Stitches in Time Opens New Studio Space at Stepney City Farm

UntitledWalking around Stepney City Farm on a Saturday and among the usual stalls selling local food and produce at the weekly 10 – 3pm Saturday Farmer’s Market, visitors will have their eyes bedazzled by beautiful embroidered cushions, quilts, bags and wall hangings.

For Stepney City Farm is happy to announce that Stitches in Time, a participatory arts organisation and registered charity working in textiles, based at Limehouse Town Hall, are the proud, new occupants of a studio space within the farm’s Rural Arts Centre.

Stitches in Time will run exciting educational courses in textiles and textile arts for all, both adults and children, from their farm studio, throughout the year.

They also showcase high quality, bespoke items for sale at the weekly market, made by local unemployed women at their textiles development programmes. They will continue to support the local community, as all sales fund further local community programmes.

Katie Adkins, Director of Enterprise Outreach, Stitches in Time, says, “Our classes at the town hall have always been popular. But being here at the farm will give us the opportunity for further outreach in the community and to meet more people. Our farm studio is a well-equipped space where we can run paid leisure classes, open to the public and free classes for unemployed residents. Those for whom English is their second language and whose employment prospects are limited, can volunteer, get work experience and even meet the public when selling their work, so that they can take up ownership of their work.”

She added, “I plan to teach a basic machine sewing class, guidance in making your own clothes, gifts and soft furnishings, banners, aprons, underwear and even baby booties! I will also teach textiles skills Embroidery classes will be run by Lisa.”

Lisa Leigh, who has trained and worked on projects with Stitches in Time since 2015, says, “I aim to produce both portfolio and smaller embroidered pieces and will display them at the farm. I also plan to teach various levels of embroidery including for beginners at the farm, with all age groups being welcome.”

Stitches in Time through their enterprise arm, FabricWorks, have wide experience in textile commissions. They offer a range of services including initial sampling, pattern cutting, hand embroidery, beading and embellishment, and manufacture of a variety of items: from garments to soft furnishings, bags and textile accessories to specialist design products.

Katie continued, “We also take on textile commissions. Artists, students, designers and fashion brands and have called on us to make ranges of cushions, make up bags, pyjamas, parasols and hangings for our clients. Our products have been displayed or sold at prestige outlets including Liberty, Buckingham Palace, and Miss Crofton.”

The aim of the enterprise is to match the skills of women who have attended our classes with the needs of both London and UK based manufacturers. By being at the farm we will be able support more women into employment through the enterprise.”

Not only will locals benefit from Stitches in Time being at the farm, but children who have a keen interest in textiles techniques and art of the needle are also set to gain as well. Stitches in Time have lengthy experience of running child-based workshops and are DBS qualified.

Katie added, “Students and local residents are also welcome to bring their own hand or machine sewing projects including textile, embroidery, appliqué or patchwork for advice or to use our equipment.”

Without doubt, the farm is an ideal setting to display the high quality work produced by attendees of Stitches in Time’s classes. Many pieces on display are made from recycled materials, including embroidered cushions, bespoke raised embroidered velvet boards, handmade quilts, bags, tie dyed Batik wall hangings and traditional pictures.

Lisa added, “I use nearly 100 per cent recyclable materials. For the raised embroidery velvet backed boards I have used a diverse range of recycled materials including pizza bases, pearl beads, washers, scraps of fabric and leather, old jewellery including earrings, plastic onion mesh bags, painted string and old scissor blades.”

There could be no better place for Stitches in Time than to open a new studio among the local community.

As Lisa concluded, “I am very proud to be part of Stitches in Time. The ambience at the farm is very calming. It is lovely to be with like-minded people on so many levels not just on the artistic level, and that people want to get involved here in quality, time-consuming, creative pursuits.”