April 2026
- Emma Broughton
- 15 hours ago
- 4 min read
Hey lovely Stitchers!
Firstly, a big "Welcome" to all my new subscribers!
Would you believe that March was even busier than February and I ended up working pretty much every single day, when not teaching I was making kits/writing instructions for upcoming classes.
Working as a freelancer is particularly demanding because you feel the urge to accept work whenever it appears. Looking back, I realize I took on more than I should have. However, since nothing was delayed, I'm proud of myself for handling everything. I just wouldn't take on so much at once in the future!
Thankfully April has been quieter so far, I've just been making up my final kits for the academic year early (more on that below) due to being away in Canada at the start of next month. I am now focusing on making up the kits for the seminar. I am so excited for my first trip to Canada. It has been on my travel list for a long time along with whale watching which I was hoping to do for my 40th birthday. Which is later this year, so I feel incredibly lucky to be able to tick both off my list at the same time and as part of a work trip! I haven’t booked the whale watching yet but its on my to do list. I have a day each side of the seminar so I am looking forward to doing as many things as I can and in the evenings as well to absolutely maximise my time, even if I’m in need of another holiday when I return!
If you're familiar with and joining me from Substack, you may have seen on social media that they recently let a particular influencer become their top bestseller, probably through questionable tactics (like bots/fake accounts). I won't mention who this is, but their beliefs starkly contrast with my own artistic values, leading me to avoid using Substack on principle. Although I advocate for freedom of speech, advocating for Women is higher on my list. By enabling people like this to effectively purchase attention, spread hate speech and misogynistic views on the platform, this crosses a line for me, so I'm choosing not to use it.
Up coming Classes
Registration for my new class with the EAC is closing soon, the last day is April 30, 2026.
There was a minor error in the dates on social media, the project begins on July 6, with the first lesson released, and the second lesson released on July 20. Support continues until August 17, 2026.
In case you missed the good news for US members: We now offer a US postage option with better Tariff conditions and a standardized global rate. If Tariff rates increase before shipping, a small additional cost will apply, ensuring faster customs clearance without extra charges if rates change after posting.
In case you missed the announcements on Instagram, my final classes with availability for this academic year is the Nigella Box class (online and HCP) and the Intro to applique class which is only at HCP. If you're considering enrolling in a class, keep in mind that spaces are limited!
Looking ahead at Fairy Wren
As you may have seen the Ginko leaf class, my last of the academic year, has sold out completely, I do have a limited number of extra materials so if you want to be in with a chance to have one of the extra kits just drop me a line and I will make a wait list. This won’t be until the summer as I prioritize preparing for my exciting trip to teach in Canada at the ECA Vancouver seminar at the beginning of May.
Once I have all the kit and equipment packing done for Canada, I will start working on some new designs to launch from September. If you have any techniques, you want to try then just pop me a comment or email as I would love to hear from you. One of the things which has made the first part of the year so hard, is not having any time to work on new designs and just be creative.
Kits in the shop
If you missed out on recent classes, a small number of kits are now available in the shop.
I also have copies of my embroidery book..... it’s coming up to its 7-year publication anniversary, which feels quite surreal!
Once the current stock is gone I’m not sure when they will be re-stocked but check back as I'll be adding more kits soon.
If there’s a past class kit you’d love to see re-stocked, just send me a message — if enough people ask I’ll happily bring it back.
I've also reinstated US shipping on my web store 🥳 with the tariff and Royal Mail processing fees calculated automatically at checkout.
Artistic Practice
I haven’t heard anything about a potential place in the Makers Space at Decorex 2026, it’s a shame but I’m sure there would have been a lot of competition so something to look at in future years.
Personal
After such a busy month I took some much-needed time out over Easter around my planned teaching, we had some fabulous days out including a re-visit to a local museum which had a makeover and a successful trip fossil hunting!
The Salisbury Museum had some stalk scissors, a fabulous set of fans and some wonderful lace samples among lots of other local historical items. They used to have a large selection of textiles/costumes on display, but they were in much need of conservation due to being on display longer than they should have so they have reduced the number on display. I can some of these items being uses as inspiration for some future classes.
We visited the Etches Collection as part of our fossil hunting trip which while small had a 70% complete T-rex skeleton on display. We then enjoyed a short walk along a coastal path down to the nearby bay where we had a lot of fun hunting fossils which were far more abundant than we had expected.
Stay connected
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