Events
Forthcoming Events
The Stroudwater Textile Trust holds events throughout the year which promote interest in, and awareness of, our wonderful local textile heritage. Some events are hosted by ourselves, others are run by our partners in the textile community. Watch out for classes, talks, walks, demonstrations and exhibitions.
Forthcoming events are listed on this page (please note that the 24-hour clock is used). Click on the button to book your place. If you want to visit one of our mill sites, click here.
We look forward to seeing you at an event, and thank you for your interest in Stroud’s industrial history and the work of the Stroudwater Textile Trust.
Saturday 28 February
10.00–14.00Winter Woolday: amigurumi workshop at In Stitches, 22 Westward Road, Cainscross GL5 4JQ. Bring your own yarn and hook to create a lovely stuffed toy under the guidance of Christina (basic crochet skills assumed). Bring a packed lunch; tea/coffee provided. SOLD OUT.Saturday 28 March
10.00-12.00Felted applique workshop with Bailey Curtis at Christ Church Rooms, Nailsworth. Learn how to arrange layers of felt into a picture of your choice and gradually work the layers together with soap and water to make a lovely felted picture. Cost £30 per person including all materials and tea/coffee/biscuits.Friday 17 April
10.00-16.00'Stitching Spring Flowers' workshop in the delightful setting of Lewis & Wood's Top Floor in Woodchester Mill. Be inspired by the new season's blooms to design and stitch a simple flower arrangement. Cost £72 (£60 for STT members), to include all materials, a salad and sandwich lunch and tea/coffee.Sunday 10 May
11.00-13.00Painswick guided walk around this historic wool town with painter and art historian Sarah Middleton. Starting at the Painswick Arts Café, we hope to include a spinning demonstration and a visit to a Round House and other places not usually open to the public. £10 (£8 for STT Members).Fridays 5, 12 19 and 26 June
10.00-12.00A 4-week beginners’ sewing course at The Sewing Shed, Stroud, learning to sew and use a sewing machine. Covering all the basics, the course is subsidised by STT and costs £80 for the course (instead of £105) including all materials. 10 places maximum; book here https://sewingshedstroud.co.uk/courses/4-week-sewing-course-beginners or call Martha van der Laan on 07846 853016.Sunday 21 June
9.45-12.00Explore Eastington with Steve Mills of the Gloucestershire Society for Industrial Archeology. A circular walk, mostly on the flat (stout footwear advised), lasting around 2 hours. We visit the mills of the area and learn about the industry leaders of previous centuries. Parking is at a premium, so please park along the section of abandoned road parallel to the canal at Pike Lock (just across the roundabout from Oldbury Services/Waitrose). The post code is GL10 3RT. We will gather from 9.45 for a 10 am start. Cost £7 (£5 for GSIA and STT Members).Saturday 27 June
10.00-16.00Crewelwork embroidery workshop with Kim Hardie at France Lynch Church Rooms. This gifted and talented teacher will provide an imaginative design for you to work, featuring four dye plants. All materials provided; cost £50 (bring your own lunch, tea/coffee provided). 10 places only.Tuesday 28 July
10.00-12.00Visit Wingham Wool Works in Berkeley Heath. A private visit (STT Members only) to this Aladdin's Cave of pure combed wool-tops, brightly coloured wool mixes and Ashford spinning equipment. Also working machinery to admire: a magnificent 1920s carding machine, a comber and a gill box machine. No charge but booking essential.Tuesday 4 August (tbc)
10.00-17.00Painswick Wool Day (provisional date, in association with the parish church and the local history society). An entertaining and exploratory day for all the family. Donkeys, sheep, alpacas, history, houses, spinning, weaving, storytelling and lots more. No charge, but donations welcome for St Mary’s Parish Church; booking not necessary.Sunday 30 August
10.00-16.00Forage & Dye with Siân Lester. Spend a couple of hours foraging locally for dye plants, then use them to dye suitable fabrics (supplied) at the Cacao Café in Bedford Street, Stroud. Cost £75 (£65 for STT Members). 10 places only.Sunday 4 October
10.00-13.00Join us in The Lounge at Egypt Mill to learn medieval stitching techniques similar to those used on the Bayeux Tapestry. Choose one of two designs from tutor Tanya Bentham and work with a supplied kit to create your own medieval embroidery. Cost £50 (£45 for STT Members). 20 places only.Sunday 4 October
14.15-15.15Pre-AGM talk on the Bayeux Tapestry (not actually a tapestry at all!), with Tanya Bentham. Why and how was it made, by whom and for whom? Cost £10 (STT Members free); booking essential, even for Members.Sunday 4 October
15.30Annual General Meeting of the Stroudwater Textile Trust (open to Members only), followed by tea.Saturday 10 October
10.00-15.00STT Members networking day upstairs at Stroud Brewery. A chance for Members to demonstrate their work and share ideas with others. We are also offering a limited number of taster sessions in spinning and weaving. (If you wish to book a taster session, click on the Book Event button. There's no charge, but donations to the Trust would be appreciated.)October 26-30 (date tbc)
Times to followHalf Term Woolly Day. Drop-in craft day for children aged 5–11 (accompanied by an adult) at Museum in the Park. An imaginative way to keep this age-group occupied for a couple of hours; check our website in September for details (no charge).Thursday 12 November
10.00-12.00A textile brooch. Create a unique piece of jewellery from fabric scraps under the guidance of Jane Burchall. Venue is Christ Church Rooms, Nailsworth; £15 including materials and equipment.Saturday 5 December
10.00-16.00Craft your own Christmas Fairy under the guidance of Corinne Hockley, whose background is in costume and stage design. Venue is Museum in the Park; materials provided, but you can bring your own bits and pieces including any unwanted jewellery for repurposing. Cost £60 (STT Members £50). 10 places only.
