Cross Stitching Beyond Borders

Cross Stitching Beyond Borders textile workshops brought women from diverse communities including Syrian refugees together through a shared arts experience to learn embroidery skills such as cross-stitching, machine sewing and needlework.
Many of the women spoke English as a third or fourth language so we asked an interpreter to come to our sessions which allowed every women to communicate.

The workshops were run weekly throughout January and February. A crèche was provided to allow women who did not have support at home to attend. The women produced cushion covers and footstools inspired by the Islamic arts of geometry and arabesque to be showcased at the Art at the Lake festival on 29 - 30 June.
The workshops were hugely popular and the finished textiles were beautiful and showed the high quality work the women produced with their new skills.