Drawing with Stitch in St Andrews Museum

Louise Kirby Stitch WorkshopI spent a lovely morning in sunny St Andrews at the St Andrews Museum running a Drawing with Stitch workshop to go with the Botany Cultivating Collections exhibition.  We had an inspiring wander round the gallery looking for shapes and images we would want to use in our own hand stitched drawstring bags.  I was taken by an enlarged model of a pea in the pod. Here’s my wee sample below.

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There was a lovely mix of images, painting and objects to choose from.  Everyone was taken by something different for their design from seaweed, still life painting by Peploe, daisies to the table cloth in the activity room.  We used a mix of stitches from running, daisy, chain and embellished with buttons or added applique in a relaxed atmosphere.  Here are a few samples.

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The exhibition finishes this Sunday 12th May so pop along if you can.  This exhibition was set up by the Museum and Gallery Students from St Andrews University.  The proceeds of the participants fees went to the St Andrews Botanical gardens and there’s a donation box in the gallery too.

Cultivating Collections Stitch Workshop

Louise Kirby Stitch Workshop

I will be doing a stitch workshop at St Andrews Museum on the 4th of May from 10.30am – 12.30pm, inspired by the Cultivating Collections Exhibition.  Participants will decorate a wee bag using stitch and embelishment.  No experience necessary it will be a relaxed and creative session.  All proceeds will go to St Andrews Botanic Gardens.  Please contact the venue directly for booking – 01334 659380..

St Andrews is a lovely place to spend the day!  I think I’ll have to check out Joules and Bibis when I’m there too!

Snail trails……..

I spend a lovely few hours with some creative crafty ladies at my ‘Create your own bespoke shopper – drawing with Stitch and Button’ workshop for Fife Contemporary Art & Craft.

To start the session I showed some of my samples with various stitch techniques, then we all had a rummage through the buttons – everyone loves buttons!  Stripy ones are my favourites!  I really encouraged creativity in a relaxed atmosphere and I hope all the participants enjoyed the session and it has given them a taster or inspiration to continue being creative!

I created a stripy snail design meandering across my shopper.  I am fascinated with snails and their trails.  I’m continuing to work on it in the evenings to as I find it really relaxing.All the participants created lovely things from – tree with button leaves, art deco flowers with a lovely red and black button border, flowers using all the stitches, chain stitch bamboo using lovely wool, intricate patterns and motifs.

It was a lovely relaxed atmosphere at the venue Vic in St Andrews, where we got the tastiest scones with cream and apricot jam – yummy! (i had more than one!!!)

Thanks to Fife Contemporary Art & Craft for inviting me to run a workshop in St Andrews.