What's on and coming up...
- Miranda Acres
- Jul 16
- 4 min read
Colour, craft and a first look at summer
There’s something I really enjoy about watching the Sail Loft change from one exhibition to the next: One week the space is full of stitched charts, reclaimed materials or local landscapes; the next week it has a completely different feeling altogether.
This week, the gallery has shifted into colour, texture and abstraction as we welcome The Abstract Hut to NaviStitch.
It’s one of the things I like most about having a gallery above the shop. Every few weeks, there’s a new reason to climb the stairs and see what’s changed.
The Abstract Hut
The Abstract Hut Exhibition is now open in the Sail Loft Gallery and runs until Saturday 18 July.
The intention behind The Abstract Hut is to create bespoke art that feels accessible to all. Their philosophy is simple: even the most minimal use of colour and texture on canvas can make a real difference to the feeling of a home.
The work on show follows three distinct collections:
The first is inspired by nature - mountains, rivers, wind, trees, sunrise, dusk, leaves, waves and wings.
The second takes inspiration from beneath the sea, with metallic tones of silver, pearl and liquid gold.
The third collection is shaped by the idea of seeing value in materials that might otherwise be overlooked:
Not waste, but worth.
Reseen.
And quietly returned.
It’s brought a very different atmosphere to the gallery this week, and it’s always lovely to see how visitors respond when the space changes completely.
The exhibition is open until Saturday 18 July.
July Opening Hours
A little opening hours update for July:
For the next two weeks, NaviStitch is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am-4pm.
That means an extra day each week to visit the gallery, browse the shop, chat about framing or commissions, or simply pop in while you’re in Manningtree.
From August, we’ll return to our usual opening hours of Wednesday to Saturday, 10am-4pm.
Next in the gallery: Three Artists and a Potter
After The Abstract Hut, the Sail Loft changes again for Three Artists and a Potter, running from Tuesday 21 July to Saturday 1 August.
This exhibition brings together:
Julia Lord - Julia has been painting for around ten years and works across different mediums, although watercolour has become a favourite because of its unpredictability and fresh colour. She’s built an online following and also takes commissions, particularly pet portraits.
Frances Vincent - Frances began painting in watercolour seven years ago, inspired by family. Her work includes loose florals, local scenes around Harwich and Tendring, and buildings with character and history.
Billy Hamersley - Billy started painting during lockdown and works mainly in oils, inspired by local landscapes around Brightlingsea and Tendring.
Rob Norman - Rob is a garden designer and painter who discovered pottery around sixteen months ago. Since then it’s become a real passion, with colour and design leading the way in his ceramic pieces.
I always enjoy exhibitions that bring different creative approaches together. Watercolour, oils and ceramics will give this one a lovely mix of colour, place and craftsmanship.
A first look: A Sense of Summer
I’m also pleased to share a little first look at the exhibition coming after that.
A Sense of Summer will run from Wednesday 5 August to Saturday 29 August and will bring together a handpicked group of talented artists.
At the moment, the line-up includes:
Carolyn Hinchliffe
Rik Saggers
Peter Porteous-Butler
Sheldon Chase
Anne Plummer
Chris Harvey
I may add one or two more artists to the exhibition, and I’m also looking at the addition of an exciting new jeweller, but I’ll share more once everything is confirmed.
For now, I can say that A Sense of Summer feels like a lovely way to carry the gallery through August. More on that very soon.
What I’m looking for when I put a show together
One of the things I’ve learned from running the Sail Loft is that a good exhibition isn’t just about filling the walls. It’s about how the work sits together.
Sometimes that means bringing together artists whose work has a clear shared theme. Sometimes it’s about contrast - different materials, different colours, different approaches - but with something that still makes the whole room feel connected.
I always want visitors to feel they can take their time upstairs. To look closely. To notice details. To discover an artist they didn’t know before. To maybe find the piece they keep thinking about after they’ve gone home.
That’s really what I’m hoping for with each exhibition.
Not just a room full of artwork, but a space people enjoy spending time in.
Autumn Exhibition applications are open
Looking a little further ahead, applications are now open for the NaviStitch Autumn Exhibition.
If you’re an artist or maker and you’d like your work to be considered for the Sail Loft Gallery, you can find the full terms and application form here
The closing date for applications is 8 August 2026.
If you have any problems with the Google form, please let me know.
I’m really looking forward to seeing what people have been creating. One of the nicest parts of running the gallery is discovering new work and finding different ways to bring artists together in the space.
Workshops and stitching at home
There are plenty of ways to get stitching over the next few months:
This Sunday, I’ll be running On the Shoreline, one of my more ambitious paper embroidery workshops - it combines embroidery with shells, texture and mixed media, and is designed for those with some embroidery experience who don’t mind taking a project home to finish.
There are also autumn workshops now available, including Botanical, Flower Head Collage, Coastal, Coastal Collage, Sew a Boat, On the Shoreline, Embroidered Paper Baubles and Christmas Cards.
And if you can’t make it to Manningtree for a workshop, there are still books, kits, paper packs, colour packs and tool kits available online, so you can stitch at home in your own time.
💌 Thank You
Whether you’ve visited an exhibition, applied for a show, booked a workshop, bought a card or gift, commissioned a piece, trusted me with your framing, or simply continued reading along, thank you.
The Sail Loft is changing all the time at the moment, and it’s lovely to see people coming back to discover what’s new. I hope to see you in Manningtree soon.
Until next time...
Calm waters and plain sailing,
Sam
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