Reading Sewing Bee

08/10/2026

☕✂️ SIP & LOCK IS BACK! 🥳

You asked, and we listened! By popular demand, we are bringing back our super popular Sip & Lock Coffee & Overlocking Session to help you lose your fear of the overlocker once and for all! 😱➡️💪

Whether you’re a complete overlock newbie or just want a refresher in a friendly, relaxed setting, come and join us for a morning of thread, chat, and treats.

✨ What we’ll be up to:
Enjoy complimentary coffee, tea, and biscuits ☕🍪
Get hands-on experience making two reusable makeup remover pads (one square and one round!) to take home 🧼
Special Demo: Time permitting, Mara will also do a live demonstration on how to thread an overlocker from scratch! 🧵

📅 When: Saturday 24th October 2026
⏰ Time Slots: Choose between 10:00–12:00 or 12:00–14:00 (Book your preferred slot and pop in whenever suits you during that time window!)
🎟️ Cost: FREE! (Booking essential)

Spaces fill up very quickly for this one, so don't wait!

👉 Head to our website to reserve your free slot today!

07/10/2026

🧣✨ Scarf Making with Handmade Crochet Trim: The Ultimate Autumn Craft! 🍂
As the crisp Autumn weather sets in, there’s nothing quite like wrapping yourself up in a lightweight, handmade double-gauze scarf. Even better? Making one yourself to wear all season long—or crafting the ultimate heirloom gift for someone special this Christmas! 🍁🎁

We’re so excited to launch this mindful workshop in two distinct editions:
✨ INTERMEDIATES EDITION
Already know crochet basics? Learn our decorative trim pattern, measure and cut your fabric, and master attaching it neatly with professional machine sewing techniques.
Dates: Friday 30th October & Friday 6th November
Investment: £100 + materials

🌱 BEGINNERS EDITION
Never held a crochet hook? No problem! We’ll teach you crochet stitches from scratch before cutting your fabric and sewing your trim into a finished heirloom scarf.
Dates: Friday 20th November, Friday 27th November & Friday 4th December
Investment: £140 + materials

Give yourself the gift of creative time this season—or make something truly memorable for the holidays. 💛

🎟️ Visit our website to book and secure your spot!

05/10/2026

Need a cosy, welcoming space to work on your current WIP (work in progress)? Or just looking for a relaxed spot to hang out with fellow creatives? Drop into our free Craft Clubs this week! 🌈✨

Bring your own hand-held project—whether it's hand sewing, knitting, embroidery, mending, sashiko, crochet, etc.—or browse our free studio supplies and craft books to start something new at your own pace.

Don't have a project on the go, or just not in the mood to stitch? No problem at all—crafting is completely optional! You are so welcome to just pop in for the warm company, a cup of tea, and a friendly chat.

🗓️ Thursday (17:00 – 19:00): Q***r & Allies Craft Club 🏳️‍🌈
🗓️ Friday (10:00 – 12:00): Morning Craft Club ☕️

✨ Completely FREE ✨ No booking required—just pop in! ✨ Crafting optional—come to stitch or just to chat! ✨ Free supplies & books available ✨ Free parking on-site

Whether you're looking to chat while you stitch or just want dedicated, cosy time away from home, everyone is welcome. See you in the living room! 🐝

03/10/2026

✨ 2027 Beginners & Improvers Courses are NOW OPEN for booking! ✨

First, a huge, heartfelt THANK YOU to our wonderful community! 🩷 Thanks to your incredible support, our 2026 sewing courses have been fully booked for over three months now. We are so grateful for every single stitch, chat, and creative moment shared in our studio!

If you didn’t manage to get a spot in these year's editions, we’ve just released new dates for our Beginners and Improvers courses for the first half of 2027 so you can get ahead and secure your spot at the sewing table!

👀 And keep an eye out!

In the next couple of weeks, we’ll be releasing dates for all our loved regular workshops alongside some exciting new additions—including Introduction to Sashiko, Sashiko Komebukuro, One-Day Beginners in all three variants (bags, pencil case, and pyjama trousers), and more!

By popular demand, we’ve set brand new dates for our fantastic “Sip and Lock” and “Tame That Stretch” events—specially designed to help you lose your fear of the overlocker and stretchy fabrics once and for all! 🥂🪡Booking will be open very soon.

And in early 2027, we'll be working on the course calendar for the second half of the year.

If you’ve been hoping to start your sewing journey or level up your skills in the New Year, head to the website to explore the 2027 schedule and book your place! 🎟️🧵

30/09/2026

🌺🎨 PAINTING WITH THREAD: FRIDA KAHLO EDITION 🧵✨

Immerse yourself in a world of rich colour, lush texture, and expressive art this October! We’re so excited to launch a brand-new 3-session series of our popular "Painting with Thread" workshop, facilitated by the wonderfully talented Júlia Cantó Oliver! 🖼️🌿

Drawing inspiration from the vibrant art and botanical aesthetic of iconic artist Frida Kahlo—specifically her celebrated still lifes—you will learn how to translate details of Kahlo’s famous paintings or extract her passionate, vivid colour palettes into your very own piece of textile art. 🥭🌸🦋

You’ll stitch your work on an embroidery hoop before learning how to seamlessly mount it onto a square canvas ready to hang proudly in your home!

✨ For Absolute Beginners: We break down complex artwork into simple, manageable shapes and colour blocks so you feel supported with every single stitch.
✨ For Returning Stitchers: Joined us for Júlia's previous workshop? You’ll love this next step! We’ll be exploring brand-new stitches and thread-painting techniques to build depth and dynamic texture.

📅 Dates: Fridays 9th, 16th, & 23rd October
⏰ Time: 17:00 – 19:00
💰 Price: £70 for all 3 sessions (includes all materials, hoop (on loan), canvas & refreshments!)
🪡 Facilitator: Júlia Cantó Oliver ()

🚨 Spaces are strictly limited to keep our studio group cosy and small. Head over to our website to reserve your spot today! 🐝✨🧵

29/09/2026

29/09/2026

🧣✨ Scarf Making with Handmade Crochet Trim: The Ultimate Autumn Craft! 🍂

As the crisp Autumn weather sets in, there’s nothing quite like wrapping yourself up in a lightweight, handmade double-gauze scarf. Even better? Making one yourself to wear all season long—or craft the ultimate heirloom gift for someone special this Christmas! 🍁🎁

We’re so excited to launch this mindful workshop in two distinct editions:

🌱 BEGINNERS EDITION
Never held a crochet hook? No problem! We’ll teach you crochet stitches from scratch before cutting your fabric and sewing your trim into a finished heirloom scarf.
Dates: Friday 20th November, Friday 27th November & Friday 4th December
Investment: £140 + materials

✨ INTERMEDIATES EDITION
Already know crochet basics? Learn our decorative trim pattern, measure and cut your fabric, and master attaching it neatly with professional machine sewing techniques.
Dates: Friday 30th October & Friday 6th November
Investment: £100 + materials

Give yourself the gift of creative time this season—or make something truly memorable for the holidays. 💛

🎟️ Visit our website to book and secure your spot!

17/09/2026

✨ Now THIS is how you do annual leave! ✨

When one of our lovely new clients in London was hunting for a sewing retreat and couldn’t find the right fit, she decided to design her very own Sew-cation right here in Reading! 🧵🧳

She booked into the Premier Inn just around the corner from our studio, grabbed a 30-day all-you-can-sew pass, and filled her week with sewing. Over 7 four-hour sessions, she created an incredible wardrobe: a shirt, a top, a dress, and two bathing suits! 👗🩱 (Swipe to see her amazing finishes!).

You don't have to be from out of town to treat yourself to a creative getaway. A group of our local sewists do their own version once a month: they pick a Friday, book both the morning and afternoon sessions, and spend the entire day sewing, chatting, and creating together without having to leave Reading. ☕✂️

Whether you book a local hotel for a midweek getaway or block out a full Friday sewing marathon, we’d love to welcome you to the studio for your very own Sew-cation.

How would you spend a full week or day of uninterrupted sewing? Tell us in the comments! 👇