Mending Matters: Celebrating Second Hand September

It’s September again, and with it comes one of our favourite campaigns of the year: Second Hand September. The idea is simple but powerful – instead of buying new, we are asked to repair, mend and alter what we already have . At Colour and Cloth, this isn’t just a month long challenge, every stitch we teach our students is valued.

Embroidery: By Hand, Free Motion or Computerised Machine?

Embroidery has never been more popular — and never had so many ways in. You can pick up a needle and thread at your kitchen table, drop the feed dogs on a machine you already own, or invest in a computerised embroidery machine that stitches while you put the kettle on. Three completely different journeys, all leading to the same joyful place: beautiful, personal stitching.
So which one is right for you? Let’s have a proper look — the pluses, the pitfalls, and where each one might take you.

Your Sewing Room Essentials: The Kit Every Bee Needs

Series 12 of The Great British Sewing Bee is back on our screens this week. Whether you’re setting up your very first sewing corner or finally treating your space to an upgrade — every sewing bee needs the same thing to do their best work: a sewing space that’s organised, reliable, and set up to let your creativity actually flow.

Embroidering our Island at the NIEG Residential

As the sewing residential weekend in Ireland drew to a close at Drumalis, the needles stilled and the machines fell quiet — but the journey continues. A needle and thread has no passport, yet it crosses every border, carrying the spirit of Ireland with it wherever it travels. From the patchwork fields of the Emerald Isle to the homes of the Irish diaspora across America, Canada, Australia and beyond — cloth remembers where we came from. These islands were always meant to be unfinished. Until our last stitch is sewn, we are all still on our own journey.

Exploring Texture and Colour With The NIEG

On Saturday, the cloth spoke and the hands listened. Each of the women reached into her own memory of this island — its coastlines and counties, memories and traditions. Family and friends — with fabric and thread. Each began to embroider her story into being. From a view from a window in County Down to the limestone of the Burren, County Clare. No matter where in the world you call home, or where Ireland lives in your heart — there is a thread that connects us all.

Sewing Residential with NI Embroidery Guild

Ireland has always been stitched together — patchwork fields of emerald and gold, hemmed by coastline, threaded through with story. In May we gathered our threads, needles and fabric and headed to a beautiful location near the Glens of Antrim. As guest tutor for the Northern Ireland Embroidery Guild, I guided the members through a textile experience , emphasising the intelligence of the hands, and the art of leaving things beautifully unfinished. Whether you are rooted here or drawn to Ireland from across the world — this is a blog about heritage, cloth, and the quiet power of making something by hand.

The Mother of the Bride Made it

At Colour and Cloth Sewing Courses, we believe that every stitch tells a story. This is how my Advanced sewing student Gayle designed and made her own Mother of the Bride outfit.

Sew Your Own Christmas Decorations

Christmas is the time for gift giving and this year I made a stocking garland to dress the mantlepiece. All my decorations are handmade using the gift of sewing which I learnt at age 6. I love to share this gift with my students teaching them to sew at all levels.

Sewing a Handmade Christmas

The ultimate celebration of Christmas is the giving of hand made gifts. We made bespoke Luxury Christmas Stockings at the Colour and Cloth Studio

Investing in an Overlocker – My Top Tips

An overlocker is one of the most valuable machines you can add to your sewing room. Once you learn how to use it with confidence, you’ll unlock a whole new range of sewing techniques, create stronger seams, and achieve clean, professional-looking finishes that will transform your projects.