Stitch Stories, Drawings and Marks with Jessie Chorley
7th and 8th February 2026
Saturday and Sunday
10:00-4:00
This workshop is not until February 2026!
Adult workshop
Workshop Description:
This group masterclass focuses on Jessie’s signature style of hand embroidered illustration. Under Jessie’s guidance, you will be mark making and playing intuitively with a mix of new and vintage threads and a selection of new and time worn fabrics.
Jessie will help you get started with a variety of appliqué techniques, which she encourages you to use as a form of drawing. You will also explore several embroidery stitches including satin, running, seed, cross and couching. Incorporating found objects and personal ephemera into your embroidery is another exciting part of this class. For example, Jessie will show you how a pearl button may become the centre of a flower, or a piece of blue silk ribbon a detail in a densely stitched sky.
At the start of your class Jessie will talk you through a selection of her original artworks and then advise you, both as a group and individually, as you embark on your personal journey of creating your own stitched story or drawing. Please note that your work does not have to be narrative based, nor does it have to be finished by the end of the class. Jessie suggests you approach this day as an explorative and peaceful slow-stitching experience inspired by her artworks and materials. For instance, you might like to focus on making a creative stitch sampler. This approach can free up one’s mind and spark fresh ideas in preparation for future stitching projects.
You will be working directly onto a piece of natural fabric. This base fabric is included in the kit provided at the start of the class. Your kit also contains a selection of pre-cut fabric motifs designed by Jessie ready for you to appliqué directly onto your work, plus a printed stitch guide for you to take home.
If you would like to work with a more personal base fabric, then vintage tablecloths, linen napkins, or a time worn garment are all perfect. Clothing can be unpicked and then pieced back together later if necessary, and creates a unique canvas on which to experiment with. Perhaps you have something tucked away that belonged to a beloved family member or friend? Jessie suggests bringing items made solely from natural fabrics (cotton, linen or silk), as they are easier to embellish.
A note from Jessie Chorley and Jessie’s Suggested Materials List
You will be provided with a handcrafted kit at the start of your masterclass, which includes the use of my specialist embroidery threads. However, I will always encourage you, the maker, to create your own “story” as much as possible. To do this, I suggest that you bring along a selection of items from the list below. These can then be incorporated into your work, making it even more personal:
an assortment of your favourite embroidery threads
an assortment of your favourite fabric scraps
a cherished vintage piece of plain linen/cotton, if you would like to work with a more
personal base fabric – vintage tablecloths, tray cloths, hankies and linen napkins are all perfect material
other items of personal interest, such as old charms, buttons, vintage lace and ribbons, small keys etc, all of which can be stitched into your work
a favourite drawing, poem, quote or perhaps just a single word (for inspiration)
anything you are currently working on that you’d like to show me and share with your class
Artist / Maker / Tutor:
Jessie Chorley is a London-based textile artist, specializing in contemporary illustrative embroidery and simple patching techniques. Born in kent in 1980, she spent her childhood in north Wales. The traditional technical skills and hands-on approach that she celebrates in her work today were passed down to her from her own family of makers.
While still a student – studying for a BA in Fine Art Textile practice at Goldsmiths college, London she chose to dedicate her life to making beautiful things and, shortly after graduating, she set up her own business as a full-time artist, designer and maker. Over time, she has also become a tutor, social artist and author, as well as running a shop and studio selling her work in East London from 2007 to 2021.
Jessie now runs her business from her private South London studio. She regularly delivers masterclasses from there, as well as at venues worldwide.
Words from Jessie:
Traditional hand embroidery, appliqué and printmaking are at the heart of Jessie’s practice as an artist-maker. Needle and thread are her drawing tools. She uses them to create scenes and stories, combining stitched images and words, largely on preloved fabric.
Collecting is something that goes hand-in-hand with Jessie’s making process. She is drawn to items that display marks of a previous life and often sources materials from antique markets, fairs and junk shops. Her ever-growing personal archive of ‘found’ items serves as her ongoing inspiration and is frequently her starting point for an artwork.
“I find beauty and inspiration in things that have been discarded or put to one side – fabric cut directly from pre-worn clothing is my most frequently used material for my stories to grow on and into. I use many motifs taken from everyday life, that the viewer will instantly recognize and be able to relate to. But my work is not linear in its approach to storytelling. It’s a fragmented affair held together with scraps of memory, real-life events and symbolic motifs, all held in place with my many stitches.”Jessie’s workshops are generally themed and are based around a kit, which she creates for each student attending. Students are often asked to bring along personal items to incorporate into the work they create. This approach helps make her workshops and masterclasses suitable for all abilities.
What is included in the ticket price?
All equipment and materials that you need for the workshop are included. You will be given a pack compiled by Jessie to complete the workshop. The cost of the pack has been added into the ticket price. You can also bring the suggestions above but the studio is packed with all sorts of inspirational art materials, fabrics and threads that you may access all weekend.
Tea, coffee, and biscuits
Where will the workshops take place?
In Beth’s lovely studio at Insole Court, Cardiff.
Please read T’s and C’s before booking
7th and 8th February 2026
Saturday and Sunday
10:00-4:00
This workshop is not until February 2026!
Adult workshop
Workshop Description:
This group masterclass focuses on Jessie’s signature style of hand embroidered illustration. Under Jessie’s guidance, you will be mark making and playing intuitively with a mix of new and vintage threads and a selection of new and time worn fabrics.
Jessie will help you get started with a variety of appliqué techniques, which she encourages you to use as a form of drawing. You will also explore several embroidery stitches including satin, running, seed, cross and couching. Incorporating found objects and personal ephemera into your embroidery is another exciting part of this class. For example, Jessie will show you how a pearl button may become the centre of a flower, or a piece of blue silk ribbon a detail in a densely stitched sky.
At the start of your class Jessie will talk you through a selection of her original artworks and then advise you, both as a group and individually, as you embark on your personal journey of creating your own stitched story or drawing. Please note that your work does not have to be narrative based, nor does it have to be finished by the end of the class. Jessie suggests you approach this day as an explorative and peaceful slow-stitching experience inspired by her artworks and materials. For instance, you might like to focus on making a creative stitch sampler. This approach can free up one’s mind and spark fresh ideas in preparation for future stitching projects.
You will be working directly onto a piece of natural fabric. This base fabric is included in the kit provided at the start of the class. Your kit also contains a selection of pre-cut fabric motifs designed by Jessie ready for you to appliqué directly onto your work, plus a printed stitch guide for you to take home.
If you would like to work with a more personal base fabric, then vintage tablecloths, linen napkins, or a time worn garment are all perfect. Clothing can be unpicked and then pieced back together later if necessary, and creates a unique canvas on which to experiment with. Perhaps you have something tucked away that belonged to a beloved family member or friend? Jessie suggests bringing items made solely from natural fabrics (cotton, linen or silk), as they are easier to embellish.
A note from Jessie Chorley and Jessie’s Suggested Materials List
You will be provided with a handcrafted kit at the start of your masterclass, which includes the use of my specialist embroidery threads. However, I will always encourage you, the maker, to create your own “story” as much as possible. To do this, I suggest that you bring along a selection of items from the list below. These can then be incorporated into your work, making it even more personal:
an assortment of your favourite embroidery threads
an assortment of your favourite fabric scraps
a cherished vintage piece of plain linen/cotton, if you would like to work with a more
personal base fabric – vintage tablecloths, tray cloths, hankies and linen napkins are all perfect material
other items of personal interest, such as old charms, buttons, vintage lace and ribbons, small keys etc, all of which can be stitched into your work
a favourite drawing, poem, quote or perhaps just a single word (for inspiration)
anything you are currently working on that you’d like to show me and share with your class
Artist / Maker / Tutor:
Jessie Chorley is a London-based textile artist, specializing in contemporary illustrative embroidery and simple patching techniques. Born in kent in 1980, she spent her childhood in north Wales. The traditional technical skills and hands-on approach that she celebrates in her work today were passed down to her from her own family of makers.
While still a student – studying for a BA in Fine Art Textile practice at Goldsmiths college, London she chose to dedicate her life to making beautiful things and, shortly after graduating, she set up her own business as a full-time artist, designer and maker. Over time, she has also become a tutor, social artist and author, as well as running a shop and studio selling her work in East London from 2007 to 2021.
Jessie now runs her business from her private South London studio. She regularly delivers masterclasses from there, as well as at venues worldwide.
Words from Jessie:
Traditional hand embroidery, appliqué and printmaking are at the heart of Jessie’s practice as an artist-maker. Needle and thread are her drawing tools. She uses them to create scenes and stories, combining stitched images and words, largely on preloved fabric.
Collecting is something that goes hand-in-hand with Jessie’s making process. She is drawn to items that display marks of a previous life and often sources materials from antique markets, fairs and junk shops. Her ever-growing personal archive of ‘found’ items serves as her ongoing inspiration and is frequently her starting point for an artwork.
“I find beauty and inspiration in things that have been discarded or put to one side – fabric cut directly from pre-worn clothing is my most frequently used material for my stories to grow on and into. I use many motifs taken from everyday life, that the viewer will instantly recognize and be able to relate to. But my work is not linear in its approach to storytelling. It’s a fragmented affair held together with scraps of memory, real-life events and symbolic motifs, all held in place with my many stitches.”Jessie’s workshops are generally themed and are based around a kit, which she creates for each student attending. Students are often asked to bring along personal items to incorporate into the work they create. This approach helps make her workshops and masterclasses suitable for all abilities.
What is included in the ticket price?
All equipment and materials that you need for the workshop are included. You will be given a pack compiled by Jessie to complete the workshop. The cost of the pack has been added into the ticket price. You can also bring the suggestions above but the studio is packed with all sorts of inspirational art materials, fabrics and threads that you may access all weekend.
Tea, coffee, and biscuits
Where will the workshops take place?
In Beth’s lovely studio at Insole Court, Cardiff.
Please read T’s and C’s before booking
7th and 8th February 2026
Saturday and Sunday
10:00-4:00
This workshop is not until February 2026!
Adult workshop
Workshop Description:
This group masterclass focuses on Jessie’s signature style of hand embroidered illustration. Under Jessie’s guidance, you will be mark making and playing intuitively with a mix of new and vintage threads and a selection of new and time worn fabrics.
Jessie will help you get started with a variety of appliqué techniques, which she encourages you to use as a form of drawing. You will also explore several embroidery stitches including satin, running, seed, cross and couching. Incorporating found objects and personal ephemera into your embroidery is another exciting part of this class. For example, Jessie will show you how a pearl button may become the centre of a flower, or a piece of blue silk ribbon a detail in a densely stitched sky.
At the start of your class Jessie will talk you through a selection of her original artworks and then advise you, both as a group and individually, as you embark on your personal journey of creating your own stitched story or drawing. Please note that your work does not have to be narrative based, nor does it have to be finished by the end of the class. Jessie suggests you approach this day as an explorative and peaceful slow-stitching experience inspired by her artworks and materials. For instance, you might like to focus on making a creative stitch sampler. This approach can free up one’s mind and spark fresh ideas in preparation for future stitching projects.
You will be working directly onto a piece of natural fabric. This base fabric is included in the kit provided at the start of the class. Your kit also contains a selection of pre-cut fabric motifs designed by Jessie ready for you to appliqué directly onto your work, plus a printed stitch guide for you to take home.
If you would like to work with a more personal base fabric, then vintage tablecloths, linen napkins, or a time worn garment are all perfect. Clothing can be unpicked and then pieced back together later if necessary, and creates a unique canvas on which to experiment with. Perhaps you have something tucked away that belonged to a beloved family member or friend? Jessie suggests bringing items made solely from natural fabrics (cotton, linen or silk), as they are easier to embellish.
A note from Jessie Chorley and Jessie’s Suggested Materials List
You will be provided with a handcrafted kit at the start of your masterclass, which includes the use of my specialist embroidery threads. However, I will always encourage you, the maker, to create your own “story” as much as possible. To do this, I suggest that you bring along a selection of items from the list below. These can then be incorporated into your work, making it even more personal:
an assortment of your favourite embroidery threads
an assortment of your favourite fabric scraps
a cherished vintage piece of plain linen/cotton, if you would like to work with a more
personal base fabric – vintage tablecloths, tray cloths, hankies and linen napkins are all perfect material
other items of personal interest, such as old charms, buttons, vintage lace and ribbons, small keys etc, all of which can be stitched into your work
a favourite drawing, poem, quote or perhaps just a single word (for inspiration)
anything you are currently working on that you’d like to show me and share with your class
Artist / Maker / Tutor:
Jessie Chorley is a London-based textile artist, specializing in contemporary illustrative embroidery and simple patching techniques. Born in kent in 1980, she spent her childhood in north Wales. The traditional technical skills and hands-on approach that she celebrates in her work today were passed down to her from her own family of makers.
While still a student – studying for a BA in Fine Art Textile practice at Goldsmiths college, London she chose to dedicate her life to making beautiful things and, shortly after graduating, she set up her own business as a full-time artist, designer and maker. Over time, she has also become a tutor, social artist and author, as well as running a shop and studio selling her work in East London from 2007 to 2021.
Jessie now runs her business from her private South London studio. She regularly delivers masterclasses from there, as well as at venues worldwide.
Words from Jessie:
Traditional hand embroidery, appliqué and printmaking are at the heart of Jessie’s practice as an artist-maker. Needle and thread are her drawing tools. She uses them to create scenes and stories, combining stitched images and words, largely on preloved fabric.
Collecting is something that goes hand-in-hand with Jessie’s making process. She is drawn to items that display marks of a previous life and often sources materials from antique markets, fairs and junk shops. Her ever-growing personal archive of ‘found’ items serves as her ongoing inspiration and is frequently her starting point for an artwork.
“I find beauty and inspiration in things that have been discarded or put to one side – fabric cut directly from pre-worn clothing is my most frequently used material for my stories to grow on and into. I use many motifs taken from everyday life, that the viewer will instantly recognize and be able to relate to. But my work is not linear in its approach to storytelling. It’s a fragmented affair held together with scraps of memory, real-life events and symbolic motifs, all held in place with my many stitches.”Jessie’s workshops are generally themed and are based around a kit, which she creates for each student attending. Students are often asked to bring along personal items to incorporate into the work they create. This approach helps make her workshops and masterclasses suitable for all abilities.
What is included in the ticket price?
All equipment and materials that you need for the workshop are included. You will be given a pack compiled by Jessie to complete the workshop. The cost of the pack has been added into the ticket price. You can also bring the suggestions above but the studio is packed with all sorts of inspirational art materials, fabrics and threads that you may access all weekend.
Tea, coffee, and biscuits
Where will the workshops take place?
In Beth’s lovely studio at Insole Court, Cardiff.
Please read T’s and C’s before booking