14th June 2026
Members of Contemporary Textiles Surrey recently enjoyed a day workshop with Donna Munday, exploring free machine embroidery and using stitch to create floral drawings.
The day began with some machine “doodling” as we familiarised ourselves with the technique. Starting with straight lines, curves, circles and zig-zags, we gradually gained confidence before progressing to simple flower forms. Concentration levels were high, there were even a few tongues peeping out as members focused on guiding their fabric beneath the needle!
Donna introduced us to the shapes and structures of well-known flowers and demonstrated how small pieces of fabric could be used to add colour and interest before stitching petals and details over the top. Throughout the day she encouraged us to relax, regularly reminding us to roll back our shoulders and enjoy the process.
In the afternoon we created textured backgrounds by layering strips of fabric before stitching flowers and grasses over them. These delightful pieces could be mounted as small artworks or made into cards.
The workshop also included a lively show-and-tell session after lunch, giving members the opportunity to admire a range of impressive quilts and textile works. A generous supply of fabric scraps, kindly shared by one member, proved irresistible. As one participant observed, “Why are other people’s scraps so much more interesting than your own?”
The day was rounded off with homemade cakes and plenty of conversation, helping to create a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
Feedback from participants included: “Excellent and inspiring”, “Very enjoyable, I can’t wait to carry on with this”, “It was an amazing day”, “Great teacher”, “What a treat of a workshop”, and “Thank you Donna for your patience and your excellent teaching.”
Many thanks to Donna for an enjoyable, inspiring and productive day.
