Stitching group start up?

bizzylizzy · 4 June 2013 at 5:05PM

I am considering starting a stitching group at my church. My plan is for people to bring along any form of stitching (patchwork, embroidery, knitting, crochet, tapestry, mending!), and we stitch together, also we help each other out - so if someone wants to learn a skill we teach each other as much as we know. So someone can come along with no skills at all and learn some.
So it would be a social time and a passing on skills time.

Has anyone started a group like this? Do you have any advice or tips before I jump in the deep end? Any thoughts gratefully received!

Pinkdebster · 4 June 2013 at 7:51PM

Hiya

I am part of a very similar group which we started up about six months ago.

One of the group has a large house that she is happy for us to use......the rest of us take it in turns to provide snacks for the session. The provider of the venue is exempt from paying for snacks as she makes us tea!!!!

We try to do a different craft each month - we've done embroidery, knitting, crochet and felting so far. We've all got our own "niche" (so to speak) so really we are just sharing our individual knowledge and skills.

I know I speak for the rest of the group (there are six of us so far) when I say how useful and inspiring the evenings are for us. We all really look forward to the evenings.

I wish you every success in your venture

toastie_girl · 4 July 2013 at 1:14PM

Good luck with your group. I went to one at our local hall and really enjoyed it. I also organised something so that a few of us who attended a class could keep going during the holidays.

I think it's important to know whether you will need to pay for the venue and work out how you will cover the cost. Some people will come regularly but others won't, so you need to be sure you aren't stuck with an extra expense. Also, if you need tables etc, you need to make sure you have enough time (and helpers) to set up and put the tables away and that they are clean enough to put projects on.

My last tip is to either keep the refreshments away from the projects or make sure you have space to put cups. I know to my cost how far a full cup of tea can spread when it hits a table and heads towards someone else's precious work!:o

Let us know how you get on.

stiltwalker · 5 July 2013 at 9:33PM

We meet every other week in our village hall for sewing club. It's and incredibly informal met up of anywhere between 6 and 12 of us. We have people who are very experienced and happy to share knowledge and others who come along for the social aspect or learn or some of all over the above. We also put on workshops a few times a year on a Saturday afternoon to share messier skills such as feltmaking or silk paper making and this summer we are doing printmaking. The workshops are aimed much more at children (and those who just like to get messy with the kids!!!) But we have kids that come to the evening sewing club and grown ups who come for the workshops - we're open to all.

One thing I would say is unless you have a little band of people you know are going to come please don't be disheartened if you are a little quiet to start with, we found our group built up slowly and even now we have weeks where we are, shall we say a select group! some times of year are quieter than others as people may be busy with other stuff.

It is also a good idea to look around and see what else is on and try not to clash with any other activities elsewhere in the area that may attract the same sort of people - for example I end up missing a sewing club every couple of months as my husband has a PCC (Parish colloquial council meeting and so I have to stay home with the kids.

Good luck and I hope you end up with as lovely a bunch as we have for a friendly, sew, natter and tea drinking session.

Stitching group start up?

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