Stitchtopia Festival

Check in to your room from 3pm. From 5pm, there will be an opportunity to meet with the craft experts joining us this weekend and see samples of the projects they will be offering. Get to know your fellow guests over dinner and the optional entertainment on offer this evening.

Enjoy your pre-booked workshops or make the most of the hotel facilities including the gym, swimming pool and 18-hole golf course. After dinner, join with your fellow guests for the optional evening entertainment.

Enjoy your pre-booked workshops or make the most of the hotel facilities including the gym, swimming pool and 18-hole golf course. Workshops will finish at 4pm.

Sewing Machine Workshop - Exploding Pineapple Tablerunner  16" x 46" approx

This is an easy and addictive technique! Fabric squares are cut and stitched to give you a lovely traditional design which requires no matching points, no templates and no strange rulers.

Kit Price: £25, including fabric for the runner top (colours will vary) and Karin's book, ‘Sew Simple Pineapple’

You will need to bring:  A medium size rotary cutting set (some will be available in the class), a square ruler for rotary cutting (optional) - 9" square if you have one, rotary cutter with a new blade, silver pencil or chalk pencil for marking fabric, and small/medium fabric scissors that cut right to the point

Hand Stitching Workshop - Kawandi Mug Rug

Introduction to Kawandi quilts. Originally made by women of the Siddi ethnic group,  Kawandi stitching is relaxing and uses up fabric left over from other projects. Making a mug rug will take you through the whole process  and give the confidence to start a larger project.

Kit Price: £10

You will need to bring: Embroidery needles size 5-8, 10 sharp pins, medium length thimble (if you use one), small ruler 1" x 6" showing ½" increments, wooden iron or small roller (used to crease fabric), silver pencil or chalk pencil for marking fabric, and small/medium fabric scissors

Hand Stitching Workshop - Stained Glass Hanging

Introduction to reverse applique and embroidery. This project is stitched by hand sewn reverse appliqué. Use my design or draw your own. Two different stitching techniques will be shown for the appliqué and embroidery is used to enhance the design. The project is displayed in an embroidery hoop.

Kit Price: £12, including fabric, threads and hoop

You will need to bring:  sewing glasses, embroidery needles size 5-8, clover black/gold appliqué needles, sharp appliqué pins, thimble (if you use one), small ruler 1" x 6" showing ¼" - ½" increments, silver pencil or chalk pencil for marking fabric, small/medium fabric scissors that cut right to the point, and small paper cutting scissors

Cable Crochet

Learn the cable basics and how to follow a chart alongside a written pattern to achieve a classic cable with a bobble in the middle. You will need to be familiar with working treble and double treble crochet. Leave with a completed sample and enough yarn to continue with your newfound skill.

Kit price: £10

You will need to bring: 5mm and 6mm hook, scissors, and a yarn needle

Crochet Flowers

We begin our wreath with a simple 8 petal flower to familiarise ourselves with working a continuous spiral, working into front and back loops and finishing with french knots. Progress onto a large daisy and learn how to adapt the middle to create flatter or rounder centres.  This will help you gain the confidence to branch out and experiment with making your own versions.  You will leave with a completed floral wreath 

Kit price: £20

You will need to bring: 3mm hook, scissors, and a yarn needle

Hand Stitching Workshop - Simply Sashiko

Stitch an A4 sized panel to turn into a small purse/pouch or mat.

Kit price: £20, including pre-marked indigo blue fabric, backing fabric, sashiko thread, sashiko needle and a copy of the pattern to take away with you, plus full instructions

You will need to bring: hand sewing kit to contain small scissors, pins, thimble, etc.

Hand Stitching Workshop - A Little Piece of Africa

Make a small wall hanging by hand piecing African fabrics to make a piece of work 12” x 6” (30 cm x 15 cm) and embellish with hand quilting /embroidery.  

Kit price: £20, including assorted pre-cut pieces of African fabrics, wadding, backing fabric, threads, needle, and full instructions  

You will need to bring: a sewing kit to include small scissors, pins and thimble. Rotary cutter, mat and ruler are optional 

Sewing Machine Workshop - Improv Log Cabin

Working with different widths of precut fabric you will stitch an improv Log Cabin block which could be finished as a place mat, or small wall hanging.   

Kit price: £20, including precut fabric, wadding, backing, thread, and full instructions 

You will need to bring: sewing kit to include scissors, pins, rotary cutter, mat and ruler

Hand Stitching Workshop - Oriental Cherry Blossom or Gingko Leaf Panel

Work with templates from Pat’s Transformer Ruler range to design and create a small panel that will showcase raw edge appliqué cherry blossoms or gingko leaves combined with sashiko style stitching. Some gilding and foiling techniques will be demonstrated and incorporated into the piece. 

Kit price: £18, including all fabrics, wadding, interfacing, embellishments and thread choices

You will need to bring: hand sewing needles for sashiko stitching, chalk marking tool or marking pencil, pencil, scissors, and dressmakers’ pins

Hand Stitching Workshop - Shimmer and Shine with Shisha Mirrors

On a pre-printed elephant panel, learn how to Kantha quilt, apply shisha mirrors and embellishments, make traditional Rajasthani tassels, and finish with a demonstration of a machine stitched edging. 

Kit price: £18, including fabrics, wadding, interfacing, embellishments and thread choices

You will need to bring: hand sewing needles for kantha stitching, chalk marking tool or marking pencil, scissors, and dressmakers’ pins

Sewing Machine Workshop - Origami Folded Accessories Purse or Bag

Learn how to stiffen your fabric, apply a stitched sashiko style motif,  machine and cunningly fold it into a little purse or bag. 

Kit price: £18, including fabrics, wadding, interfacing, embellishments and thread choices

You will need to bring: neutral coloured machine thread, baking parchment, hand sewing needles for sashiko stitching, chalk marking tool or marking pencil, and scissors

Short Rows

This class is perfect for removing fear out of the hearts of knitters who hear short rows and tremble. We will practice three methods of short rows shaping: wrapping and turning, Japanese and German. We will work all methods on knit and purl rows. This workshop is suitable for people wishing to expand their skills.

Kit price: £0

You will need to bring: min 2, max 4 colours of either DK, worsted or aran weight yarn, and knitting needles suitable for whichever yarn you bring

Mosaic Knitting

During this class, you will learn how to knit using the mosaic technique. It produces gorgeous colour pattern which appears to be very complicated, but in fact it's as easy as stripe knitting. We will also learn how to read and work from mosaic charts.

Kit price: £0

You will need to bring: no kits for this class. However, a pattern for wrist project bag will be provided to practice newly learned mosaic knitting. Participants will need to bring 2 contrast colours of either DK, worsted or aran weight yarn, and knitting needles suitable for whichever yarn you bring

Beaded Flowers

Work through a design for a beaded crochet flower which you can adapt to create your own unique project. Jane will demonstrate how to thread beads onto your yarn and add them to various stitches. Jane will also demonstrate how to create layered 3D crochet and read a written and charted pattern. You will need to have a good knowledge of crochet stitches and be able to understand standard terms and abbreviations. 

Kit price: £7.50, including yarn, beads, sequins and project notes 

You will need to bring: 3mm, 3.5mm and 4mm crochet hooks, notebook, pen/pencil, a small sewing kit including scissors, a knitter’s sewing needle, and a fine sewing needle 

The Perfect Crochet Finish

 Jane’s crochet techniques toolbox includes simple little tricks to help you create a neater and more pleasing finish to your crochet.  You will work though a small sampler piece and work onto some pieces that you will need to prepare in advance. It is essential that you bring these pieces with you.  You need to have a fair knowledge of crochet stitches and be able to understand standard terms and abbreviations. 

Kit price: £0. Yarn will be provided, but if you want to continue using the yarn you have made your samples with, please bring it along with you

You will need to bring: 3mm, 3.5mm, 4mm and 4.5mm crochet hooks, notebook and pen/pencil, small sewing kit including scissors, a knitter’s sewing needle, and stitch markers

Short and Sweet Shaping

Manipulate your stitches using the short row shaping technique to create a wingspan style scarf or mini shawl. You don't quite knit a full row but turn to create wedges of fabric, and when you introduce casting on and off, you can accentuate the wingspan shape. Suitable for those who can knit and purl. Learn how to work wrapped short row stitches, across wrapped stitches, German short row technique and cast on and off to create a shape

Kit price: £10

You will need to bring: 1 x pair of 4mm or 3.75mm needles

Keep Cozy Neck Warmer

A quick and simple design that is worked using 2 colours at the same time for a tweed effect. Worked in rib from the top down for a snug fit, then onto an open lace chevron design that fans out and gives a decorative edge. Suitable for those who can knit and purl. Learn working 2 yarns together, blending colours for a dip dyed effect, increasing and decreasing for lace design, how to read a chart and Picot cast off edge

Kit price: £10

You will need to bring: 1 x 3.75mm 40cm circular needle or 60 cm circular needle, 1 x 4mm 40cm circular needle or 60 cm circular needle, 1 x 4.5mm 40cm circular needle or 60 cm circular needle, and locking stitch markers

Hand Stitching Workshop - Redwork

A simple hand embroidery stitch sewn in red over an outline drawing. The history of Redwork will be illustrated with some antique quilts and samples.  

Kit price: £10, including iron on transfers, wooden hoop, fabric and thread

You will need to bring: small scissors

Sewing Machine Workshop – Hussif/Sewing Roll

A hussif or sewing roll was used to store the supplies needed to mend uniforms. Make your own using Mandy's easy and fun techniques.

Kit price: £15, including everything you need to make your own hussif/sewing roll

You will need to bring: hand sewing kit with scissors

Hand Stitching Workshop – Button Jewellery

Learn to make bracelets, necklaces and a brooch using buttons.

Kit price: £5, including patterns, threads and small selection of buttons

You will need to bring: a collection of your favourite buttons. More buttons will be available for you to buy on the day