Summer 2026 Newsletter

Wonderful Waistcoats, Awesome Overlockers and Exciting Times Ahead…

It’s been just over a year since the launch of Shetland Stitch Club - and boy, what a whirlwind! It feels like just as we’re getting really into the swing of things I’m off for maternity leave, and the website is suddenly looking very bare.

But before I officially sign off, let’s take the opportunity to celebrate Stitch Club’s successes over the past few months - to look back at the achievements of our learners and members, and share some exciting news about my plans for Stitch Club in the Spring!

Jane, Ellen and Tracey model their almost-finished quilted waistcoats

Wonderful Waistcoats

I was so pleased to welcome back Jane, Ellen and Tracey, who’ve all really upped their sewing game this season by completing the Quilted Waistcoat Class.

Having already made tote bags in the Spring, all three were now ready to move on to garment-making and design. We started with simple bodice blocks, and over 5 weeks we looked at fit, style features, and pattern-cutting, before moving onto finishing skills like quilting and bias binding. The photo above is us all in the final class - you’ll notice that nobody has finished the edges because for best results that should be hand-sewn (I actually made a little reel showing how it’s done for Facebook and Instagram!). Ladies, I hope you’re all finishing this off at home - you’ve got nine months until the next round of classes, so there really is no excuse!

Three Beginner’s Classes in as Many Months!

I always get so much joy from teaching the Beginner’s Taster Classes, so having the opportunity to teach three in three months was an absolute treat!

Above photos, from left:

Pauline, Patricia and Caroline all absolutely smashed it in April, and have evidently carried on! I was delighted to receive a message recently from Pauline, who is the Instructor of Home Economics at the school in Whalsay, saying that not only had the school purchased sewing machines as a result of her new-found sewing confidence, but that the bairns have been making doorstops from recycled materials (pictured below).

And as for Caroline, well, I think I love her - her reason for wanting to sew was that she wanted to customize a denim jacket with band patches collected over years of going to gigs and concerts! She’s since been coming to the Sewing Socials to work on it - it was finished at last night’s final session, and it looks sooo cool! This project really made me smile - it’s proof that we don’t all need to be making things from scratch to get joy and meaning from sewing. Sometimes it’s just about knowing how to customise and adapt existing clothes and turning them into things you’ll want to wear and treasure forever. What a fantastic thing Caroline’s created, and in relatively little time - a souvenir of what I’m sure was plenty of great nights out, all skillfully shown off using a skill she’s learned and enjoyed at Stitch Club. Congratulations Caroline - it looks fantastic!

Above middle:

Then in April, a class with a difference - I got to host the “Business Gateway Realise Class of 2026”! A little bit of background here: all of these amazing women are owners of Shetland-based businesses, and we all participated in Business Gateway’s FANTASTIC Realise Programme this past winter and spring. It’s fair to say we all got lots out of the programme (any female business owners reading this - I would TOTALLY recommend it!) but we also got on brilliantly and are set to remain firm friends. So with that in mind, we’ve set about giving each other “tasters” of our day jobs - hence they all had to come and learn to sew! Fair to say this group was a bit louder and rowdier than my usual diligent students, but they still made some lovely samples so I’ll let them off this time! So well done to Genevieve of Campion Copy, Susan of Allied Taxis, Terri of Terri Laura and SOK, Ruth of Ruthabi, Dee of Loose Ends and Suzanne of Soapery 21 - you’re all just fabulous and I can’t wait to see you all again!

Above right:

And last but certainly not least: Michelle, Florina, Sara, Martha and Mia - who all completed their taster class on a sunny evening in May. What a super group these were - quietly determined and focused, all of them picked it up really quickly and produced some very impressive samples. Well done to all of you!

Some of the Scalloway samplers, with the start of some mini artworks by Amy and Linda

Freestyle Hand Embroidery with Shetland Adult Learning

In April I also had the pleasure of teaching another embroidery class for Shetland Adult Learning at the Youth Centre in Scalloway. I was joined by six lovely learners for a day that genuinely felt more like a bit of a social than actual work! Helen, Amy, Natalie, Beatrix, Elaine and Linda spent the morning learning simple stitches to make a sampler and aid-memoir, before moving on to creating their own mini-artworks in the hoops in the afternoon.

I’m always amazed by how, given the same brief and resources, everyone who comes to this class produces such different outcomes. And that’s the beauty of it - just like any other artform, there’s no right or wrong. Years and years of being conditioned by embroidery kits has made lots of us think that there’s a “proper” way of doing things, or not trust in our own design abilities - but once you get the hang of the basics, we always find that everyone tends to “doodle” with their stitches and invariably surprise themselves with beautiful results. By the time they were leaving, there was talk not just of finishing their little hoops at home, but also of adding details to clothing and furnishings. Natalie in particular had plans to breath new life into an old baseball cap by filling its panels with intricate florals, and I just can’t wait to see it! Please, Natalie, share it with us when you’re done!

Everyone at the launch party models their favourite Wool Week Hats at the Shetland Museum.

And I was totally delighted to go the the Launch Event for Shetland Wool Week 2026!

Yes, Shetland Stitch Club is for sewing rather than knitting, but let’s face it: in a place like this, most of us do both. Wool Week is without a doubt my favourite time in Shetland’s calendar - when crafters and textile enthusiasts from around the world make a pilgrimage to these tiny islands to learn about the rich heritage that makes textiles such an important part of the culture here. So I was absolutely delighted to be invited along to the 2026 Hat Launch and Patron Announcement - it’s a closely guarded secret until the day, and the excitement was palpable!

So, congratulations to 2026 patron Helen Robertson - a tutor for Wool Week year after year, who is a truly inspiring creative thinker using traditional skills and techniques in innovative and creative ways. And her Birsie Beanny design really is testament to that - a bit of a departure from Wool Week hats gone by, Helen’s version is slouchy, has writing and a date on the brim, and is birsie (a new Shetland word for me, meaning “hairy”!) There are nods in the pattern to her best-known works - the Mariner’s Compass, Mindin Tagidder, Lace Knitted Tiaras - but I really thought the “birsie tusks” on the crown are the most genius tribute to traditional Shetland taatit rugs, and I really hope Wool Weekers embrace them! You can read more about Helen’s design influences here.

For me though, there were two things from this event that really stayed with me:

First, there was an interview with representatives from The Guild, as last year’s patrons. When Elizabeth Johnson, former chair, was asked what made Wool Week really special to her, her answer went something like this: At Wool Week, she’d realised for the first time how rare and special a thing it is to live in a place with such a lively and active craft community. She’d noticed the envy in visitors’ eyes as they saw the breadth and richness of Shetland’s year-round crafting culture and textile heritage, and the friendships made as a result.

As an incomer to Shetland, I recognized this feeling all too well. I remember the first time I visited; I was absolutely blown away by how traditional textile crafts are still so deeply entrenched in the culture here. Having come from London - which is a brilliant place in many ways but is also totally fuelled by mass consumptionism and fleeting trends - I felt hugely inspired and envious, and found myself desperately longing to be part of Shetland’s creative culture. It’s no exaggeration to say it’s part of the reason we moved here. And now I’m not only running Stitch Club, but I go to a weekly Makkin’ and Yakkin’ night, volunteer at Peerie Makkers (honestly the most wholesome thing and often the highlight of my week!) and am a member of the Guild. I’ve made so many like-minded friends and genuinely learn something new at every meeting. It’s a joy and a privilege - how lucky we all are!

And the second thing: there was a moving speech from Helen Robertson herself. She spoke a bit about the influences behind her hat design, but the thing that really stayed with me was her description of what Wool Week means to her.

She said that she feels lucky to live in a time when the innate skills of Shetland’s wooly community are finally being recognized and valued. This has not always been the case - as it often true of industries dominated by women.

So when she was asked to be Patron, Helen said she felt the honour of representing not only the Shetland makkers of today, but also the generations of female designers, makers and innovators who came before - those whose work was chronically undervalued, and without whom we wouldn’t have the rich textile culture that exists here today.

Now here’s an unlikely parallel - I may not be a Shetlander by birth, but as a Londoner this also resonated with me.

My family’s roots are mostly in East London - an area dominated by dockers and the rag trade long before it became the hipster’s paradise it is today. I learned to sew from my mum, who learned from my nan, who found that sewing provided a vital income when she was widowed young. It didn’t pay much, but it was reliable, flexible and allowed her to be her own boss. She was highly skilled, creative and resourceful - just like Shetland’s generations of knitters. Turns out East London and Shetland might not be so different after all.

A first look at the “tusks” on the crown of Helen’s Birsie Beanny

So there may not be any classes to book now - but there’s certainly plenty to look forward to!

With the baby due in less than three weeks (yikes!) I’ve finished teaching for now, and the website is looking a little bare. But be assured - exciting things are coming in the Spring!

I’m thrilled to share that Shetland Stitch Club has been awarded a grant from Business Gateway for the purchase of a fleet of brand new overlockers! This is something I’m asked about fairly often, so I’m delighted to finally be able to offer some tuition in this area. The new machines will mean I can offer Overlocker Taster Sessions as well as longer courses in working with stretch fabrics, providing new opportunities for the more experienced sewists amongst you, or those wanting to try their hand at something new.

So please keep following along - I hope to return to teaching in March, with classes going on sale near the start of 2027. Please ensure you’re subscribed to the mailing list and following Shetland Stitch Club on Facebook and Instagram to be the first to hear.

As a self-employed business owner, I’m legally allowed to work ten “keeping in touch days” during my maternity leave - so I’ll be using these to plan the new classes, and perhaps even make a small provision for the retail of sewing kits and books. I’m not going to put too much pressure on myself - I’m aware that motherhood will be entirely new territory for me to navigate, and it’s famously not easy - but also I’m lucky enough to absolutely LOVE my job, so if there’s a way that I can do just a little work over the coming months then I probably will.

Thank you for all your well wishes over the last few months. It’s quite a scary thing to be a first time mum - especially one with a fledgeling business, in a still relatively new place! But I’ve been so lucky to have been welcomed into such a caring and supportive community. So to everyone who’s asked how I’m keeping, offered a helping hand, made the tea so I could sit down, done some heavy lifting, or given me their number “just in case” - thank you. I’m sure you don’t know how much it means. You’re all angels.

Mr. Stitch Club and I are planning to keep the baby off social media, but I will post something on Stitch Club’s Facebook and Instagram so you all know when they’ve arrived. And I might share the occasional handmade tiny outfit - let’s be honest, it would be very hard for me to resist!

Please say hello when you see us out and about. Don’t be strangers.

Wishing you all a wonderful summer of sewing and sunshine. See you on the other side!

Helen x x x