Botanical Machine Embroidery Workshops
27 February and 13 March | 9:30 – 15:30
Learn the art of free-hand machine embroidery using a standard domestic sewing machine.
This workshop is perfect for complete beginners, as Lara has been running embroidery workshops for 15 years and is passionate about sharing her love for this creative technique.
The style of embroidery taught is intentionally "wobbly and sketchy," requiring no prior drawing skills. Lara provides all the necessary drawings or stencils, ensuring a stress-free experience.
Exclusively themed around "Botanicals" for Leonardslee, the workshop offers a unique and inspiring setting.
You will be able to turn your botanical embroidery into either a small lampshade, lantern, picture or small, rectangle cushion.
Any lampshade/lantern kits can be purchased from Laura on the day, if required.
Read more about the workshop and what is needed below.
A break for lunch will be taken with afternoon tea (scones with cream and jam, a sandwich, a slice of cake and a tea or coffee per person). Please email info@leonardsleegardens.co.uk if you have any allergies or dietary requirements.
£80 per person | 10% off for members
Garden entry included | Parking included for Leonardslee members | Parking information | Tea and Coffee provided for adults
What you can expect:
After an initial demonstration by Lara, covering how to set up the sewing machine for embroidery, adjust machine tension, troubleshoot, and get started, participants will receive a pre-drawn panel featuring seedheads and wildflowers.
By following the pre-drawn lines, participants will build confidence in creating their own unique "Botanical Embroidery." Lara also provides a selection of colored and textured fabrics, allowing participants to experiment with applique if they wish.
By the end of the day, participants will have discovered a completely new way to use their sewing machines, embracing the charm of wobbly stitched lines and gaining a fresh creative skill.
What you need:
Sewing machine (in good working order)
Free motion ‘Daring foot’
Spare bobbins
Small sharp scissors
What is provided:
All your fabrics
Threads (lots of decorative colour changing embroidery threads)
Stencils pack use
A pre-drawn seed-head/ wild flowers fabric piece.
About Lara
Lara graduated from Loughborough College of Art & Design in 1990 with a degree in fashion and textiles, specializing in free-hand machine embroidery.
Her talent was recognized early, earning her several awards for her embroidery, including pieces used as fashion swatches and on couture wedding dresses. Lara's expertise even led to appearances on television, where she demonstrated her work on Morning TV.
Her commercial work includes a significant commission from DFS Sofas, where she embroidered cushions and created a large map featured in their Christmas advertisements and promotional designs on their lorries.
Throughout her career, Lara has made a living producing embroidery for numerous fashion industries in London and abroad. Her work has ranged from intricate wedding dress embroidery for London couture designers to contributions for high-street chains such as Monsoon.
Later in her career, Lara diversified into interiors, creating her own range of homewares. This shift inspired her to start running workshops, sharing her passion for free-hand machine embroidery with others.
One of Lara's favorite subjects to embroider is nature, including landscapes, wildflowers, grasses, and exploring the creative potential of stitched lines on her sewing machine. She embraces the endless possibilities of this art form, emphasizing its forgiving nature—mistakes are simply opportunities for creativity, whether through stitching over, adding applique, or reimagining the design.
Today, Lara balances her time between teaching workshops and designing and producing her own homewares, which she sells at various shows across the South of England.
She continues to find joy in her studio, working on her sewing machine, and sharing her skills with others, delighting in the pleasure her craft brings to those she teaches and inspires.