Valentines Embroidery Workshop with Humanscale

Humanscale are a Manchester design studio that regularly hosts creative events for their clients and team. For this Valentine’s event, they invited me into their studio to run an embroidery workshop where participants would customise their own pyjamas.

The brief was clear from the start. They wanted to embroider directly onto pjs. From there, it became about ensuring the workshop design matched both the fabric and the evening's format.

Designing for the garment, not just the idea

Before the session, I worked with the team to make sure the pyjamas they had chosen were suitable for embroidery. Fabric matters. Stretch, weave, thickness. All of these things affect which stitches will behave well and which ones will cause frustration.

Even though I knew most of the participants were creative in their professional lives, I deliberately chose to focus on simple stitches and more basic designs.

It would have been easy to overcomplicate it. A room full of designers and creatives can handle complexity. But this wasn’t about proving skill. It was about giving them the space to enjoy making something personal and wearable, and ideally, finishing it in one sitting.

The setting

The workshop took place in their Manchester studio, beautifully decorated for the occasion. Pizza, conversation, a warm and welcoming space. The atmosphere was already set before a single stitch was made.

As people began stitching, it became clear that the design choices had landed exactly where they needed to. What might initially have felt “too simple” allowed everyone to settle into the process. There was no pressure to design something elaborate. Just the quiet rhythm of stitching, chatting, and enjoying time that had been carved out intentionally.

A couple of people even stayed late. Not because they had to. Because they didn’t want to rush.

The outcome

By the end of the session, most participants had completed at least one embroidered design on their pyjamas. Everyone left with a mini kit so they could continue adding to them at home if they wished.

What stood out most was how much people appreciated having this time set aside purely for something creative and personal. Even in a team of people who design and problem-solve all day, there’s a difference between creative work and creative play.

What I took from it

This workshop was a reminder to trust my experience - and knowledge. Testing out the PJs in advance made the world of difference, it meant that I knew ahead of time, where people might get caught out, and could create a workshop that fit the brief perfectly, and that allowed everyone to enjoy the making process, not get bogged down in fabric frustrations.

And collaborating with Humanscale to shape something that fit their community, brief and their space so well was a real joy.

When a workshop is thoughtfully designed, not just visually but practically, it gives people permission to slow down and enjoy the process. And sometimes, that’s exactly what even the most creative professionals need.