Join Ali Ferguson for a day of hand stitching with a difference transforming three wooden blocks into a gorgeous little row of stitched wooden buildings. Ali’s story streets are inspired by the tenements in Edinburgh Old Toun, but you will design your own row of tall houses or shops embellished with vintage papers, fabrics and other small treasures all hand stitched into place. Your buildings will then all be stitched together to create your little street.
You can include house numbers, street names, window boxes and other personal details. You will be working on rectangular ‘patches’ of wood – the fun & challenge is in turning these into quaint little buildings!! To give you an idea of scale each block is approximately 7cm wide and varying in height from 10cm to 18 cm.
They can be inspired by streets you love, or they can be fictional - perhaps a haberdashery shop, a florist, sweet shop or book shop or even a butcher, a baker and a candlestick maker!
Before you can begin to stitch, tiny holes must be drilled into the wood – you’ll be surprised at quite how many holes it takes to create each little window!
Ali will provide the wood cut to size for your story street and a lovely selection of vintage ephemera and materials for you to use, but you may wish to bring your own paint so that you can create your own colour combinations. Match pots of emulsion paint work well as do acrylic and other craft paints. There will be paint available that you are welcome to use but colours may be limited!
You may also wish to bring along some of your own small treasures to include - personal papers such as letters, postcards, envelopes or maps. Think about sheet music, stamps, scraps of special fabrics, buttons, small keys, pages from a favourite book and any other random bits and pieces. If you are creating a row of shops, perhaps collect some tiny objects that you could transform and use to tell their story.
There are a few messy bits so please bring an apron or at the very least don’t wear your Sunday Best!
To see more of Ali's work, head to her website here. Or head to Ali's Instagram here.
One day workshop - 17th October 2027 10am to 4pm.
£105 including refreshments. Please bring along lunch or alternatively visit one of the two cafes on site or the award winning farm shop.
BOOKING THIS WORKSHOP:
Bookings are now open! Once you've paid, please hang fire for a confirmation, which are all sent out manually by Emma, so it may not arrive immediately, but hang tight, it will arrive! You can also keep up to date with new courses and info by following us on Instagram @hopeandelvis or subscribing to our mailing list at the bottom of our homepage.