Craft Arena

I'm pleased to announce that our Tantalising open art competition is back again this year. Tantalising 2025 has an open theme, so that you can choose the subject yourself - whatever inspires you!  The competition winner will be voted for by visitors to the exhibition in The Alchemy Gallery at Craft Arena.  There is a nominal entry fee with the total amount raised from the exhibitors being split between the winning artist, a prize for one of the visitors who voted at the exhibition, with the rest going to St. Luke's Hospice, Basildon & Thurrock . This year the exhibition runs from Saturday 4th to Saturday 31st May and I'm really looking forward to seeing your work. If you know anyone who may be interested in entering, please pass this information on as I'd like to raise as much as possible for St. Luke's Hospice this year. Submissions can be in any media - textile art, printing, painting, printing, sculpture. There are a few restrictions, and these are listed in ...

 Craft Arena are now stockists of Bernina sewing machines. Contact us to arrange a personal demonstration. Accessory of the Month 15% Off in January Gathering Foot The fabric to be gathered is positioned underneath the Gathering Attachment of your overlocker, whilst the fabric that remains flat is added on top. The fabric is gathered with differential feed while it is sewn and neatened together with the flat fabric. Let us know the model number of your Bernina so that we can order the correct part for your machine. Please contact us if you need any more information. We currently have the following models in store: Bernina 570QE Including a 8.5 inch throat, colour touch screen, adjustable presser foot pressure, programmable foot control, BSR stitch regulator foot for free motion sewing and jumbo bobbin, the 570 is designed for quilters, but is idel for anyone who takes their sewing seriously! See it in the studio and find out more here. Bernina 335 The 355 has 5.5mm stitch width fo...

We have curated some of our favourite links here. Some could be for you to participate in and some just to inspire you! We can take no responsibililty for links that no longer work, but do let us know so that we can remove them. Friday Feature Artist: Katie Green from Fibre Arts Take Two SAQA Textile Talks  Online talks from Studio Art Quilt Associates in the USA Textile Talk with Anne Kelly - School of Stitched Textiles Curator talk: Astonishing Things: The Drawings of Victor Hugo Friday 28 March 2025 11am - 12pm  Royal Academy, Benjamin West Lecture Theatre, Burlington Gardens Building Brazilian Modernism  Wednesday 26 March 2025 6.30 - 8pm Royal Academy, Benjamin West Lecture Theatre, Burlington Gardens livestream Textile Talk With Alison Whateley from the School of Stitched Textiles Friday Feature Artist with Claire Benn from Fibre Arts Take Two  Julian Stair, potter, in conversation with Glenn Adamson Fibre Arts Take Two: Kerri Hollingsworth Karen Nicol: ...

If you would like us to include your group on this page and in our newsletter, please use the contact form on our website to send us the information. Southend Seaside Stitchers Southend Seaside Stitchers (formerly South & East Essex Embroiderers Guild) meet twice a month in Westcliff-on-Sea with a mixture of mini workshops, speakers and bring your own project sessions. They welcome all stitchers and textiles enthusiasts to their meetings. For more details, please see their  Facebook  and I nstagram   pages or email    southenendseasidestitchers@yahoo.com Romford Embroiders They meet monthly on a Saturday afternoon at the United Reformed Church, Western Road, Romford Find out more about Romford Embroiderers here. Essex Silk Painters Essex Silk Painters is a vibrant local chapter of the National Guild of Silk Painters. They meet in Toot Hill near Ongar on the first Saturday of every month (except January) for day-long workshops. Some days have ...

We offer free patterns as we come across them. Please note that we can take no responsibility for links that do not work. A useful font chart this week. Designed for Cross Stitch, but you could use it for many other crafts including for knitting or crochet. Download your alphabet here In time for Valentine's Day I've found some roses from DMC in both cross stitch and embroidery. For stitching on linen, bags, clothing or as a framed picture. Download Embroidered Roses here Download Cross Stitch Roses here   This week, cross stitch designs from DMC. Download Christmas Tree here Download Gingerbread House here This week, cross stitch designs from DMC. Download Ice Skating bauble here Download Winter Wonderland bauble here Something a little different this week! A free pattern for pompom trees (or pomsai trees!) from a new book called Pomomania by Christine Leech we will have the book in stock shortly if you would like to try more of her super designs. Download pomsai trees from ou...