Giving Women the opportunity to shine, one stitch at a time.

Workshops
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Stories & Stitches - Needle felting
Tuesday 5th November – 10th December
9.30-11.30am
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Sewing Social
Monday 9th December
10.15am-1pm
£5.00
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Crafty Sisters Term Time Only
Bring your own craft, join us for some interesting conversation whilst creating something beautiful.
We prefer Cash for this group, so pay as you go, this is an online payment option for those that need it.
£12.50 for 5 Sessions
Tuesday 22nd April-20th May 2025
12:30 - 2:30 pm
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Calamity Kate"s Beginner Book Binding Workshop 1
Monday 12th August
9.30am-12.00noon
£30.00
£12.00 contact Aysha if you live in Barton And Tredworth for discounted price.
Join us for a taster session for the complete beginner to bookbinding. We will use materials found in the recycling bin to make notebooks and sketchbooks and with simple stitching techniques. These can be given as gifts to loved ones or you can use them (as I do) for sketchbooks or list keeping. It's a fabulous way to use up your card recycling and you will also have a choice of beautiful quality wallpapers for the covers of your handstitched book.
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Friendship Walks Thursday 24th April 2025
Eid Celebration Picnic at Westonbirt Arboretum
Join us for a special Eid celebration with a refreshing walk and a delightful picnic in the serene surroundings of Westonbirt Arboretum. This event is designed for women looking to connect, relax, and celebrate Eid in a beautiful natural setting.
Date: Thursday 24th April 2025
Time: 9.00am-3pm
Location: Westonbirt Arboretum leaving from Friendship cafe.
Itinerary:
Walk: Enjoy a leisurely guided walk along the arboretum's stunning trail, surrounded by a diverse collection of trees and plant life. Engage in meaningful conversations and strengthen bonds with fellow women.
Picnic: After the walk, gather for a picnic amidst nature. We will be providing a light vegetarian lunch for all to share.If you wish to purchase any extras from the cafe they are available to buy.
What to Bring:
A picnic blanket
Comfortable walking shoes
A light jacket (weather permitting)
Safety Guidelines: Kindly adhere to any relevant guidelines to ensure everyone’s safety and well-being.
This Eid celebration walk provides an opportunity to reflect, celebrate, and enjoy the beauty of nature together. We look forward to seeing you there!
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Join Book Crafter & Artist Kate for a Workshop to make your own bookmark.
Monday 28th October 9.30am-12.30pm In this class we will take leather and alternative fabrics and turn them into beautiful hand-decorated bookmarks. Kate will show you how to use metallic paints and basic embroidery stitches to decorate the plain bookmark shape before customising further with a tassel. These make beautiful gifts and Kate will share helpful tips on designing your bookmarks on paper, painting botanical shapes and inspirational ideas.
Cost £20.00 priority given to those living in Barton/Tredworth
All materials provided.
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Sew a Bucket Hat for functional Maths Skills
Wednesday 6th November 9am-12 noon. Learn how to make a bucket hat using the sewing machine, and improve your functional maths skills at the same time .
Cost: £2 booking fee. Workshop is Free to those who would like to improve their maths skills.
You can do this workshop if you do not have a maths gcse grade c or above.
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Sew a Draught Excluder
Free Workshop booking charge of £2.00 applies.
Join us for this multiply workshop with Emma Lou.
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Beginners Advanced Sewing Classes
10.30-12.30pm
£50 total for 5 weeks including all materials
Making, a zipper case, lined bag, machine appliqué, and an Apron
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Mini Leather Book Making £20.00 9.30am-12.00am Monday 2nd December
Join bookcrafter and artist Kate Lennon on this workshop to make your own mini books. In this class we will take leather and alternative fabrics and turn them into cute little books. Kate will show you how she designs and stitches these miniatures, customising them with beautiful papers, beads and stitches. The covers are also perfect to decorate with paint and stitch and they make lovely little gifts. You will leave with at least one little book to keep for yourself or give to a loved one and Kate will share all her resources and tips for making more at home.
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Sewing Social
Monday !6th December
10.15am-1pm
£5.00
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End of Year Seasonal Celebration Lunch
Three course seasonal lunch celebration in the Coffee shop. £20.00
Please complete form indicating from menu selection.
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Amanah Community CIC & Together Gloucester -Beyond The Veil
Free Information Afternoon. Do you wear a Hijab or Niqab? then this is for you. Women only.
Beyond the veil invites the sisters to find out about a project devised and led by Aysha Randera, she aims to facilitate you to tell your own story, celebrate your identity, and share your own perspectives in a culturally sensitive way using mindful photography and your own artistic expression. Aysha is a mindful photography practitioner and uses Ruth Davey’s award winning Look-Again approach.
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Stories and Stitches - Embroidered Feathers
£30.00 for all 6 weeks
Tuesday 7th Jan-11th February 9.30am-11.30am
Using only a few stitches, you will mindfully embroider a Beautiful Feather.Emma will coach you through the workshops to create a beautiful piece of embroidery that you can make into something or put on display.
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Beginners Sewing Machine Classes
Join our Beginners Sewing Class and unlock your creativity through the art of sewing. These classes are for those with little to no experience, guiding you step-by-step as you learn essential techniques and skills. Over the duration of the 9 weeks you will become familiar with sewing machines, cutting fabric, and basic stitches to create some lovely items, this class provides a friendly and supportive environment to help you start on your sewing journey. Discover the joy of crafting with fabric and thread while connecting with fellow sewing enthusiasts. Sign up today and start stitching your ideas into reality!
COST £50 for 9 × 2hr classes Wednesday’s Jan 29th-April 2nd 2025
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Wonder Widows
A group for widows only. (Widows are Women who's husband has died)
Widows' Support Group You are warmly invited to join a supportive community for widows. This gathering offers a safe space to share your experiences, lighten your burdens, and connect with like-minded women.
Details:
Date: First meeting on Monday 28th January 2025
Time: 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM
Location: [The Friendship Cafe] Enjoy a coffee while engaging in meaningful conversations with others who truly understand. There is no charge to attend; however, donations for refreshments are welcome.Together, we can navigate this journey and find comfort in shared stories. Join us in creating a supportive network to help each other through these challenging times.
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Textile Landscapes
Tuesday 25th Feb-25th March
£25.00 for all 5 sessions.
All Materials provided
Textile landscapes blend visual and tactile experiences, using fabric,patterns colours and textures to represent natural environments. They reflect diverse colors and shapes, transforming textiles into a medium that captures terrain.
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Watercolour Embroidery
Watercolour Embroidery Using Wet on Wet Technique on Calico
Watercolour embroidery is a beautiful technique that combines the fluidity of watercolour painting with the texture of embroidery. the wet on wet method on calico fabric allows for soft blending and an ethereal quality to your artwork. Bring your own watercolours if you prefer.
Dates Tuesday: 29thApril, 6th, 13th,& 20th May 2025
9.30-11.30am
£20 total for 4 sessions.
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“Imagine the bill for mental health services if the studio wasn’t there for us women.”
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“If you knew me 18 months ago when I started here, you wouldn’t recognise me now.”
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“Caring, thoughtful patient teacher, Always there to lend a hand, Creative thoughts and tender touch , Always tries to understand.”
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“Can't wait to actually see this in real life :) I love how you've painted / sewn /glued the feather; simply beautiful : )
Your final touches has made it stand out even more ...
Just amazingl...like the women on this group.”
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“What an incredible opportunity this has been for so many precious women to look into their treasure chests of gifting, and together produce such a diverse range of exquisite pieces.
To build beautiful community like this, especially during a national lockdown, is certainly a gift from above.”
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“Your individual creativity has brought back a sparkle within me and your life stories have left me humbled and honoured. I don’t know who you are but I know you are women of substance.”
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“I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, and really loved the hand embroidery... never actually done that before.”
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“It’s been a really amazing week with you all.
I’ve learnt that we are all unique, creative and amazing.”
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“What’s really extra lovely is how this group has been so supportive and encouraging.... we’ve made friendships without even meeting.... what a gift and true blessing.”
Make a donation.
We would be grateful for any donations you would like to make, which will go towards supporting The Amanah Community CIC and The Emma Willis Sewing Studio.