Kawandi Quilting : Slow Stitching Hand Quilting Workshop 26/4/25

What? : Kawandi Slow Stitching Quilting Workshop FULL DAY course from 10am - 4pm.

Where? : Our bright light colourful studio alongside our premises in Betchworth Surrey. Free onsite parking. Map at foot of homepage.Ready for a day filled with creative, slow stitching?

About : Come along to The Gilliangladrag Fluff-a-torium and learn the ancient art of 'Kawandi' which is ‘hand sewn quilt making’.

Stitch by stitch, discover the meditative joy of vibrant colors intertwining, creating not just a quilt, but a tapestry of mindfulness and self-expression....Relax, unwind and have fun choosing your artist’s palette of coloured fabric. No previous knowledge is necessary! Quite unlike regular quilting which is done by machine, this is a much slower meditative process which is completely sewn slowly by hand. If you can thread a needle, and sew in a (relatively) straight line, you have all the skills you need! YAY!

Be prepared to be carried away by the simple yet effective nature of this amazing technique (plus we have rather a lot of colour inspiration for you too!)
By teatime, your own Kawandi sampler will be almost or even completely finished - wow. You can use this as a decorative mat - or maybe turn it into a cushion front. Hopefully you will leave wanting to make more, and will embark on a larger project at home, for which you will be fully equipped to make! There will be a selection of items used on the course if you are feeling inspired to make more at home.

What's included?

• Tuition from Michele Wilson to help you make your Kawandi sampler. The sampler will be approx A4 sized.
• All 100% cotton fabrics with plenty of colours to choose from and some amazing fabrics that we stock : (Feel free to bring some of your own too if you'd like to!)
• Special Perle 12 stitching threads and needles
• Wadding
• Refreshments throughout the day and afternoon tea and cake
• 10% off in the shop on the day of your workshop.

 What you need to bring:

• Just bring yourself :-) and if you have any scraps of cotton fabric you would like to incorporate, please bring that along too!

Treat yourself to some 'me time' and come on your own or with a friend or relative, and join the long history of folks coming together to make quilts.

About our Kawandi teacher Michele :
Our Kawandi Quilting Course will be led by the fabulous, kind, bubbly Michele Wilson, - a primary school teacher with a love of all things brightly coloured and sparkly. Mum to three teenagers, and teaching in a school for children with needs in Social, Emotional and Mental Health, Michele is an Advanced Level Drawing and Talking Practitioner and has a Diploma in The Arts in Therapy and Education. She spends every spare minute of every day making quilts, large and small! She will be delighted to welcome you to The Gilliangladrag Fluff-a-torium for a day of creativity, relaxation and community with other like-minded crafters.

NB: Maximum students is 6 on this Kawandi Quilting Course.
This Kawandi Quilting Workshop runs from 10am - 4pm (with a break for lunch) and costs £120

Other Information & Housekeeping : 

• There is free parking outside -  you will be shown where to park on arrival. Please share cars or get lifts where possible! :-) Thank you. There is a map and full address at the foot of our homepage.
• Tea, coffee, refreshments and afternoon cake are all included. Please bring your lunch with you - or nip out at lunchtime to get some if you prefer.
• You will also be entitled to 10% discount in our shop "The Fluff-a-torium" on the day of your Kawandi workshop with Michele.
• This course runs from 10am - 4pm. Please arrive approx  10-15 mins earlier so we can start promptly! You can look in the shop at lunchtime, or shop after the course as the shop is open until 5pm.

Please note : By booking one of our Kawandi Quilting courses you are agreeing to our Terms & Conditions, which are as follows:

Booking a place on one of our courses is similar to booking a seat on a plane. It is not possible to swap and cancel and the "the plane must take off!"
Therefore should you need to cancel your place on a course for any reason, the cancellation charges are as follows: 

Cancellation within 31+ days of course date = 50% of course fee payable unless place is re-filled. 
Cancellation within 0-30 days of course date = 100% of course fee payable unless place is re-filled. 
(Sometimes courses are over subscribed so we hold a waiting list and MAY be able to re-fill a place, but if you are unable to attend you are welcome to send someone in your place. Please let us know your replacement's name, phone number and email address as soon as possible before the course date.)

You can buy separate Course Insurance Cover from various companies online if you would like to protect yourself against no attendance. (Eg : Cancelsure Insurance)

Overnight Accommodation & Local Places to Stay:
We are now located in Betchworth (near Brockham) in between Dorking & Reigate
Our favourite places to stay that we recommend locally are:
1) Brockham B&B - nearest to shop
2) The Waltons B&B in Dorking
3) Denbies Vineyard B&B - edge of Dorking