Stitch Sampler with Emily Hayes

Workshop 1 of Mark Making with Thread with Emily Hayes as part of this Breathing Spaces Project:

"I don't really sew, I haven't since school, but Emily helped us out. I liked using the leaves as inspiration, looking closely. It's always better to focus on something as a starting point" Volunteer MMQS

Emily Hayes is an embroidery artist who works with communities to create beautiful tactile images that are meaningful to the maker whilst resonating with the viewer.

In our first of four sessions we experimented with stitch, with some people using thread for the first time and others building on a wealth of knowledge.

We started the workshop we making tea from nettles, mint, rosemary and dried flowers, we stood around mixing our creations, discussing the flavours and smelling the plants. The room began to smell of the fresh leaves as we drank our tea.

Using small viewfinders on the leaves to see the veins details, everyone used these lines as the pattern to create with stitches.

Individuals who were stitching for the first time said they found it ‘peaceful’, ‘calming’ and that it ‘took their mind of things’.

And this is how far we got by the end of the day: