January 2026 Newsletter

Hello Happy Quilters!

We’d like to start by wishing everyone a fabulous New Year. We’re incredibly excited for 2026 and can’t wait to see how The Sew Happy Quilters’ Association continues to grow.

December marked our nine-month milestone, and we ended the year with over 40,000 members and followers, plus over one million views on our YouTube channel, an amazing way to finish the year.

We ended 2025 with a fabulous visit to Romsey Quilters, where we met over 80 members of their group and shared a talk on ‘Sewing for Wellbeing’. We then returned on the second day to enjoy a wonderful Japanese Sashiko workshop together. Be sure to check out the gallery album to see all the fun that was had. Huge thanks to Romsey Quilters for such a warm welcome.

We’re really looking forward to supporting the Romsey Festival in July, where Romsey Quilters will be showcasing a beautiful exhibition of their work in the stunning setting of Romsey Abbey. It’s a wonderful event and one well worth adding to your diary.

While visiting Romsey Quilters, Rachel also spent time with Tools for Self Reliance in Southampton, the wonderful charity we have partnered with. TFSR carry out vital work, supporting girls in Africa to train as tailors, using sewing machines they repair and send out for this purpose.

It was a real pleasure to meet the TSFR team and enjoy a tour of their inspiring charity, including the sewing machine workshop where beautifully restored machines are brought back to full working order. Rachel was also able to interview the staff and volunteers, making the visit even more special. To learn more about TFSR please watch our video.

The SHQA team have organised a range of events throughout 2026 to support Tools for Self Reliance, including stash sales in March, workshop tours in June, and a 24-hour Sew-a-thon in October, and talks running across the year. Be sure to check out the full events list and book your place via our website.

At the end of November, we enjoyed another zoom sewing day for Quilts for Care Leavers, these are great days that quilters from all over the UK enjoy being part of, sewing from 10am until 4pm, we all have a lovely time making blocks and quilts for this great charity. To see what happens on an in person sewing day and on a zoom day check out the album on our gallery.

December saw our first batch of cup mats sent off to From Me to You Letters. Full details on how to get involved, including where to send your cup mats, can be found in our gallery and on our events page.

Alongside partnering with our chosen charities, the SHQA is passionate about backing our Tutors, Groups, and Suppliers. From the very start, one of our top priorities has been to ensure that membership for this vital part of our community is completely FREE!

Tutors can register and showcase their skills and specialisms, while groups can easily find a tutor for a workshop of their choice. Tutors have really appreciated the exposure to our members and the simple booking process. Take a look at our tutors directory.

We’ve had an amazing response from Groups registering on our directory, praising how easy it was to sign up for free membership and gain access to our full sewing community. Members enjoy offers and discounts, free workshops, quilt shows, and retreats. Check out our groups directory, and if your group hasn’t registered yet, join us to become part of our supportive sewing community.

We’ve been sew happy to work closely with our Suppliers, helping them reach a wider audience of sewing enthusiasts and giving them access to our social media followers and members. Our SHQA Quilt Show will also feature many of these fantastic suppliers and their products. If you’re a supplier, sign up for free membership and find out how SHQA can support you by emailing us at suppliers@shqa.co.uk.

The Sew Happy Quilters’ Association is sponsoring the Beginners Category at Quilts UK Malvern, 14th – 17th May 2026. The deadline to enter our category is 4th March, so be sure to submit your entry to support this fabulous show and for a chance to win the sewing machine prize we are donating. We look forward to seeing you there!

16th January, 7pm: Sewing for Wellbeing talk in aid of Tools for Self Reliance

17th & 18th January: 2-day Zoom Charity Sewing Retreat for Quilts for Care Leavers

17th January, 7pm: Sew Happy Live - Our Charity Partners & Corporate Sponsorships.

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24th January, 7pm: Sewing for Wellbeing talk in aid of From Me to You Letters

1st February, 10am – 4pm: Charity Zoom Sewing Day in aid of From Me to You Letters making cup mat

7th and 8th February: As Rachel, our CEO, is a Community Ambassador for From Me to You Letters, the SHQA will also be taking part in the 24-hour letter writing marathon

5th–7th March: The SHQA team will be attending the Scottish Quilting Show. Rachel will be teaching workshops on sewing with Hexiform along with talks

12th–15th March: The SHQA will be at Sewing for Pleasure at the NEC, with Rachel teaching Hexiform workshops

The SHQA team is also thrilled to be part of the Proud Lounge, run by the lovely team at We Sew Too. We’ll be helping run free make-and-take sessions, so come along and see us

Come along to our first SHQA Quilt Show at Brighton Racecourse on 5th and 6th September 2026, book via our website:

Dark Fairy Creations – Receive a free pair of scissors when purchasing the Shroom pin cushion (as seen in our recent Livestream and on our socials). Use code SEW4ME offer valid until 1st February 2026

Netty Made – Free download of the Manx Log Cabin pattern for SHQA members and friends, with a suggested donation to our Tools for Self Reliance JustGiving page

iQuilt Studio – 25% off longarm services with John Cole-Morgan using code SHQA25 offer valid until 31st August 2026

SHQA Shop – Explore our downloadable patterns, fabrics, and sewing ideas for the new year