Stitch Club

Stitch Club

We have invited sustainable fashion designer and textiles artist Emma Summerscales to work with Stitch Club this year.

On Friday 4th of March, you are invited to join us at Bootle Library between 11:00AM – 1:00PM, where we will be revisiting our first project “The Bootle Embroidery”, initiated by illustrator Reena Makwana.

We’ll be creating a textile frame and new title banner for the embroidered wall hanging prepared some time ago by our Stitch Club group. We’ll also be adding past works of embroidered flowers and vegetables, inspired by our soon-to-be garden space at Bootle Library. 

For the frame, we’ll be using a Japanese technique called “sashiko” — meaning little stabs, which refers to the running stitch used to create patterns by first marking up the fabric. It is a form of decorative reinforcement stitching used for visible mending, traditionally applied in white thread to indigo fabric. Over our stitching, we will chat about ideas for future projects around thrift and mending, to co-create together.

Acting as “Creative Directors” for the artwork, the group will have creative control over the final piece — collectively choosing colour, layout and composition. Stitch Club is open to everyone, whether you are a novice with a needle or a stitch expert.

Everyone is welcome – no need to book, just drop in.

about emma summerscales

Emma is a fashion designer and textile artist based in Liverpool 8, whose work in sustainable design builds on a lifelong practice collecting and customizing secondhand clothes, exploring the emotional value of clothes brought about by their history, and the act of making or mending them. All her work is underpinned by an exploration of zero-waste, deconstructing existing garments or a whole piece of cloth and the damage of worn clothes to guide the formation of new ideas, textures, and patterns using visible mending techniques such as darning and Japanese boro and sashiko. 

Stitch club

Have an item of clothing or something which needs repairing? Bring it along to our Stitch Club and learn how to mend and repair your old items with the support of textiles and fashion designer, Emma Summerscales.

Bring along any damaged items you have to our mending cafe upstairs in Crosby Library on Monday 30th May from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm. Together we will mend, stitch, repair and replace any bits and bobs, to give old clothes a new leash of life.

Cups of tea and chat always provided!

Just drop in – no need to book.

Climate Action Festival

Bootle’s Climate Action Festival is organised by Regenerus to bring people together to talk about how we can tackle climate change as a community, and make small changes which will make a big difference.

Free and open to all, the event will be held at Bootle Canalside.

Please visit Regenerus website here for more information about the whole day.

We’re been invited to run two creative sessions as part of the day. Come along and join in the conversation about making change in our neighbourhoods.

Mending Cafe with Stitch Club

Stitch Club meets every other Monday at Crosby Library. The group gathers to repair and mend clothes; share stories and poetry about being part of a circular solution to the climate damage caused by fast fashion and textiles waste. Come along and join the conversation about sustainable textiles with our Stitch Club, led by textiles artist Emma Summerscales to learn more about circular economies, reducing waste and encouraging recycling/reusing/repairing.

Find out more and book here.

air quality & lichen walk with Gregory Herbert

Organised by Rule of Threes, Greg will lead an air quality talk sharing findings from our community-led research with local people. We will take people on a lichen identification walk and also share AR (Augmented Reality) projections made as part of the project, and explain what it all means.

Find out more and book here.

If you have any access needs, or any questions about access, please email: hello@atthelibrary.co.uk or text/whatsapp: 07751240427 and our part time team will respond to you as quickly as possible.

Stitch Club: International Women's Day portraits

Join artist Emma Summerscales and At The Library, as we create beautiful Women’s Day portraits with sashiko stitch!

To mark International Women’s Day, we will be honouring the women in our own lives by stitching a simple portrait, using sashiko embroidery. Bring along a photograph, which we will photocopy and use to create a template for you to follow.

Many garment workers are women, often employed without a contract to protect them from abuse and neglect. They work long hours for very low pay, with no protection in the event of sickness or maternity leave. As we work we will reflect on these women and those in our own lives, perhaps share a poem, memory or story?

Many of us learned sewing from mothers, and female relatives in the family, skills handed down through generations of make do and mend. A core value of the Stitch Club is a mindful practice and thrifty use of resources. We will be reusing donated fabric, for stitching our faces.

This event will take place at Crosby Library on Monday 27th March 11:00am – 1:00pm. Booking is essential. Please book your free place on Eventbrite here.

Please email hello@thelibrary.co.uk if you want to let us know about any access needs you have and how we can cater for them on the day, or if you have any general enquires.

Stitch Club

Join us for our last Stitch Club before we take a quick summer hiatus in August! 

Bootle Library’s garden has come on leaps and bounds, especially thanks to the design and construction of a fresh set of benches to provide outdoor seating for anyone wanting to take in some fresh air, or get some al fresco working done. This month, we’re taking up the challenge of designing and sashiko-stitching a set of cushion covers to make the outdoor area even more vibrant (and comfortable!). 

Emma will guide us through various Sashiko embroidery skills as we experiment with the technique to brighten up our covers and hone our needlework skills. It’s also a chance to reflect on the successful year of Stitch Club, and maybe plan ahead for the future! 

Free, no requirement to book, simply email joe.goff@sefton.gov.uk if you’d like to attend. All welcome!