So the lovely ladies Helen and Caroline of the Love to Sew Podcast have inspired me to create a map of the UK showing all the sewing meet ups.
Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com
I’ve compiled a list of all the sewing meet ups that I can find on blogs and Instagram. I haven’t really touch the surface with quilting meet ups, which I am sure there are many. Please do let me know if I have missed your group / meet up off and I will continue to add to this list.
I have been lucky enough to go to a few meet ups in Yorkshire including Dewsbury, Leeds and I co-arranged an Afternoon Tea in York last year which I am hoping to arrange again this summer.
Our community is growing, and meet ups are getting ever popular. Some are on a ticket basis because numbers can be restricted due to venue size, health and safety etc. It is also worth following the organisers blog / Instagram if you are interested in joining their next event as I am sure they will be promoting it that way.
Photo by Fancycrave.com on Pexels.com
I have populated all the locations on google maps so you can see a broad spectrum of areas and events where the sewing community is getting together.
See Interactive Map Here
This may also be an opportunity for you, if there is not a meet in your area, to start one. Make new friends and share your love for this creative hobby with people local to you.
Here are the details for each meet up and links the organisers and relevant blog posts.
| # / IG Account | Location | Next Date | Details | Organisers on Instagram |
| #sewupnorth | Leeds | TBD | Rebecca and Sally host an annual get together in Leeds which involves fabric shopping, food and an epic raffle raising money for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. | @redwsews, @theyorkshiresewist |
| #sewnotts @sewnotts |
Nottingham | TBD | Chantelle has a baby on the way but is looking forward to hosting more events in the near future | @i_seam_sew_happy_xx |
| #sewbrum | Birmingham | Sept / Oct – TBC | Charlotte host a very popular annual meet up in the centre of Birmingham for shopping and then sewists take a short bus trip to Guthrie & Ghani for tea and cake, more shopping and a fantastic raffle. Check out Charlotte’s Blog. | @englishgirlathome |
| #sewnorthwest | Bolton | TBD | Laura has hosted a sewing day in Bolton and has some other plans for sewing goodness in the Manchester area so watch this space. | @fabricmagpie |
| #sewdowndewsbury | Dewsbury | 6th March 13th July |
This was the first meet up I went to in February 2017. Ali hosts a meet up in Dewsbury to go fabric shopping and visit Fabworks then back to Wetherspoons for lunch and a fabric and pattern swap. More details here. | @akathimberlina |
| #HandmadeHarrogate | Harrogate | 1st June | Ali is also hosting a get together in Harrogate this summer. See her Instagram for more details | @akathimberlina |
| #sewbeds | Bedford | 9th February | This is the first meet up in Bedford and Hannah has plans to continue organising up to 4 per year after her baby is born. Details on Instagram. | @ratherbesewing |
| #londonstitchersmeetup @londonstitchersmeetup |
London | 2nd March | Ana and Giorgia run monthly meetups changing locations every month. Since London is so big they try to have each meet up in a different area of London to help as many people as possible make it at least every once in a while. The next meet up will be 2nd March at the Fashion Textile Museum. |
@cocowawacrafts and @1stitchforward |
| #bathsews | Bath | 24th March | Laura arranges a meet up for the Bath area which includes lots of sewing chat, coffee, cake and a pattern swap. Check out Eventbrite for the next meet up. | @justonelaststitch |
| #sewscottish | Edinburgh | May TBC | Lesley and Emma are the queens of Frocktails and afternoon tea meet ups in Edinburgh. Due to family illness Lesley cannot commit a lot of time but Emma is hoping to plan an event in May | @sewdoitemma, @sew_sleep_deprived |
| #norwichsewcials @norwichsewcials |
Norwich | 12th February | Emma and Pippa arrange a meet the 2nd Tuesday of every month for drinks, pattern swaps and other events such as tackling zips and body measuring | @CraftyClyde, @pippa_pease |
| #sewleicester | Leicester | TBD | Sarah and Freya from CraftSew and So are the hosts of the Dressmakers Ball (22nd March 2019) and also arrange a get together for sewists of Leicester | @craftysewandso |
| #sewonthetyne | Gateshead | TBD | Samantha hosts a meet up every 2 months for sewing chat, fabric and pattern swaps. Join her Facebook group for more information if you are in the Gateshead area. | @purplesewingcloud |
| #sewcam | Cambridge | TBD | Jen arranged the first Sewcam meet up for a festive sewing day in December 2018. Lots of sewing, chatting and goody bags had by all! | @gingerthreadgrl |
| @DressmakersAnonymousBelfast | Belfast | 21st February | Sister duo Claire and Laura hold a monthly event in Belfast encompassing all sorts of activities. The next meet up is a sewing themed quiz evening. More details on meetup.com | @claireggilmore |
| #swindonsews | Swindon | TBD | Tricia organised a meet up in Great Somerford near Swindon lst year. The organising duties may be shared between the group. | @morrissews |
| #welshsewingmeetup | Cardiff | TBD | A annual event organised by Tracy for sewists in Wales | beingtrixielixie |
| #dorsetsewingmeetup @dorset_meet_up |
Dorchester | TBD | Jenny organises a meet a couple of times a year for lunch, chat and fabric shopping and sometimes a sewing day. More details on Eventbrite. | @craftysewandsewindorset |
| #thebigsummerstitchup | Hampshire / Surrey / Berkshire | RG40 3AW | July | Sheona of Sewisfaction holds a Summer event at her shop for sewists in the Hampshire / Surrey / Berkshire area. Plenty of shopping to be had here. | Sewisfaction |
| Margate | CT9 1EJ | Monthly meet up. Check out the Facebook group “Thanet Sewing Social” | Sewbytheseamargate | ||
| #aberseamstress | Aberdeen | Caroline holds a small meet up group on an ad-hoc basis | cme202 | ||
| #sewityourselfmeetup | Lincoln | LN5 7HW | A drop in on the second Saturday of every month at The Craftea Café in Lincoln | thecraftteacafe |
Thanks for reading and happy sewcialising 🙂
The Rural Sewist 