Threads of inspiration: The Creative Workshops blog
Welcome to our blog, a space to explore the stories behind our workshops, the artists who inspire us, and the mindful creative journeys we embark on together. Dive into a world of art, making, and connection.
Mindful embroidery at Goodnestone Park
Join us for a day-long workshop with internationally renowned textile artist Cristina Rebeccani Coretti, where you will explore a unique and mindful approach to embroidery inspired by the natural surroundings of Goodnestone Park. In this workshop, Cristina will introduce her distinctive and unconventional use of needle and thread, guiding you through a creative process that responds intuitively to nature. Through observation and reflection, you will be encouraged to slow down, connect with your surroundings, and translate what you see and feel into stitch. Working with a range of materials and techniques, you will create your own expressive textile piece, supported by Cristina’s thoughtful guidance and inspiring examples of her work. Open to all levels, this workshop offers a gentle, immersive introduction to embroidery as both a creative and mindful practice. The day will include time to explore the gardens at Goodnestone Park, gathering inspiration from the landscape, textures, and seasons.
The timeless charm of Goodnestone Park
Once regularly visited by Jane Austen, Goodnestone Park carries a gentle historic charm, making it an ideal setting for a meditative embroidery workshop. Set within 15 acres of beautifully designed gardens, the estate blends elegant formality with peaceful woodland paths and wide, open views. The Walled Garden, reflective ponds, terraces, and sweeping lawns offer an abundant array of seasonal blooms and foliage, perfect subjects for mindful embroidery study. Throughout the grounds, quiet corners invite slow wandering and focused observation, encouraging participants to gather inspiration and connect with the subtle shapes, colours, and textures of the natural world. With its historic house, tranquil atmosphere, and ever-changing interplay of light, colour, and scent, Goodnestone Park provides a nurturing landscape in which to pause, observe, and collect motifs, offering a setting that feels both timeless and deeply nourishing to the creative spirit.
Meet the artist: Cristina Rebeccani Coretti
Italian embroiderer Cristina Rebeccani Coretti draws deeply on the natural world, turning to plants as both subject and source for her meditative stitching. Inspired by live botanical specimens as well as the intricate illustrations found in antique herbals and vintage herbarium sheets, her work sits at the intersection of careful observation and artistic interpretation. At the heart of Cristina’s practice is a daily discipline of stitching, which she regards as essential to her creative and personal well-being. With a finely tuned sensitivity to colour, she often works with natural dyes, hand-dyeing antique linen to achieve tones and textures reminiscent of aged botanical pages. Guided by a deep curiosity for botany and herbalism, her embroidery is both precise and expressive, rooted in observation yet free in its interpretation. Her finished pieces, whether delicate bookmarks or small wearable works, echo the intimacy of miniature paintings and are often designed to be held close.