It’s hard to believe it’s only been a few weeks since Stitching Ashbourne began, and already more than 100 people have taken part! I don’t think any of us quite expected the level of excitement, creativity, and care that’s filled the first four workshops. Every session has had its own character, full of conversation, laughter, and those quiet moments of concentration that come when everyone’s lost in the rhythm of sewing.
And now, finished squares are starting to arrive. Each one is different, bright, delicate, bold, playful, but every stitch has meaning. Together, they’re starting to form something truly beautiful: a picture of Ashbourne told through thread and texture.
Certain themes are emerging, lots of countryside scenes, walking and cycling the Tissington Trail, food, flowers, hobbies, favourite views. It’s wonderful to see how much people treasure the open spaces around town and the simple joys of everyday life.
But it’s also made me wonder… what’s missing from Ashbourne’s stitched story so far? What places, people, or moments haven’t yet been represented? Are there stories of the high street, our schools, the Shrovetide ball game, music, or even those little acts of kindness that make our community special?
If you’re still planning your square, maybe this is your moment to tell one of those untold stories. Think about what Ashbourne means to you, not just the places we walk through, but the memories, traditions, and connections that make this town home. And don’t forget to include a few words or a note with your square, I love hearing the inspiration behind each design!
We’re well on track to exceed our original hopes for participation, and I can already see the final piece starting to take shape in my mind, full of colour, texture, and community spirit. I can’t wait to see what arrives next.
Last week I launched a brand-new creative adventure: Stitching Ashbourne!
Stitching Ashbourne is a community-led textile art project that invites people of all ages across Ashbourne to come together and help create a large-scale appliqué and embroidered artwork. At its heart, it’s about more than fabric and thread – it’s about celebrating what makes Ashbourne special, together.
Thanks to the support of Ashbourne Methodist Church and a wonderful team of volunteers, the project is already brimming with energy and enthusiasm. My hope is that everyone in Ashbourne will feel able to get involved, from experienced stitchers to those who have never sewn a single button, everyone is invited to be part of this creative journey.
The vision:
Over the next few months, we’ll be working towards creating a 2-metre-square artwork featuring some of Ashbourne’s most loved landmarks – from St Oswald’s Church to Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, via the Gingerbread Café and the beautifully refurbished Market Square.
Surrounding a centerpiece will be over 100 individually stitched squares, each created by local residents, schools, and community groups. Every square will tell its own story – a memory, a personal connection, or a celebration of what Ashbourne means to them.
Why Stitching Ashbourne matters:
Stitching Ashbourne is about more than the finished artwork. It’s about:
Celebrating our local heritage and what makes Ashbourne unique.
Bringing people together through creative workshops and shared stories.
Encouraging creativity and showing that anyone can take part, no sewing skills required.
Reigniting local pride in the place we call home.
The first steps:
I’ve been blown away by the enthusiasm, kindness, and creativity pouring in already. Here are some of the exciting things underway:
Workshops are already booking up! Year 6 students from St Oswald’s Primary School will be stitching their story with a workshop being held in October. QEGS, House of Beer, and U3A are also on board, with Ashbourne Creative Stitchers and the Craft & Chat group keen to join too. The Methodist Church will also be hosting drop-in workshops – details to follow.
Media buzz! I was interviewed on BBC Radio Derby last week, which aired over the weekend. The project has been warmly received on social media too, and press releases have been shared with the local papers.
Venues & display plans – Ashbourne Town Hall have already asked to host the artwork once it’s complete, which is so exciting!
Community support – Donations have started coming in through our crowdfunding page, and local business Curtains Up have kindly offered fabrics. I’m also thrilled to have a local amateur historian joining the planning team.
Word is spreading fast and the project is gathering real momentum. What began as a simple idea is quickly growing into something bigger, shaped by the enthusiasm and creativity of those already involved. It’s wonderful to see it capture people’s imagination – and I know many more will want to join as we go.
How you can join in
There are so many ways you can be part of Stitching Ashbourne:
Come along to a workshop – all materials are provided, and no experience is needed. Dates will be released soon. In the meantime, email me to have your name added to the workshop mailing list. Schools and groups – if you’d like to host a session, I’d love to chat. Venues – if you have a café, pub, or community space that could host a creative session, please get in touch. Shape the design – tell us which landmarks feel special to you by filling in this short survey. Support financially – every little helps us make this vision a reality. Donations can be made via our crowdfunding page.
Be part of the story!! This project is already inspiring people across Ashbourne and I’d love you to be part of it too. Whether you stitch, host, or support, every contribution matters. To get involved drop me a message at laura_burrill@outlook.com
Stitching Wartime Resilience into Peace Celebrations
I’m super excited to share that this summer, I’ll be in residence at Erewash Museum, leading an ambitious community project to create 50 meters of bunting to commemorate VE and VJ Day.
Throughout August 2025, I’ll be based at the museum, inviting local residents and visitors to join me at drop-in workshops to make bunting inspired by the spirit of wartime celebrations. Rooted in the 1940s ethos of “make do and mend,” we’ll be working with reclaimed, vintage, and recycled fabrics in red, white, and blue. As always I’m on the lookout for fabrics so please contact me if you have cotton fabrics you’d like to donate.)
During the workshops, we’ll reflect on how we mark peace, joy, and community, then and now, asking questions like:
What does celebration mean to you?
How did past generations mark the end of war?
How do we celebrate peace today?
Whether you’re a confident stitcher or have never picked up a needle, there’s something for everyone:
Rag Bunting – A no-sew activity that’s perfect for children, families, or anyone looking for a quick and creative way to contribute.
Embroidered Bunting – A slower, more detailed experience using hand embroidery and appliqué. These guided, drop-in sessions welcome participants of all abilities.
The completed bunting will make its debut at the War Time Variety Show on Friday, 29th August 2025, with a section featured in the upcoming “From Gas Masks to Garden Parties” exhibition opening in September.
Designed to be reused and re-shared, you can expect to see the bunting appear at various museum events for years to come — a lasting symbol of community, creativity, and sustainable making.
To get the ball rolling, I’ve stitched the very first meter of bunting — just 49 to go! I hope you’ll join me in this ambitious creative adventure. Every flag added is a piece of our shared story, stitched with memory, imagination, and hope.
Workshop dates and times will be announced soon, so watch this space!
Over the past week or so I have been ‘gifted’ a number of remarkable contributions to the 80 Candles Quilt. Beautiful, thoughtful and carefully crafted squares each representing a life affected by the Holocaust and the Nazi regime. These squares act as a recognition and celebration of a life lived. They also depict the horror of lives taken, lives brutally altered and subsequently lives impacted for generations to follow.
Participant contributions – Every Stitch A Story
The weight of these personal stories has at times in recent weeks felt heavy to carry. When mentioning this to a truly wonderful participant at workshop last week they offered me the gift of the Hebrew phase to help me in the weeks to come, ‘Tikkun Olam’. ‘Tikkun Olam’ is the Jewish concept of the importance of social action and carrying out acts of kindness in the pursuit of improving, repairing and healing a broken world. The 80 Candles Quilt Project was referred to as the act of ‘a peace maker’.
When I began this project, the key aims were education, memorialisation and honoring those affected. What I never anticipated was that this project would, so long after the events, offer a sense of comfort to those personally affected. That sharing and honoring would help people feel seen, heard and acknowledged and that the project would provide space for healing and repair. Every contributor to this project has carried out an act of Tikkun Olam – together we are carrying out small acts of healing for a broken world. So, whilst this weight is at times heavy, it is worth carrying and it feels lighter when we carry it together.
Sonja Jaslowitz by Laura BurrillMala Kacenberg by Laura BurrillRenne Firestone by Laura BurrillEllen Rawson by Jackie StewartElisabeth Lichtenstein by Patricia FieldingSimon Winston by Denis JudsonKA-TZETNIK by Richard C BowyerArika Monash by Susie Johns & Jo SoperHanah Sanesh by Sue Smith
Support for the Holocaust Memorial Day: 80 Candles Quilt project has been amazing! Organisations including The Multi Faith Centre, Ashbourne Methodist Church Craft & Chat Group and the National Holocaust Centre & Museum have provided workshop space; a steady stream of financial donations have been trickling in via the crowdfunding page (please keep donating) and participants have been incredibly generous with their time, creating beautiful, meaningful dedications. I am delighted to share that the project is also benefiting from research support as Yael Sacker has joined the Project Team.
Yael is an International Relations master’s graduate from University of Birmingham and has been beavering away behind the scenes working on research to help shape the project. Researching a broad spectrum of individuals affected by the holocaust, Yael has created a selection of easy-to-read profiles so that participants who don’t have the skills or time to do their own research can still take part.
Yael Sacker, Research Support
I have a passion for research which I am excited to apply to this project. The HMD project is one close to my heart as many of my ancestors perished in the Holocaust, and this project is wonderful chance to amplify their and other victims’ stories and voices.
Participants have been enjoying reading the profiles and a number have been selected as the focus of their creative contributions. These will be available at the last remaining workshops at The Multi Faith Centre on Tuesday 12th November, The National Holocaust Centre and Museum on Thursday 14th November and to student Art Ambassadors at Queen Elizabeths Grammar School who are taking part in the project in the coming weeks.
Every Stitch A Story 