handrail wearing quilted waistcoats in a variety of fabrics and colours. — Ingrid, Amy, Beth, Cathy and Mary model bespoke quilted waistcoats that they designed and made themselves.

10 Good Reasons to Sew Your Own Clothes

Back in February I wrote a short blog post about the power of making your own clothes - and lots of you seemed to agree! I’ve shared it again here… save for reference, so you have your answers ready next time someone asks how much money you must save by sewing your own!

A close-up image of a paper pattern resting on calico, zoomed in on a single waist dart.

One more Technical Tuesday confirmed… But it’s a Monday!

Technical Tuesdays continued in throughout March, with sessions on Pockets, Bias Binding and Seam Finishes. They were all a great success - a lovely opportunity to get to know more experienced sewists, and focus on high standards of craftmanship. For each of the sessions I sent a free follow-up email to the participants with how-to guides for future reference - I’ll be sharing some of these on my blog over the coming weeks and months, but you can already check out my guide to basic button-holes here.

And, rather excitingly, I now have a new date for Darts! After being forced to cancel due to adverse weather back in January, I can now confirm that I’ll be running the same session on Monday 20th April. Click here to book.

A vintage green tailors dummy stands in long grass on a sunny day, with the sea and some hills in the far distance. The dummy is wearing a maroon quilted waistcoat printed with the words "Flower Power" and some floral motifs.

Upcoming Classes and Events…

All being well, I’ll be taking classes up until early June - after which I’ll be on maternity leave until the Spring. All of the below are currently open for bookings, but I’m also hoping to add another tote bag course and a NEW two-night skirt making class for beginners… I’m just waiting on confirmation of dates before putting them on sale. Please keep an eye on Stitch Club’s Facebook and Instagram to be the first to know.

Monday 13th April, Monday 11th May and Monday 8th June Lerwick: The Summer Sewing Socials are already on sale! Please be reminded that we are moving to MONTHLY socials after the Easter break, meeting on the second Monday of every month until June. With fewer of them, I’m expecting these to get snapped up quickly. Book early to avoid disappointment.

Tuesdays, 14th April - 19th May, Lerwick: Design and Make Your Own Quilted Waistcoat is returning for a second run! Perfect for improving sewists, this 5 night class will take you through a number of higher level skills - from pattern cutting and alterations, to using darts, making bias binding and quilting in 3D. You’ll leave with a totally bespoke garment and the skills you need to design your own patterns in future. At the time of writing there is ONE space still available.

Sunday 19th April, Scalloway, and Sunday 26th April, Brae: Freehand Embroidery Classes for Adult Learning. I’ll be teaching two embroidery workshops for Adult Learning (the same class, twice). This is suitable for needleworkers of all levels, and with a focus on creating your own unique embroidered artwork instead of sticking to the constraints of a traditional pattern. We’ll start by looking at examples by professional embroidery artists before getting to grips with a variety of stitches and finally creating our own designs. You’ll leave with the skills to finish your small artwork at home, and the confidence to start using embroidery on your own clothes and home furnishings. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS CLASS CAN ONLY BE BOOKED DIRECTLY THROUGH ADULT LEARNING. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Monday 20th April, Lerwick: Technical Monday: DARTS - having been postponed in January due to adverse weather, we can finally complete our full offering of Technical Tuesdays… And that’s right, it is a Monday!

Tuesday 12th May, Lerwick: Beginner’s Sewing Machine Taster Class - our ever-popular intro class returns for the last time this year. Come along to build your confidence, learn new skills and meet some lovely people. You won’t regret it!

So there you have it - a real bumper-edition of the newsletter this time, and not an April Fool in sight!

Thanks for all your support in Spring - it’s been lovely to meet so many of you this term. Happy Easter, and here’s to an exciting Summer!

Helen x x x

February/March Newsletter