Sketch and Stitch Day
2024-07-15 10:00 - 16:00 (Europe/London) | Kennet Valley Hall, Kennet Valley Hall, Lockeridge, SN8 4EL
Another one of our popular days where you come along and work on a project of your choosing with other members

Summer Lunch
2024-07-01 12:30 - 15:00 | Kennet Valley Hall, Kennet Valley Hall, Lockeridge, SN8 4EL
Our annual summer lunch!

Textiles & Stitch Exhibition
2024-06-07 10:00 - 2024-06-09 16:00 | Kennet Valley Hall, Kennet Valley Hall, Lockeridge, SN8 4EL
An exciting exhibition of our members’ work

Jan Tillett - Stitched Surface Texture
2024-06-04 09:30 - 16:00 | Kennet Valley Hall, Kennet Valley Hall, Lockeridge, SN8 4EL
This workshop is available to non members

Membership Type

Members £35.00 GBP

Non-Members £45.00 GBP

Using Free Motion Stitching you will learn a variety of ways to raise the surface of your fabrics to create rich, textural surfaces. You will go home with a variety of samples to inform future work.

Jan is a Textile Artist/Tutor from Devon. Lots of experimentation with techniques to create textured surfaces – mixing fabric, stitch, paint and more !

Jayne Emerson - A Journey Through My Creative Life
2024-06-03 13:30 - 16:00 | Kennet Valley Hall, Kennet Valley Hall, Lockeridge, SN8 4EL
Jayne will be talking about her life, including studying Textiles at Central St Martins, having her own upcycled fashion label, writing 6 books, selling designs to international fashion and interior companies, being on TV with Kirstie Allsopp and sharing her experimental ideas through online courses and her group the No Rules Textile Society.

Jayne is a practising textile designer, author and tutor based in north Gloucestershire, UK. She has an MA in Fashion from Central St Martins and a 1st class degree in Textiles from Loughborough College of Art and Design.

For the past 25 years she has created innovative textile samples that explore the boundaries of modern embroidery, patchwork and needle felting. These ‘seeds of ideas’ have sold to clients including Chanel, Calvin Klein, Nina Ricci, Louis Vuitton, Dior and Balenciaga. She predominantly uses vintage and reclaimed fabrics and her studio is a treasure trove of inspiration. Jayne regularly teaches experimental textile workshops and taught Kirstie Allsopp how to needle felt on TV. She has written six books Simply Felt (with Margaret Docherty), The Impatient Patchworker, The Impatient Embroiderer, New from Old, Simply Needle felt and Boho Felt Crafts with Rachel Henderson.

During lockdown she recorded three online courses, Experimental Needle Felting, No Rules Patchwork and Water Soluble magic. Jayne opened her membership The No Rules Textile Society in March 2021. Website www.jayneemerson.co.uk – Instagram @jayneemersontextiles – Facebook @JayneEmersonTextileDesign

Tase Woolf - Introduction to English Paper Piecing
2024-05-14 09:30 - 16:00 | Kennet Valley Hall, Kennet Valley Hall, Lockeridge, SN8 4EL
Membership Type

Members £35.00 GBP

Non-Members £45.00 GBP

English paper piecing (EPP) is a patchwork technique dating back to the 1770s. The techniques folds fabric over paper templates, which makes sewing shapes such as hexagons and diamonds much easier than sewing with a machine. All you need to start is a little fabric, a needle, thread and scissors; as so little equipment is needed, projects are really portable and can be picked up almost anywhere!

In this workshop you will learn how to:

prepare the fabric for piecing

how to sew with an almost invisible stitch

piecing the elements together and make either a needle case or a pincushion or starting your own quilt!

Examples of English Paper Piecing

Liz Ashurst - Inspiration from Eastern Europe
2024-05-13 13:30 - 16:00 | Kennet Valley Hall, Kennet Valley Hall, Lockeridge, SN8 4EL
Liz will talk about her journeys to Poland and Russia with a sketchbook and camera, giving a personal view of the landscape, life-style and folk art and its influence on my work as an artist.

Liz Ashurst trained at Chelsea & Goldsmiths College of Art where she obtained the City and Guilds Embroidery certificate parts I and II and the Goldsmiths Diploma in Art & Design. She is a member of the Designer Craftsmen, Embroiderers Guild and New Embroidery Group. She is a qualified teacher, working freelance and exhibiting her work both nationally and internationally. In 1998 she met Zbys (pronounced Spish) the proverbial Polish builder and her life has never been the same since !

Jill Salmons - Costumes and Cultures of South America
2024-04-08 13:30 - 16:00 | Kennet Valley Hall, Kennet Valley Hall, Lockeridge, SN8 4EL
Jill will be giving a talk on a study of costumes from 3,000 years ago to present day with particular reference to Peru, Mexico and Guatamala (Costumes and Hats will be shown).

Jill has a BA in History from the University of Warwick and an MA West African Studies from Birmingham University. She has undertaken 7 years of research in West Africa and research and voluntary work in China, Peru, Madagascar and India. Jill own a large collection of costumes.

Angela Knapp - Bird Workshop
2024-03-05 09:30 - 16:00 | Kennet Valley Hall, Kennet Valley Hall, Lockeridge, SN8 4EL
In this workshop, Angela will take you through creating your own image of a long tailed tit, including building fabric image, a discussion about fabric and thread choice, image selection, stitching on machine to add colour, detail and creating a realistic image.

There will be a charge of £8 for a basic fabric kit and a requirements list provided for additional materials.

Angela is a self taught free motion embroiderer and hand stitcher. Her work is inspired by the bird world, increasingly focused on threatened British birds. Se is a member of Society Graphic Fine Art, Society of Embroidered work and Contemporary Quilters West.

Katy Rundle
2024-03-04 13:30 - 16:00
Katy Rundle is a British contemporary textile artist. Her art business was founded in 2018 and she creates from a studio in Hampshire. She is best known for her vibrant embroidered textile collages.

Winner of the ‘David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year 2023 Newcomer Award, and finalist of ‘Women’s United Art prize 2022’, Katy is in demand as a creator of bespoke, original art commissions. Her work is collected on both sides of the Atlantic.

In addition, Katy was selected for Sky Arts’ TV program ‘Landscape Artist of the Year’ (2018), and her work has graced multiple magazines.

“My art business was born out of a passion for colour, light, nature, and textiles. My vision is for people to experience a celebration of life through vibrant uplifting art.”

Sketch & Stitch Day
2024-02-12 10:00 - 16:00 | Kennet Valley Hall, Kennet Valley Hall, Lockeridge, SN8 4EL
A repeat of our very successful day last year.

Deborah Wheeler - History and Workings of Whitchurch Silk Mill
2024-02-05 13:30 - 16:00 | Kennet Valley Hall, Kennet Valley Hall, Lockeridge, SN8 4EL
Deborah will be giving a talk on the Whitchurch silk mill based in Hampshire including an insight into the history, flora, fauna, weaving and future of Whitchurch Silk Mill

Amanda Cook - from Fiddle Fingers to Artist in Residence
2024-01-08 13:30 - 16:00 | Kennet Valley Hall, Kennet Valley Hall, Lockeridge, SN8 4EL
Amanda will share her artistic journey; things she has discovered along the way and the joy in using materials most would regard as rubbish.

Amanda completed an A level in Textiles as an adult and continued her education with an Art foundation course. She held a solo exhibition in 2021 and then became the Artist in Residence at Marlborough College 2022-23

Mini Workshops for Christmas
2023-11-20 10:00 - 16:00 | Kennet Valley Hall, Kennet Valley Hall, Lockeridge, SN8 4EL
Join us for our third annual mini workshop day!

Three of our talented members will each run a short workshop and you should be able to participate in all three during the day.

Materials will be provided for a small cost of £3 for each of the three workshops and if you are required to bring anything else yourself, we will let you know.

You will have the opportunity to make ……..

Christmas Cards, a small Christmas Stocking to decorate your tree or use as a gift bag or to adorn a gift and a festive gift tag.

There will be cake, biscuits and drinks available to purchase but you will need to bring your own lunch. The cost of a place is £10 and there will be a limited number of places available.

Have fun creating Christmas themed items with three of our talented members

This workshop is for members only and the payment button will appear in the member area

Eco Printing with Ann and Tase
2023-11-07 10:00 - 16:00 | Kennet Valley Hall, Kennet Valley Hall, Lockeridge, SN8 4EL
Another chance to learn about Eco printing, but this time with Ann and Tase. In the morning you will learn how this fascinating technique works, which types of leaves give the best results and what type of fabrics to use. You will use various leaves to print a piece of fabric which will be steamed during the day.

In the afternoon we will experiment with different papers and teach you how to steam these to get the best results and discuss what can be done with them!

There will be lots of examples for you to look at, and between us we have lots of books to inspire you. There will be a small charge for materials, and a small materials list which we will send out later.

*** Cancelled ***- Nicky Barfoot - Stitched Selfie
2023-11-07 09:00 - 16:00 | Kennet Valley Hall, Kennet Valley Hall, Lockeridge, SN8 4EL
This workshop has now been replaced

Annual General Meeting
2023-11-06 13:30 - 16:00 | Kennet Valley Hall, Kennet Valley Hall, Lockeridge, SN8 4EL
Join us for a stitch day and our AGM. Lots of tea and perhaps some nice biscuits!

Please note that the original speaker is now unable to attend.

Tase - Christmas Mug Rugs!
2023-10-16 10:00 - 16:00 | Kennet Valley Hall, Kennet Valley Hall, Lockeridge, SN8 4EL
A mug rug is a mini quilt that’s a cross between a coaster and a placemat; the perfect place to keep your mug and snack. Easy to make and give, they are an excellent way of using up scraps or that gorgeous piece of fabric you can’t bear to cut up!

In this workshop you will learn:

The basic structure of the mug rug

Decoration ideas including piecing and applique

Binding for the perfect finish

You’ll be able to use one of the designs provided or Tase will help you design your own!

Sarah Madison - Stitching My way Through Life
2023-10-02 13:30 - 16:00 | Kennet Valley Hall, Kennet Valley Hall, Lockeridge, SN8 4EL
Stitch in all forms has been part of Sarah’s life since the age of 11, thanks to the creative women around her; it’s been an enduring passion and has been her best friend through both good and stressful times. Travel with her from her first dress, through quilts to what inspires me now in my mixed media textile work.

Sarah is predominately a textile artist, but includes mixed media in her work. She learned creative embroidery skills with City and Guilds, gaining a coveted Highly Commended at the end of the programme, but has always taken a very fluid and organic approach to her work – no endless samples, just getting stuck in, working and letting it grow.

Sarah is always learning and trying to move in her own style and way – rules are there to be broken!

Since completing her C&G Sarah has had successful solo exhibitions in Hampshire, exhibited with group in Suffolk and has been a part of the wonderful Art Arcade crew at Folk East. Sarah now works alongside six other textile artists in a new group – The Alchemists’ Needle – who had their first show late last 2022.

Sarah lives near the Hampshire/ Wiltshire border and is constantly inspired by the ancient landscapes around her and their spirituality. she is mad about hares, crows, standing stones and Suffolk.

Lizzie Godden - An Introduction to Natural Dyeing & Eco Printing
2023-09-05 10:00 - 16:00
Enjoy the exciting process of using plants to dye and print onto fabric and paper. You will take away dyed and eco-printed pieces of silk, cotton and cartridge paper. You will also have the opportunity to experiment with some shibori techniques and to dye stitched fabric with natural plant dyes

Lizzie has been interested in plant dyes and embroidery since the early 90s, and has developed her skills during this time. She has exhibited at the Festival of Quilts and other more local venues. Lizzie has been teaching arts & crafts – predominantly textiles – for more than 25 years and has included eco-printing and natural dyeing in her programme for more than 10 years.

Places are limited to 12 for this workshop

Payment button will go live on 5th July

Lizzie Godden - Natural Dyeing, Eco Printing & Embroidery
2023-09-04 13:30 - 16:00
Lizzie will give a fascinating talk about her work, who she has learned from, who and what inspires her and who she exhibits with.

Lizzie has been interested in plant dyes and embroidery since the early 90s, and has developed her skills during this time. She has exhibited at the Festival of Quilts and other more local venues. Lizzie has been teaching arts & crafts – predominantly textiles – for more than 25 years and has included eco-printing and natural dyeing in her programme for more than 10 years.

Summer Workshop - Denim Pockets
2023-07-17 10:00 - 16:00
This is our first day coming together to work on something for the exhibition next year.

The idea is that we all decorate a pocket from jeans or a jacket in any way we want; machine or hand stitch/print/distress/applique – you get the idea – which will give us the beginnings of a display for the exhibition.

We can decide how to put them together at a later date.

Please remember this is supposed to be fun; Ann will bring some denim pockets for anyone who doesn’t have one.

If you don’t want to do this, please just come along and stitch whatever you are working on!

As we need to cover the cost of the hall there will be a £5.00 charge; payment button is in the Member Area of the website

Summer Lunch
2023-07-03 12:30 - 16:00 | Kennet Valley Hall, Kennet Valley Hall, Lockeridge, SN8 4EL
Annual Summer Lunch; format to be advised

Wendy Hermelin - Fabulous Fish
2023-06-06 10:00 - 16:00 | Kennet Valley Hall, Kennet Valley Hall, Lockeridge, SN8 4EL
Membership Type
Members £35.00 GBP
Non-Members £45.00 GBP

This is a free machine Workshop. You will create a shoal of wonderfully bright coral sea fish (or butterfly or your own choice of a colourful creature) using soluble film and free machining.

You will be free machining onto a soluble material, for example ‘solufleece’, to create one or more exotic looking fish in glorious technicolour! These may be used for decorating a bag, made into a brooch or a card, or become part of an underwater scene in a picture.

£35/Members £45/non-members

Wendy Hermelin - Dancing Into Textiles
2023-06-05 13:30 - 16:00 | Kennet Valley Hall, Kennet Valley Hall, Lockeridge, SN8 4EL
Listing Update: Please note that there is no charge for this talk as previously indicated

Wendy says “I stitch, I dance, I walk and love being in the rawness of nature. I trained in art and dance and taught in a junior school for a while. Later I took City and Guilds creative embroidery courses and now work in the community running workshops in both art and dance.”

Michala Gyetvai - Enchanted Landscapes
2023-05-16 10:00 - 16:00 | Kennet Valley Hall, Kennet Valley Hall, Lockeridge, SN8 4EL
Join Michala playing with threads and fibres, using hand embroidery and needle felting to create your own landscapes. Optional to use free hand machine embroidery.

£35/Members, £45/non members

Member bookings available from March 8th, non member bookings from April 5th

Michala Gyetvai - The Poetry of Materiality
2023-05-15 13:30 - 16:00 | Kennet Valley Hall, Kennet Valley Hall, Lockeridge, SN8 4EL
A talk about Michala’s life and art.

Michala is an MA Fine Art Painting graduate with distinction from Coventry University.She is an award winning, widely exhibited artist who works between painting, poetry and textiles.

https://www.instagram.com/michalagyetvai/

Ruth Smith - Fabulous Festival Costume
2023-04-03 13:30 - 16:00 | Kennet Valley Hall, Kennet Valley Hall, Lockeridge, SN8 4EL
Featuring traditional costumes from remote SW China and focussing on the elaborate embroidery techniques and textile traditions of the Miao and Dong minority peoples.

For many years Ruth was a City & Guilds embroidery tutor. She is an author and tutor with a special interest in the dress and textile traditions of China’s minority peoples in remote farming communities. Her books include, ‘Miao Embroidery from SW China’, ‘A Little Known Chinese Folk Art’ and ‘Folded Secrets Project Books’.

Sketch & Stitch Day
2023-03-07 10:00 - 16:00 | Kennet Valley Hall, Kennet Valley Hall, Lockeridge, SN8 4EL
** replaces original event **

An opportunity to spend the day just sketching and stitching together!

Using the still life objects laid out, enjoy the time with other members of the group practicing your skills.

This is a self-led day with no formal tutor. You will need to bring your sketching and stitching materials with you, including your sewing machine if you wish to use one.

Tea and coffee available; please bring your own lunch and snacks. Fee is to cover the cost of the hall

£6 Members

Mair Edwards - Memories Remembered and Lost
2023-03-06 13:30 - 17:00
My work began with personal memories and has continued to be inspired by different historical and cultural ways of recording experiences. The work has evolved slowly over time with materials and techniques chosen to best express ideas and often uses a limited palette and may be unframed or two- or three-dimensional.
