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Welcome

Welcome to the new look Craft Arena blog. The aim of our blog is to give you more information than can be found in our weekly newsletter. In each post, you will find  information about our classes, inspiration, resources, and news about special offers. You can subscribe to our newsletter by visiting our website  and clicking on the blue 'Subscribe' button underneath our logo. You can contact us via our website contact form .
Recent posts

Inspiration

We have curated some of our favourite links here. Some could be for you to participate in and some just to inspire you! We can take no responsibililty for links that no longer wor k. Paper Bead Tapestries by Sanaa Gateja A Catalogue of Stitched CMYK Studies by Evelin Kasikov Merges Printing and Embroidery The Festival of Quilts Competition 2024  - find out more and Enter Isobelle Ouzman’s Altered Books Debbie Lawson -  Life-Sized Animals in Ornate Rugs Grace Gillespie’s Vibrant Linocut Prints of Flowers and Foliage Samantha Moore's touching film, Visible Mending about knitting therapy Maria A. Guzmán Capron’s Patchwork Figures Sozai Center designs a durable speckled fabric made entirely from recycled apple waste The Bronze Dress mystery Nengiren’s Embroidered Figures Embroidered Patches Redefine Vintage Postcards and Photographs by Han Cao Intricate Embroidery Bring Yumi Okita’s Moths to Life 10 Textiles Artists Inspired by the Ocean Textile Artists Inspired by Nature 10 Textile Po

Local Groups

If you would like us to include your group on this page and in our newsletter, please use the contact form on our website to send us the information. Southend Seaside Stitchers Southend Seaside Stitchers (formerly South & East Essex Embroiderers Guild) meet twice a month in Westcliff-on-Sea with a mixture of mini workshops, speakers and bring your own project sessions. They welcome all stitchers and textiles enthusiasts to their meetings. For more details, please see thier  Facebook  and I nstagram   pages or email    southenendseasidestitchers@yahoo.com Romford Embroiders They meet monthly on a Saturday afternoon at the United Reformed Church, Western Road, Romford Find out more about Romford Embroiderers here. Essex Silk Painters Essex Silk Painters is a vibrant local chapter of the National Guild of Silk Painters. They meet in Toot Hill near Ongar on the first Saturday of every month (except January) for day-long workshops. Some days have outside tutors, some are taught by memb

Free Patterns

We offer free patterns as we come across them. Please note that we can take no responsibility for links that do not work. Our free pattern this week is an embroidery file from Brother. Download your design here Our free pattern this week uses Rowan Summerlite 4 ply, and is ideal for those summer days yet to come! Download your pattern here I liked this sentiment from DMC. The pattern suggests stitching the design in French Knots, but as an alternative, you could use satin stitch, or any one of a multitude of stitches - whichever is your favourite! Sew it onto a bag, cushion, or even a babygro. Download your pattern here This week we have a jumper by Martin Storey in Rowan Soft Yak DK using a cable design.  Download your pattern here This sweet little design by Brother for your embroidery machine can be downloaded from the link below. The website says it is a dog, but it looks more like a cat to me! Download  your pattern here . I've also found a heart design for a blanket  here  fr

Talks, Exhibitions and Shows

You will find here information on talks, exhibitions shows. If you have any information you would like to see included, please contact us . Please note these aren't necessarily in date order! We can take no responsibility for links that no longer work. Friday feature Artist from Fibre Arts Take Two - Sarah Z Short Friday Feature Artist from Fibre Arts Take Two - Lizel von Wielligh Helga Stentzel's clothesline animals Pauline Caulfield Textiles  -  Tapestry Balcony,  Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh  8 March – 20 July 2024 Fibre Arts Take Two - Debbie Lyddon Fibre Arts Take Two Feature Artist - Jo Stealey Entangled Pasts, 1768–now Art, Colonialism and Change 3 February - 28 April 2024 Main Galleries | Burlington House J.M.W. Turner and Ellen Gallagher. Joshua Reynolds and Yinka Shonibare. John Singleton Copley and Hew Locke. Past and present collide in one powerful exhibition. Yoko Ono - Music of the Mind Until 1 September 2024 Tate Modern Judging a Book by its Cover  - Online exhibit