The Manx Embroiderers & Stitchers (MES) will hold its annual general meeting this coming Friday, September 13 at St Andrew’s Church, Glencrutchery Road, Douglas.

Doors open at 7pm for a prompt 7.30pm start.

MES is a stitching and textiles group based in the island.

It has members ranging from those who have just picked up needle and thread to enthusiastic hobbyists to trained professionals and everything in between. All are welcome and no experience is needed to join.

Through the kind support of the Isle of Man Arts Council, MES will also welcome guest speaker Elizabeth Almond on Friday evening to begin the MES 2024/2025 programme of talks and workshops. The title of her talk will be ‘Blackwork with a Twist’.

Over the course of her career, Elizabeth has worked as an embroiderer, designer and tutor.

She is especially fascinated with blackwork, whitework, counted thread techniques, quilting and sashiko. A more recent interest is exploration of the forgotten technique of Kogin embroidery.

Having taught classes in community education, exhibited, worked to commission and provided charts of her own designs for many years; she now gives talks on embroidery and organises day schools and courses for beginners through to experienced embroiderers, both in the UK and abroad.

Elizabeth has travelled extensively throughout the Middle and Far East, and is fascinated by the cultures, architecture and crafts in these countries.

These have influenced many of her charts, which she sells on her website www.blackworkjourney.co.uk and through international distributors.

She also writes articles for magazines such as ‘Stitches’, ‘Just Cross Stitch’ and ‘Cross Stitch and Embroidery” and contributes to books and calendars.

Admission is £3 for non-members.