Threads of Renewal and the Yorkshire Calico Dress Project

Hello, I’m Ali—some of you might know me from the Celebration Quilt or from the creative courses and workshops I help run here at the Recovery College. This spring, I had the pleasure of facilitating a stitching course called Threads of Renewal, and I’d love to share a bit about it with you.

The course is part of the Yorkshire Calico Dress Project, which connects to a wider international project led by textile artist Kirstie Macleod. You might have heard of her Red Dress Project, which brought together embroidery from people across the world. Now, communities across Yorkshire are being invited to take part by contributing stitched pieces that reflect who we are and what we’ve been through.

What we did together

This six-week workshop took place here at the Recovery College, bringing learners together in a relaxed and supportive space to explore creativity through stitching. Each week, we built on simple embroidery techniques, but just as importantly, we made space for people to share ideas, try new things and learn from each other.

You can see some of the pieces created by learners in the photos below—each one completely unique and full of personal meaning.

I encouraged everyone to create something that felt important to them, and what emerged was a really powerful collection of work. Through colour, texture and stitch, people expressed experiences of recovery, creativity, heritage, nature and wellbeing.

The stories behind the stitches

One of my favourite parts of the course was hearing the meaning behind each piece.

People created work inspired by the comfort of books and libraries, connections to their cultural identity, and their journeys through mental health recovery. There were also pieces about hope—about how growth can come after difficult times.

One learner created a beautiful piece inspired by her great‑grandmother, Dinah Connelly, a Halifax suffragette who campaigned for women’s right to vote and is recognised as the first woman to vote in Halifax. It was such a powerful reminder of how our stories connect across generations.

What stood out to me

What really stayed with me was the generosity in the room. People shared materials, ideas and encouragement so freely. It felt like a space where everyone could try things out, build confidence and feel supported.

Watching that sense of connection grow alongside people’s creativity was just as important as the stitching itself.

How you can get involved?

These pieces are just the beginning of the story. There will be more opportunities to take part in the Yorkshire Calico Dress Project, and I’d love for more people to get involved.

We’ll be running more creative workshops here at the Recovery College, so please keep an eye on our timetable and updates—whether you’re completely new to stitching or already love being creative, you’ll be very welcome to join us.

I can’t wait to see what stories we’ll stitch next—and I hope you might be part of it.