Programme 2026

 

October’s meeting

 A really interesting meeting with lots of ideas for places and landmarks to consider when making our maps. 

A 7 inch square was decided on as the most appropriate size for the pages which can then be bound into a book.

There were lots of examples to draw ideas from and most people ended up with a rough plan and some even had a firm plan.

October 7th ideas for map making

 The next meeting will be on 7th October at 2pm in Alsager Library meeting room. This month we will be trying to bring together ideas and suggestions for us all to make a textile map of a place or area that means something to us. It might be where you live or where you were born, it might be a favourite holiday spot or connected to your ancestors. Try to collect together things associated with your place and a few ideas of what you would like to include. Stevie was originally planning on us each making a 7 inch square but if you think A4 or any other size would work better then have your say, it is all open to discussion.

Try having a look at katetarlingtextiles.com for some ideas of the kind of map you could make.

Maggie Pearson

 Great meeting today with Maggie Pearson telling us about her journey into eco printing. Catch her workshop on Saturday 13th September.______________

Thank you for booking on my workshop, The Secrets of Summer Leaves and Flowers

 

- on Saturday September 13th 2025

- from 10.30am to 4.30pm

- with Alsager Creative Stitchers 

- at United Reformed Church Hall, Brookhouse Road, Alsager, Cheshire, ST7 2PA

 

I'm really looking forward to working with you. 

 

Please could you bring with you:

 

• An apron or old clothes which you don’t mind getting messy

• a good pair of shoes or trainers which will support your feet well. You will be standing for a lot of the day.

• A note book and pen for taking notes

• Smart phone or camera to take photos of your layout before you bundle, if you wish.

• A pair of scissors to cut leaf stems with

• A small hammer if possible [in case we have tie for hapazome]

• A pair of washing up gloves or surgical-type gloves to protect your hands, but flexible enough to enable you to work with leaves.

• Bags or bucket to take home damp samples and items.

 

It would be great if you could bring the following, but don’t worry if you can’t:

 

• Onion skins, just the dry external skins [red and/or yellow kept separately]

• Flowers [optional]

o Cosmos

o Coreopsis

o Marigolds

o Colourful daisies

• Any of the following leaves [you don’t need them all!]:

o rose 

o herbaceous/hardy geraniums/cranesbill

o paeony

o tree paeony 

o silver birch

o sumac 

o cherry

o walnut 

o maple

o sycamore

o cotinus [smoke bush] 

o Japanese acer [acer palmatum];

o horse chestnut;

o catalpa [Indian bean tree]

 

    

If you have any other favourite leaves you want to try to print, either pick them on the morning of the workshop, or the evening before [they will be ok overnight in an airtight container or bag in the fridge], and we can discuss and explore at the workshop whether they will print!  

 

 

Workshop materials

 

For the materials fee per person of £25, I will supply all necessary mordants, dyesand fabric fully prepared for each of you:

• cotton fabric for printing for samples

• cotton fabric for shibori with onion skin dye

• one piece of linen for a target piece, 

• all tannins and mordants

• carrier cloths, scoured

• resists for the bundles, to prevent shadow prints

If you have any questions, just email me.

 bymaggienaturally.co.uk

 

Workshop Saturday 13th September

 Don’t forget the workshop “The Secrets of Summer Leaves and Flowers “ with Maggie Pearson, Saturday 13th September, 10.30 to 4.30 at the United Reformed Church Hall, Alsager, ST7 2PA.

She will show different methods of applying heat and moisture to mobilise and transfer natural pigments from foliage to fibre and share key techniques which ensure the best possible prints.

If you want to use a particular leaf or flower please bring some from your garden. Some plants work better than others so it’s trial and error.

Tuesday 2nd September “My Accidental Journey Into Botanical Eco Printing” by Maggie Pearson

Maggie Pearson is a textile artist passionate about sustainability. She uses local leaves with natural dyes to design and create by hand unique and sustainable designs, by bundling them with natural fibres and steaming or simmering. She works on both fabric and paper, using upcycled fibres. She also prints with rust and indigo.

Tea Rota

 Tea Rota

September  Ellie B. and Lyn R.

October Val and Rosemary 

November  Sally R. and Lorraine 

December Jacob’s Feast , (everyone bring a small plate of food, sweet or savoury)

Ruth’s cards

Next meeting 2nd September 

Drawn fabric hands-on 1st July

 Today everyone had a go at four sided stitch worked on an evenweave fabric. Well done.

Judith later finished off her edging with eyelet stitch in the centre.

There is no meeting in August. See you all in September.

July 1st Hands on Drawn Fabric or Drawn Thread basics

 Our next meeting on 1st July is a hands on event trying drawn fabric or drawn thread basics. This should not be confused with pulled thread, withdrawn thread or cut work where threads are cut or pulled out to make holes. With drawn thread the integrity of the base fabric is maintained and the holes are formed be pulling the stitches tightly together. It is worked on evenweave fabric but not canvas or interlocking material. 

I have some evenweave to bring but if you struggle to see and have some with a low thread count then please bring it.

Meetings take place upstairs in Alsager Library and visitors are welcome. We meet at 1.45 for a prompt 2pm start. Refreshments available.

Anne Brooke Textile Artist

 Today’s meeting was a very entertaining talk by Anne Brooke about her journey through art and sewing on paper to the intricacies of sewing circles including embroidery rings in her current fabric embroideries. The self confessed “wobble gob” brought many examples of her work and enthusiastically described the thought behind them.

3rd June “For the Love of Stitch” talk by Anne Brooke

 On Tuesday 3rd June Anne Brooke will be sharing her talk “For the Love of Stitch.

Anne is a textile artist who wants to share her love of stitch and passion for needle and thread. You can follow her on social media and her hanndmade sessions kept me sane during lockdown.

See www.annebrooke.co.uk

#4THELOVEOFSTITCH

We meet upstairs in Alsager Library at 1.45 for a prompt 2pm start.Refreshments available.

Visitors welcome 

Workshop Linoprint and Stitch with Anne Brooke

 This will be held on Wednesday 4th June from 10 am to 4pm

All the materials are provided on this workshop. Just bring a packed lunch.

If you want to attend and have not already booked a place  get in touch with Gail on 7872 129618 or gailndell@hotmail.com as the next meeting isn’t until the day before this workshop. I think the cost is £40 for members, £45 for non members, but Gail will confirm. 

Subscription

 You should have all paid your subs by now but for anyone still wanting to pay here are the details :

£30

Bank sort code 20 57 44

Account 23785971

Add your name  and subs.

Programme for the rest of the year:

Meetings at the library, most workshops at the United Reformed Church Hall.

Hands on hollyhocks and foxgloves

 Many thanks to Ruth and Yvonne  for a brilliant workshop showing us how to make realistic flowers in embroidery without having to be to technically exact. Lovely work.

May 6th - hands on

 At the meeting on May 6th we will be learning how to embroider flowers such as hollyhocks, digitalis and delphiniums using French knots. This is a hands on session so please bring your usual sewing kit and an embroidery frame. Material will be provided. 

We meet upstairs in Alsager library on the first Tuesday of the month at two pm. Visitors welcome.

Membership Reminder

 Just a reminder that subs are due in May. You can bring cash or cheques to the next meeting on 6th May or pay by BACS. 

Amount £30

Code 20-57-44

Account number 23785971

Name Alsager Creative Stitchers 

Catherine Hill - textile artist

 Catherine entertained us with slides of her work, many of which have won prizes, and explained her way of working. She predominately uses red for her lettering because of the red rose of Lancashire, the county she is from. 

She also brought along many of her pieces of work which were much admired with a sense of wonder that anything so small could be so neat.

Textile Meadow Landscapes workshop with Emily Notman

 On Saturday 12th April we have a workshop with Emily Notman. As usual the workshop will be held at the United Reformed Church hall on Brookhouse Road Alsager from 10am to 4pm. Tea and coffee provided but please bring a packed lunch and an apron. You will be using paint.

Emily Notman is a textile artist who runs workshops for all levels of experience and expertise.

Here is a photo of my attempt at her last workshop. Her work is much better, unfortunately I can’t get any photos from her website to download here.  Look at Emily Notman.com. and on the Alsager Creative Stitchers page on Facebook.

She is very generous with her materials and advice so everyone will leave with a beautiful piece of work.