DEENA BEVERLEY

Deena Beverley is an internationally renowned textile artist, author and tutor specialising in richly layered, illustrative and impressionistic work using mixed media; notably found and vintage materials. Her work is collected worldwide, sought out for Deena’s innovative approach to classical methodologies including embroidery, quilting, collage, painting, drawing and more.

Deena brings decades of experience as a writer of books and magazine articles, and broadcaster sharing her knowledge across a wide range of techniques. Her 2024 Batsford book, ‘Soulful Stitch: Finding Creativity in Crisis’ co-authored with Cas Holmes is a best seller. Deena’s newest Batsford book ‘Playful Stitch: Joyful Journeys in Textile Art’ is released in Autumn 2026.

Deena contributes to magazines including Selvedge, Embroidery Textile Arts, Patchwork Professional, The Guardian, The Sunday Times magazine, Country Homes & Interiors, BBC Homes and Antiques and Period Living.

BOBBIN BORO DIARIES  is a calming, intuitive, hand-stitch workshop suitable for all skill levels from beginner through to seasoned stitcher. Create a richly tactile, mixed media art journal around a beautiful vintage bobbin using materials from Deena’s personal collection of vintage treasures and incorporating your own cherished scraps.

Through innovative collage, appliqué, embroidery and mixed media art quilt techniques you’ll develop a wide ranging skillset and evolving  confidence in this addictive form of portable journalling. Learn how to add cherished family photographs to beautiful textile and mixed media art quilt journals and create living heirlooms; to enjoy handling again and again.

From the simple, calming rhythmic hand stitch of Japanese Boro quilting and Indian Kantha stitch through to dimensional hand embroidery techniques for those wishing to extend their knowledge of this  fascinating art, Deena’s courses are designed as retreats from the demands of everyday life through mindful engagement with creativity.

Going home with a renewed passion for making, having acquired new and enhanced skills, and with gorgeous heirloom quality pieces created, are beautiful, lasting bonuses.

What to bring:

Deena will be bringing kits, including antique bobbins, and everything you need to complete the journal.

Deena will also bring additional vintage materials for optional purchase.

Deena will also bring a range of basic tools and equipment including needles, enabling people to turn up empty handed if preferred, but you might also like to bring your personal hand sewing and making kit, to include:

Tools & Equipment

Range of hand sewing needles, to stitch varying weights of threads from single strand to thicker embroidery threads. Chenille needles in a range of sizes are a good choice. Beading needles.

Embroidery scissors

Fabric scissors

Large, long pins suitable for securing thick quilted fabrics eg flower pins, glass or plastic beaded bobble ended pins

 Materials

Kits include everything you need, and are discounted for students £25 (£45 to non students)

If you prefer to bring your own materials you’ll need:

Large wooden bobbin (Deena’s are approximately six inches tall, but size isn’t crucial)

Range of sewing threads from conventional thread in mid toned neutral colour to interesting selection of embroidery threads and yarns for creative play.

Selection of vintage quilt pieces to make pages of journal

Selection of vintage fabrics and haberdashery to embellish journal eg lace, ribbon, buttons, beads

Selection of ephemera to stitch directly onto journal, eg old photographs, postcards, packaging, book pages etc and/or photocopies of same to transfer using the methods you’ll be shown. Laser prints work better than inkjet, but both will be useable.

Deena will also bring a range of vintage ephemera images for you to use, so don’t worry if you’d rather come and learn the methods using what’s supplied, and apply them to your own images for inclusion at a later date, at your leisure.