The Subversive Stitcher - A Day with Holly Searle

£85.00

Sunday 8th March 2026

10:00-4:00

Adult workshop

(but GCSE and A-Level students are very welcome to join in. It will be a great skills workshop for those taking creative subjects)

WORKSHOP:

The Subversive Stitcher - A Day with Holly Searle

Join Holly, also known as The Subversive Stitcher, for a day of creativity, laughter, truth, and connection.

This workshop takes place in our studio and brings together everything we love community, conversation, and making something that really means something.

Holly will arrive with her huge stash of rescued tea towels, those domestic works of art she uses as canvases for her own Subverted Tea Towel Series. You’ll have time to choose one that speaks to you, or you’re welcome to bring your own if there’s a favourite hiding at home that deserves new life.

The morning will be filled with talk, ideas, and inspiration. Holly will share the stories behind her work and show examples from her extraordinary collection, pieces that make people stop, smile, and think.

Then, after some reflection and conversation, you’ll begin planning your own piece, your message, thought, or protest, whatever you feel deserves a little soapboxing. Using Holly’s templates and guidance, you’ll start to stitch your statement directly onto your chosen tea towel.

This isn’t just about embroidery; it’s about voice and visibility about saying something in thread that matters to you. Some people choose words that challenge, others words that comfort or make us laugh. Every piece tells a story.

Like so many of the workshops here at Beth Morris Workshops, this one runs a little deeper. There will be moments of thought and plenty of laughter too. A warm, inclusive space where a group of strangers come together, stitching, chatting, connecting under Holly’s easy and encouraging guidance.

You’ll leave with new friends and a finished piece that carries your message in every stitch, a creative act of mending, meaning, and joy.

Artist / Maker / Tutor: Holly Searle

Holly Searle, known as The Subversive Stitcher, is an award-winning textile artist from London who uses needle and thread to make people think.

During the 2020 lockdown, she began The Subverted Tea Towel Series — transforming discarded tea towels, those small domestic works of art, into bold canvases for social commentary. Onto these familiar household fabrics, she stitches statements that raise awareness of the issues she believes deserve a platform.

The series now includes over 190 subverted tea towels, exhibited to great acclaim in galleries and exhibitions across the UK.

Holly continues to expand the project and regularly teaches workshops at the Fashion and Textile Museum, sharing her passion for stitch as both a creative and political act.

What is included in the ticket price?

A tea towel but you are welcome to bring your own too.

All equipment and materials that you need for the workshop are included. Some people like to bring extra bits and pieces but the studio is packed with all sorts of inspirational art materials that you may access.

Tea, coffee, biscuits and cake.

Where will the workshops take place?

In Beth’s inspirational studio at Insole Court, Cardiff. CF5 2LN

Sunday 8th March 2026

10:00-4:00

Adult workshop

(but GCSE and A-Level students are very welcome to join in. It will be a great skills workshop for those taking creative subjects)

WORKSHOP:

The Subversive Stitcher - A Day with Holly Searle

Join Holly, also known as The Subversive Stitcher, for a day of creativity, laughter, truth, and connection.

This workshop takes place in our studio and brings together everything we love community, conversation, and making something that really means something.

Holly will arrive with her huge stash of rescued tea towels, those domestic works of art she uses as canvases for her own Subverted Tea Towel Series. You’ll have time to choose one that speaks to you, or you’re welcome to bring your own if there’s a favourite hiding at home that deserves new life.

The morning will be filled with talk, ideas, and inspiration. Holly will share the stories behind her work and show examples from her extraordinary collection, pieces that make people stop, smile, and think.

Then, after some reflection and conversation, you’ll begin planning your own piece, your message, thought, or protest, whatever you feel deserves a little soapboxing. Using Holly’s templates and guidance, you’ll start to stitch your statement directly onto your chosen tea towel.

This isn’t just about embroidery; it’s about voice and visibility about saying something in thread that matters to you. Some people choose words that challenge, others words that comfort or make us laugh. Every piece tells a story.

Like so many of the workshops here at Beth Morris Workshops, this one runs a little deeper. There will be moments of thought and plenty of laughter too. A warm, inclusive space where a group of strangers come together, stitching, chatting, connecting under Holly’s easy and encouraging guidance.

You’ll leave with new friends and a finished piece that carries your message in every stitch, a creative act of mending, meaning, and joy.

Artist / Maker / Tutor: Holly Searle

Holly Searle, known as The Subversive Stitcher, is an award-winning textile artist from London who uses needle and thread to make people think.

During the 2020 lockdown, she began The Subverted Tea Towel Series — transforming discarded tea towels, those small domestic works of art, into bold canvases for social commentary. Onto these familiar household fabrics, she stitches statements that raise awareness of the issues she believes deserve a platform.

The series now includes over 190 subverted tea towels, exhibited to great acclaim in galleries and exhibitions across the UK.

Holly continues to expand the project and regularly teaches workshops at the Fashion and Textile Museum, sharing her passion for stitch as both a creative and political act.

What is included in the ticket price?

A tea towel but you are welcome to bring your own too.

All equipment and materials that you need for the workshop are included. Some people like to bring extra bits and pieces but the studio is packed with all sorts of inspirational art materials that you may access.

Tea, coffee, biscuits and cake.

Where will the workshops take place?

In Beth’s inspirational studio at Insole Court, Cardiff. CF5 2LN