Good afternoon and Happy New Year to you all! I hope you’ve all had a fabulous festive and are going into 2026 well-rested, full of optimism and bursting with creative energy. Or, at least you might feel that way tomorrow, if you’ve got a sore head today?

In this month’s newsletter we’ll be looking back at December’s Stitch Club successes, and looking ahead at what’s coming in 2026. I also have some exciting personal news to share, which will have an impact on clubs and classes this year…

From left: Ingrid, Amy, Beth, Cathy and Mary show off their nearly-finished waistcoats

We completed our first waistcoat class, and the results were amazing!

Please admire the skills and creative talents of Ingrid, Amy, Beth, Cathy and Mary, who all completed their quilted waistcoat class in December!

In a five-week course for improver sewists, we looked at:

Basic pattern-cutting and alterations
Making a calico toile
Sewing darts
Quilting in 3D
Making and applying bias binding

They were an absolute pleasure to work with, and were even lovely enough to change their plans when we had to postpone a class due to bad weather (thank you ladies!). Everyone left with a totally bespoke reversible quilted waistcoat that fit them like a glove - they just needed to finish some hand-sewing at home.

I was really pleased to hear yesterday that Beth has now completely finished hers (pictured below) - doesn’t it look gorgeous?! She also made a fantastic reel for Instagram, showing the starting point (a basic pattern block) and some of the steps that led to the final product.

(While you’re there, check out the rest of Beth’s insta - she’s a creative powerhouse, and crafting queen!)

I’m hoping to run the same class again in 2026 - probably through April/May, although the exact dates are still TBC. Keep an eye on Stitch Club’s social media channels to be the first to know!

Beth’s finished waistcoat, pictured with a cute cross-stitch she also made on a similar theme!

Mary (not pictured) and (from left) Ellen, Tracey, Leah and Lois with some of their stitch samples.

We welcomed more beautiful beginners!

Also in December we welcomed more beautiful beginner sewists with the Get To Know a Sewing Machine Taster Class!

Well done to Mary, Ellen, Tracey, Leah and Lois (of Sketchy fame!) who absolutely nailed it - brilliant effort all round! I’m pleased to say some have booked a longer class in the Spring, and I can’t wait to welcome them back!

I’ll be running the same class in January (sold out) but still have some spaces available in March… So if 2026 is the year when you’ll be learning to sew, book early to avoid disappointment!

Meaningful banners showcasing a range of decorative techniques

Narrative Threads - A Sewing Project for Bairns with Shetland Arts

I’m so excited to announce Narrative Threads, an upcoming collaboration with Shetland Arts!

Over eight Friday afternoons in January and February, I’ll be working with a small group of 9 - 11 year-olds, who’ll be learning to sew and making a small banner on the theme Who Inspires Me?. They’ll learn sewing machine skills, embroidery, applique and visual story-telling, resulting in a collection of deeply personal handmade artworks to display in the Mareel foyers. There are still some spaces available, with discounts for siblings - find out more and book exclusively through Shetland Arts.

Spaces Still Available for Technical Tuesdays!

You might remember from my last newsletter that I’ll be running a series of Technical Tuesdays this Spring, designed to boost your confidence in the trickier areas of garment-making that so often hold us back. At the time of writing there are still a small number of spaces available for each class, but you’ll need to get in there quick as a change in circumstance (more on that later) means each of these sessions will only run once this year.

Please be aware that the Technical Tuesdays are aimed at Improvers, so there is an expectation that you can use a sewing machine and follow a simple sewing pattern before you come.

There are five sessions in total in January and March, covering darts, button holes, seam finishes, pockets and bias binding. They’re all available to buy individually, so you can come to as many as you want or need.

And I won some beautiful fabrics from The Silly Sheep Fibre Co!

I went along to one of SOK’s Christmas Markets in No. 88 in December (what a lovely event, by the way! Always a joy to meet fellow crafters from other disciplines, especially when it’s for a good cause!) and was lucky enough to win a £30 voucher for The Silly Sheep Fibre Co in the raffle.

Naturally this meant a little festive trip out West to Becky’s croft at Walls, where I was able to peruse all the yarns and fabrics in her shop (and snuggle a few lambs - yes, really, she does have lambs in December. Don’t ask.) Silly Sheep Fibre Co is of course best known for their beautiful hand-dyed wools, but Becky also has a beautiful Shetland-inspired collection of cute quilting cottons for sale in small quantities. It’s well worth the trip, and feels like something of a pick-and-mix experience for lovers of print and colour.

After much deliberation, I chose fabrics with a bit of a sea-life theme - selkies and neesiks, dratsis, kelp and a jellyfish all adorn my small selection. What I am going to do with them? Well, frankly, I’ve no idea - suggestions gratefully received!

Thank you Becky - what a treat!

My choice of Shetland-centric fabrics from The Silly Sheep.

And finally for a bit of personal news…

If you’ve been to Stitch Club in November or December and are particularly observant, you might have noticed I’ve swapped my normal builder’s tea for ginger beer or orange juice, and have been making more trips to the bathroom.

Yes, I am pregnant.

This will be my first child and we’re all really excited! It does mean, however, that there may be some changes at Stitch Club as we approach the summer.

If all goes to plan, I’ll be working and teaching up until early/mid-June, with the baby due at the end of that month. I’ll then take six months off and hope to return to Stitch Club in January 2027.

The Summer 2026 season of Stitch Club events should be confirmed later in January - after which there will be no more events planned for the year. And this is why I’m giving you some advance warning - because if there’s something you’d like to book, it really is advisable to do it now (or you could face a rather long wait!).

Also - and without putting too fine a point on it - December has been one long spew-fest, so thank you to everyone who’s been patient if I’ve turned up looking like a dog’s dinner or seemed like I wasn’t concentrating… I was probably just feeling sick! Who knew morning sickness wasn’t just for mornings??

Anyway. Enough of that.

Before signing off, I wanted to thank each and every one of you for your support in 2025. A year ago Shetland Stitch Club was just the vaguest of notions… And here I am now, writing to a genuinely wonderful community of sewists and crafters who’ve helped make a dream into a reality. Thank you for your engagement, encouragement, enthusiasm and kindness. It is a privilege to live in Shetland and do the work I do. I’d like to send my love and warmest wishes to every single one of you.

Happy New Year!

From Helen x

Happy New Year from Shetland Stitch Club!