Out and About Archives - Arnolds Attic

23rd August 202623rd August 2026

Beginners Embroidery In Person Workshops

The Embroiderers’ Guild has teamed up with Hobbycraft and a network of talented textile artists to share our skills and bring beginners embroidery workshops to venues across the UK. Whether you’ve never picked up a needle before or you’re looking to build a little more confidence with a needle and thread, these sessions are designed for you.

Spaces are limited and pre-booking is required to secure your place. All materials required for your workshop are provided so all you need to do is arrive ready to stitch.

I enjoy teaching so I’m delighted to be supporting the Guild this Autumn, running four sessions at the Crewe branch of Hobbycraft. Each workshop lasts two hours, and I’ll be teaching on the following dates:

Saturday 26th September 2026, 10.30am–12.30pm – Book
Saturday 26th September 2026, 1.30pm–3.30pm – Book
Saturday 17th October 2026, 10.30am–12.30pm – Book
Saturday 17th October 2026, 1.30pm–3.30pm – Book

Alongside the workshops, there are also dates to enjoy an up-close look at a curated selection of pieces from the Guild’s own collection, as well as sessions where textile artists explore embroidery in more depth. A full list of dates, venues and activities can be viewed and booked directly via the Embroiderers’ Guild.

Beginners Embroidery

Workshops are running from September 2026 through to March 2027.

Come along and join us. Sessions take place in the teaching area of each Hobbycraft store, and class sizes are kept small so everyone gets plenty of support. You’ll learn three to five essential embroidery stitches and create your own beautiful design, choosing from four stylish patterns. Fabric, threads, needle and patterns are all provided, so you’ll be ready to keep stitching long after the workshop ends.

Here are the dates for September.

Hannah Glossop @hg_textile_arts
Nottingham: 12th September, 11am – 1pm
Derby: 13th September, 11am – 1pm

Catherine Hill @catherine_hill_textile_artist
Crewe: 26th September, 10.30am – 12.30pm & 1.30pm – 3.30pm

Mae McCourt @stitchmaestitch
Bristol: 26th September, 11am – 1pm

12th November 202512th November 2025

Sara Impey – Meet the Artist

Sara Impey specialises in textile artworks inspired by traditional quilt-making techniques, incorporating free-machine stitched lettering. A former journalist, Impey writes her own material, allowing her to play with language visually and use the quilted surface to comment on contemporary issues.

Quilt by Sara Impey — Free machine stitched text

In this video Sarah shares her ‘Context’ exhibition with us.

Sara Impey: https://www.saraimpey.com

Sara Impey

A recurring theme in Sara Impey’s practice is the power of words—their ability to persuade, inspire, and sometimes mislead. In an era increasingly defined by contested narratives, her work highlights the importance of language and its impact. At the same time, she celebrates the legacy of needlework, honoring the craftsmanship and creative spirit of generations of quilters and embroiderers. Her pieces often explore the process of making itself, offering a stitcher’s-eye view into the construction of textile art.

Primarily working in wall-hung quilts, Impey occasionally ventures into three-dimensional forms, embracing new creative challenges. Her work is exhibited nationally and internationally and has received numerous accolades. Impey’s quilts are held in major public collections, including the Victoria & Albert Museum, the International Quilt Museum, and The Quilters’ Guild Collection.

She is a member of the pan-European group Quilt Art and an honorary member of The Quilters’ Guild. Her book, Text in Textile Art, was published by Batsford in 2013.

7th October 20257th October 2025

Fez Art Residency Experience

I feel very honoured to have been selected for a week’s residency in Fez. Time here has been a blur and flown by way too quickly and the Fez Art Residency experience has been more than I could ever have wished for.

With food, social history, language & dialect inspiring my own work I came to Fez with an open mind, not knowing where the residency would take me. Within days of arriving I felt myself slowing down and falling into the pace of life within the Medina.

Everyone and everything here works in a symbiotic rhythm starting with the beautiful voice of the Fajr (Dawn Prayer).

Best bits

The adventure of getting lost in the heart of the Medina.

Drinking Moroccan mint tea with new friends at Dar Drouj.

Sharing my embroidery with the students at L’École des Métiers d’Art Shems’y (The Shems’y School of Crafts).

The central courtyard at the L'École des Métiers d'Art Shems'y (The Shems'y School of Crafts) — The central courtyard at the L’École des Métiers d’Art Shems’y (The Shems’y School of Crafts)

Playing and experimenting with the local cactus ‘silk’ thread.

Cactus silk thread Fez Art Residency Experience — Cactus silk thread

Sharing a button shopping trip with friends – we had the poor shopkeeper up and down his ladder hunting for buttons in every shape and colour of the rainbow.

What I discovered

Working with a needle and thread is a universal skill & language. I’ve found myself chatting in broken English/French/Arabic to communicate and share my appreciation for the skills of local weavers and craftsmen – and also with two local ladies at a Fasi embroidery market stall with all three of us cooing over the thread work.

Fez Art Residency Experience local weavers — Local weavers

Inspiration is everywhere within the Medina and every craftsman uses their local culture to decorate and embellish their handwork – from textiles and mosaics, to metal and woodworking.

Fez Art Residency Experience wood craftsman's workshop — Woodworker’s workshop

What enriched the experience

Waking to the Fajr (Dawn Prayer) and watching the shadows and colours change with the sunrise and later the sunset over the Atlas mountains.

Experiencing daily life away from the busy main streets full of tourists and being completely submerged in the culture.

Within a radius of 100 meters of my front door I met several craftsmen in their workshops – hand stitching embellishments on garments, making cords and tassels with Cactus ‘silk’, and cutting and making leather purses.

Saying ‘Shukran’ as I bought my morning bread from the local baker.

Fez Art Residency Experience. Local baker. — Local baker.

I’ve found the whole experience incredibly enriching and it’s made me think differently about aspects of my work.

Watch this space.

Thank you to Peter at The Fez Art Residency for this opportunity and to my friend Lynne – fellow residency artist and fellow member of Prism Textiles – for making this a week I’ll never forget.

Category: Out and About