Japanese sashiko workshop for visibly mending and personalising textiles

Join Marianne for a mindful, relaxing and fun stitching workshop hosted at the lovely Studio Art at Grain Studios Learn or refresh your skills in Japanese sashiko decorative hand embroidery, using templates and tools to create bold stitch patterns. Complimentary snacks and hot/cold drinks included in the ticket price along with all your materials, or BYOB! A little about sashiko stitching and the workshop Sashiko is the age-old Japanese technique of visibly mending textiles by adding areas of dense hand stitching, thereby strengthening the finished item, personalising it and adding to its story. You'll learn the humble origins of sashiko mending, the best materials and designs for mending your textiles, and the many practical and creative applications of the technique. Sashiko uses simple straight running stitches which anyone can do, but they can be combined in attractive and intricate patterns inspired by nature and the home to add personal meaning to our belongings. In this workshop we'll use templates and tools to transfer simple sashiko stitch patterns to fabric to create beautiful embroidery for decorative or practical purposes. We'll start with basic single-stitch designs (Hitomezashi) and move onto larger scale patterns (Moyozashi) which require more planning. Depending on your skill level and the complexity of your designs you may not finish your items during the workshop, but everyone will take their sewing home with materials, tools and the inspiration they need to continue working on it. All materials will be provided, but please feel free to bring your own favourite sewing supplies and tools. You can also bring your worn out textile items that you'd like to work on if you wish, but we'll start on patches so you can get to grips with the techniques. The workshop is suitable for complete beginners or those wanting to refresh their hand-sewing skills. Please note, you will need reasonable hand/finger mobility and eyesight. A little about the instructor Marianne is an upholsterer and sewing enthusiast with a lifelong background in textiles, embroidery, dressmaking and upcycling. She loves the simplicity, accessibility and mindfulness of sewing and believes that anyone can learn to sew and express themselves creatively through needle and thread. Marianne can guide you in both practical and artistic methods of embroidery, and show you how to use sewing to make beautiful decorative items and also transfer these skills to extend the life of your clothes and textiles. Follow her on Instagram or Facebook @forminfabric