What's on and coming up...
- Sam Luxford
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
🌿 Still open (just a little differently)
A quick reminder - the road closure at Wherry Corner is still in place for a little while longer.
But all the shops (including NaviStitch) are very much open as usual, and parking is still easily accessible from the station end of Manningtree.
If you’re visiting, just approach from that direction - and don’t let the “Road Closed Ahead” signs put you off.
It’s been lovely seeing so many of you make the effort to pop in anyway - thank you.
🌍 Wild Sewing - now in full flow
The Sail Loft has completely transformed over the past week.
The Wild Sewing Project is now up and running, and it’s been really interesting seeing how people are responding to it - it’s quite a different feel from the Spring Exhibition.
Instead of lots of different artists, everything upstairs is centred around one idea:
Taking embroidery out of the studio and into the world.
Each piece has been stitched somewhere unexpected - and each one includes a QR code so you can step back into the moment it was made.
I’ve also been experimenting with bringing some of the videos into the gallery space itself, which adds another layer to how the work can be experienced.
Alongside the original Wild Sewing pieces, I’ve been adding some new work into the exhibition over the past week. Some of these have been created much closer to home - and if you know the area well, you might recognise one or two of the locations. It’s been really nice to see the project continue to evolve even while it’s on display.
🎧 A little listen (if you’d like to know more)
Last week I chatted to Rob Dunger at Suffolk Sound about the Wild Sewing Project - how it started, where it’s taken me, and what I’ve discovered along the way.
If you’re curious about the thinking behind it all, you can have a listen here:👉
🧵 Workshops - including something new
Workshops continue upstairs, and there’s a new addition I’m particularly excited about:
🌼 NEW: Flower Head Collage Workshop
📅 14 June
This one feels a little different:
We’ll be working with recycled papers to build a collaged flower head, using handmade paper created from recycled t-shirt fibres as the base - and then stitching into the surface to bring it all together. It’s running alongside the Manningtree Earth Festival and the Reclaim: Reborn exhibition, so it ties in beautifully with that theme of reuse and material.
🧵Other upcoming workshops:
⛵ Sew a Boat (Taster) - 26 April, 17 May, 17 June
🌊 Coastal Collage - April 29
🌿 Botanical - 10 May
🌊 Coastal - 24 May
The taster sessions are still a really nice way in if you’ve been curious but not quite ready to commit to a full day.
⛵ A new kit (and a different way to start)
The Sailing Boat Paper Embroidery Kit is now properly out in the world.
It’s been designed as a way to try the process at home - using the same techniques I teach in workshops, but at your own pace.
It includes everything you need, along with an online video tutorial - and there’s also an extension pack available if you’d like to keep going.
It’s been lovely seeing these head out into the world over the past couple of weeks.
🎨 What’s coming next in the Sail Loft
There’s a nice sense of flow building in the gallery over the next few months:
🎨 Affordable Art Show
📅 6–30 May
A full exhibition where everything is under £100.
We know budgets can be tight, and this is always about making art feel accessible - a space where you can browse without worrying what something might cost.
Original work, prints, unframed pieces - something for every pocket.
🌿 Reclaim: Reborn
📅 3–27 June
Part of the Manningtree Earth Festival, this exhibition focuses on work made from reclaimed and recycled materials.
It’s a smaller, more curated show - and one that fits beautifully with the workshop themes this year.
🖼 Looking ahead…
In July, the Sail Loft will once again host the Art Trail Exhibition (1–11 July) - more on that a little closer to the time.
🖼 Beyond the Gallery...
Alongside everything upstairs, the shop continues to be full of all the usual things:
✨ stitched pieces
🎁 gifts and homeware
💌 cards and wrapping paper
📚 books and kits
And behind the scenes, I’m always working on commissions and framing - often sparked by something people have seen in the gallery.
If you’ve got an idea you’d like to explore, I’m always very happy to talk it through.
💌 Thank You
Whether you’ve visited (despite the roadworks!), explored the exhibition, listened to the interview, tried a workshop or taken a kit home - thank you.
There’s a really nice rhythm to things at the moment, and it’s a pleasure to share it with you.
Calm waters and plain sailing,
Sam
Comments