Sew
Social
With Karen Arthur 6 PM to 9 PM
Your monthly crafty Global Majority hangout is BACK!
Join us at the lab for some great crafting, fab tunes, and all the good vibes you can handle.
Sew Social is a monthly gathering for Global Majority folks on the last Tuesday of the month.
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Come and hang out with local artist Karen Arthur to meet, chat and build community through crafting. We invite you to bring your handheld creative pieces or your mending pile, bring your knitting or your crochet creation - BEGINNERS ARE ABSOLUTELY WELCOME. Sew on some buttons, come with a crafty dilemma or begin afresh!
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Knitters, sewists, quilters, artists, upcyclers, and everyone in between, Sew Social is a dreamy space for like-minded crafters to connect and uplift one another. Helping alleviate loneliness and promote positive mental well-being through craft for Global Majority folks local and those just passing through.
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The idea for Sew Social blossomed when Karen Arthur and Lilly from Afri-Co-Lab met by chance in the Lab before Karen made their move to St Leonards-On-Sea. After a trial run in 2024, we’re excited to share this latest iteration with you finally! Sew Social grew out of Karen’s Tuesday Thrills Craft Circle, which started in November 2015. This was a space where crafters of all levels could bring their long-forgotten projects or start fresh with new ones.
The session
The details
WHEN?
Last Tuesday of the month. ​
Upcoming dates are 25th February & 25th March.
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WHERE?
At Afri-Co-Lab, 3 Marine Court, St Leonards-On-Sea, TN38 0DX
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WHAT TIME?
Doors open at 6 pm and close at 9 pm; last entry is 8.15 pm. You can come any time between 6 pm and 8.15 pm
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HOW?
No experience necessary. A willingness to do or start something crafty is all you will require.
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EQUIPMENT?
We will provide sewing equipment like, threads, scissors, tailors chalk, buttons, trimmings, scrap fabric, tea and biscuits. The Sewing machines and overlockers are not available in this session- see Dare 2 Repair if you would like to use these.
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WHAT ELSE?
We provide positive energy in a calm, safe, non-judgemental space.
And lots of laughter.
Karen was raised in Oxfordshire, studied Performing Arts as a Dance Specialist in Leicester, trained as a teacher in Bedford and moved to London in the mid-eighties where she started teaching in the East End.
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Karen’s Barbadian mother passed on her love of sewing when she was 15 and this passion for creativity accompanied her throughout her teaching career.
Karen taught dance full time, then headed up KS3 Performing Arts for 17 years before a foot injury led me to teaching Textiles. From there she moved across to become a Pastoral leader, finally settling at a local Boys Secondary School as a Head of House.
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Karen left teaching behind after 28 years when the onset of the menopause brought with it a diagnosis of anxiety and depression which threatened to floor her. She could no longer do her job. After turning the spotlight inwards, a few years later Karen was able to move into Fashion, working exclusively with women to create beautiful bespoke clothing that made them feel good and stand tall.
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Since then Karen has worked as a private stylist, textiles workshop leader, hosted live events and taught private clients to sew. Karen has created public textiles arts for Sky Arts and the Migration museum.