Embroidery Classes in Derbyshire
Heirs & Graces Needlework Classes
There are various embroidery courses to attend at our training room in Darley Dale in Derbyshire including the Stitched Garden sampler where you attend one day per month for six months and learn from basic to more advanced stitches to create a stunning walled garden. We also run classes for skills such as Goldwork, Silk Ribbon and Blackwork where you can learn all about these crafts to create beautiful works of art. All our classes cater to all levels from beginner to experienced.
Click on the links below to see details for our Embroidery Workshops.
Stitched Garden Sampler
Embark on a captivating embroidery journey with our unique Stitched Garden Sampler workshop, where each stitch takes you deeper into the enchanting world of needlework. Picture yourself crafting a stunning, large-scale birds-eye view of a walled garden, rich in detail and alive with creativity.
Begin your adventure with basic stitches, gradually progressing to more advanced techniques as you traverse the garden’s expanse. Imagine each month revealing a new segment of this lush design: from embroidering vibrant cauliflowers and peppers to delicate flowers.
You’ll delve into basic surface embroidery, counted stitches, intricate blackwork, three-dimensional stumpwork, elegantly drawn thread, delicate silk ribbon, and finally, the majestic art of goldwork. Each class unveils a new chapter of the garden, enriching your skills and bringing the scene to life.
Upon completion, you will have not only mastered a variety of embroidery techniques but also created a breathtaking 25″ x 19″ masterpiece, a testament to your skill and dedication. Join us in weaving this splendid embroidered garden, a journey that promises growth, discovery, and the joy of creation.
Basic Embroidery
Embark on a delightful journey into the art of embroidery with our beginner-friendly workshop, where creativity meets craftsmanship. This workshop is designed to introduce you to the fundamental techniques of embroidery, culminating in the creation of an exquisite heart-shaped design.
As you weave your needle and thread, you will learn a variety of essential stitches, each adding texture and depth to your artwork. The heart, a timeless symbol of love and affection, serves as the perfect canvas for practising stitches like the backstitch, satin stitch, and French knots, among others. By the end of the workshop, not only will you have mastered the basics of embroidery, but you will also take home a charming heart-shaped piece, a testament to your newly acquired skills and a symbol of your creative journey.
This class is aimed at complete beginners.
Goldwork
Goldwork embroidery, celebrated for its magnificence, is the art of using metallic gold and silver threads to create luxurious designs. In our Heirs and Graces workshop, you will explore this traditional technique. The attraction is the different textures of the threads and the way they reflect in the light when altering the direction of the laid threads or stitching over padding. This workshop offers a unique opportunity to master a craft that has adorned royal and ceremonial attire for centuries, allowing you to weave a piece of history into your embroidery creations.
In this class, you will learn about the different types of threads and how to use them.
Pulled Thread
Pulled Thread Embroidery, also known as Drawn Thread Work, is a traditional form of needlework that creates a delicate and intricate effect on the fabric. This technique involves manipulating the threads of the woven fabric itself, rather than adding additional threads.
By carefully pulling and tensioning certain warp and weft threads with a needle, while leaving others in place, the embroiderer creates an array of patterns ranging from geometric to floral designs. The tension applied to the threads causes the fabric to bunch and pucker, creating openwork and lacy effects that are both elegant and subtle.
Pulled Thread Embroidery requires a high level of skill and precision, as the uniformity of the stitches and the tension applied are critical to the beauty of the finished piece. Historically, this technique has been used for decorative household items like table linens and curtains, as well as for embellishing clothing, showcasing the exquisite craftsmanship of the embroiderer.
Crewel
Crewel work, a form of decorative surface embroidery, is usually stitched using crewel wool in a variety of embroidery stitches to create beautiful and intricate designs on linen or cotton fabric. Dating back to the medieval era, this technique is celebrated for its textural richness and artistic flexibility.
In Crewel work, stitches like the chain stitch, French knot, and satin stitch come to life, forming elaborate floral and foliage patterns that have a unique, raised appearance.
This workshop invites you to immerse yourself in the timeless beauty of Crewel work, guiding you through the creation of your piece that intertwines traditional elegance with personal artistic expression. Perfect for both beginners and experienced embroiderers, Crewel work offers a delightful exploration into the world of textured, woollen embroidery.
Crewel is a technique that dates back at least a thousand years with one of the earliest examples of this technique being on the Bayeux Tapestry.
Silk Ribbon
Beginners will find the techniques easy to learn, as not only does it grow quickly but it is difficult to make mistakes as it is very forgiving. This class is aimed at complete beginners.
Silk ribbon embroidery, an elegant and simple craft, is perfect for those beginning their journey in needlework. Utilizing the glossy and supple nature of silk ribbons, this form of embroidery transforms ordinary fabric into a canvas blooming with vivid, three-dimensional flowers, leaves, and other decorative patterns.
The silk ribbon, with its variety of widths and colours, offers a delightful play of light and shade, making each creation uniquely captivating. Our workshop provides step-by-step guidance and will use different widths of ribbon. This will ensure a rewarding and enjoyable experience for those new to this art form, leaving you with a piece of work that radiates with the soft, elegant beauty of silk.
As a beginner, the silk ribbon kit pictured is a great way to start the hobby. Hover over the image and you will see a more advanced piece that is ideal for those who have a little experience of silk ribbon work.
Blackwork & Redwork
Blackwork
Blackwork is a very old form of embroidery. It can be traced back to the 14th and 15th Century in Spain. Catherine of Aragon brought it with her to England when she married Henry VIII. It is a counted technique and so requires to be stitched on an evenweave fabric, either Aida or Linen Evenweave.
As the name suggests black threads were traditionally used for this technique but it can also be interesting to use coloured threads. This class is aimed at complete beginners.
Redwork
Redwork embroidery has a rich history dating back to the late nineteenth century. It is a simple style of “art needlework” that consists of embroidering the outline of designs onto a white or off-white background with a contrasting colour of thread.
Today, this stitch is commonly called backstitching or outline stitching. Redwork continues to be popular today using the traditional method of creating projects with hand embroidery, either in red thread or using different colours. Hover on the image to see the redwork sample.
Mountmellick
Discover the unique charm of Mountmellick embroidery, a distinctive form of floral whitework that originated in the quaint town of Mountmellick in County Laois, Ireland, during the early nineteenth century. This embroidery style is a celebration of nature’s beauty, characterised by its exclusively white threads that create a stunning relief effect on a matte fabric background, often resembling the serene Irish landscapes.
The array of stitches utilized in Mountmellick work is diverse and skillfully chosen to impart a richly textured and dimensional quality to the fabric. Typical motifs in this technique include lush branches, an array of delicate flowers, and succulent fruits, all rendered with exquisite attention to detail that makes each piece a tactile and visual delight.
What sets Mountmellick embroidery apart is its bold yet elegant use of texture. The varying thickness of the threads and the unique embossed effects achieved through the stitches give this embroidery style a distinctive three-dimensional quality, making the floral and botanical designs seem to leap off the fabric.
Candlewick
Candlewick is a form of Whitework Embroidery that traditionally uses an unbleached cotton thread on a piece of unbleached calico. It gets its name from soft spun cotton thread which was braided the used to form the wick for candles.
Originating in pioneer America, Candlewicking was a creative adaptation by women venturing into the remote West. Limited access to embroidery so they had to be economical use of thread. Consequently, designs featured open, knot-outlined patterns instead of the thread-intensive satin stitch, a strategy that minimized thread consumption.
The Colonial Knot was created as this used less tread than the French Knot. Most designs were simple and were taken from nature.
After the embroidery was completed, the fabric was washed in very hot water to shrink the fabricand cause the stitches to fluff up which would hold the stitch in place. This process exemplifies the practical ingenuity embedded in the tradition of Candlewicking, making it a unique and resourceful form of embroidery.
Class Dates
At Heirs & Graces, we are committed to offering you the utmost flexibility when it comes to scheduling your creative journey with us. Each month, we hold a series of 11 workshops focused on either embroidery or patchwork, designed to accommodate your unique schedule and preferences.
Our classes are thoughtfully spread across the month, held on 3 Mondays, 4 Fridays, and 4 Saturdays. Participants typically choose one day per month for their class, creating a consistent rhythm for their learning experience.
We understand, however, that life can be unpredictable. If you find yourself unable to attend your scheduled session, rest assured that we will endeavour to seamlessly integrate you into another workshop date, ensuring that your learning progress remains uninterrupted.
To embark on this enriching journey of craft and creativity, call us on 01629 734100 to book your first class.
What to bring
8” Embroidery Hoop
Small sharp embroidery scissors
Thimble – if you use one