Midlands Makers
- Mar 31, 2023
- 3 min read

Friday Feature with LCC Stitch N' Bitch.

Make friends as an adult with like-minded creatives within a relaxed environment in Leicester city centre.

Leicester Stitch N' Bitch is an inclusive, casual community of creative individuals who meet up at the pub every other Thursday to craft together + you're invited!

What can someone expect in coming to join the LCC Stitch + Bitch?

They can expect a friendly bunch of people working on lots of different crafts, some are seasoned pros, others are complete beginners. It's a welcoming group and you can drop in and out as you please, there's no pressure to come to every meet and we very often have new people turning up.

Alternative girl with orange hair models handmade crochet hat with devil horns at Stitch N Bitch Leicester

What inspired you to start the meet ups? I love beer, I love knitting, and thought why not combine the two? I had been searching for a local crafty group to join, but could only find more traditional craft groups or workshops, and none that took place in a bar. I really wanted to create a chilled out social vibe, where you can relax, have a couple drinks and work on your projects without any pressure. Stitch n Bitches already exist all over the world, in lots of different forms, and the term 'Stitch n Bitch' referring to a social crafting group originates as far back as the 1940s.

"Beginners are very welcome,

don't worry if you're really new to your craft,

no one's going to judge you"

Are beginners welcome? Who can join in? Can you come alone?

Yes absolutely! Beginners are very welcome, don't worry if you're really new to your craft, no one's going to judge you. Although we don't formally 'teach' (there are tons of local workshops and online resources for this), some of the more experienced group members might be able to give you a hand if you get stuck. I would say that most attendees come alone, if you'd like to bring a friend please make sure that they have something to be working on too and aren't just sitting there watching everyone. If you're a little socially anxious (like me), Stitch n Bitch is great because you have the distraction and conversation starter of your craft project. Everyone aged 18+ is welcome to come along, it's free to attend but please do try to support the venue by buying drinks

What kind of projects do people bring to Stitch n' Bitch?

Our rules are 'no paint no ink no glue', or anything that needs to be plugged in like hot tools. Because we're in a bar and not in a designated craft space, we do have to be mindful of the area and make sure we leave it as we found it. Knitting, crochet, cross stitch and embroidery are perfect! But we've also had things like wire craft, punch needle and beading. If you're not 100% sure whether your craft will work in our venue, just pop us a message. Are there any rules people need to be aware of before joining? We do have a few group rules which can be found both in our Facebook group and on our Instagram page. The main ones are that we are adults only, don't allow spectators and although respectful disagreement is fine, we don't tolerate bullying or name calling. It's also a good idea not to get totally wankered, drunk people and knitting needles don't mix!

Group of crafters sit with craft beers in Leicester Brew Dog for Stich N' Bitch

How has the community responded to the idea of crafting as a collective?

I was amazed at the response! I honestly thought it'd just be me sitting in the corner knitting on my own, but we had people turning up right from the first meeting. More recently, our attendance has really exploded thanks to a feature in Cool as Leicester. Now we average about 20 people per meet, sometimes more sometimes less. Some people are already members of crafting groups, but most are hobbyists and are new to collective crafting.

Where would you like to see the LCC Stitch N' Bitch in the future?

Honestly, I'm just amazed at how successful our little group has become! I never dreamed so many people would get as much enjoyment as I do from knitting in a bar with fellow crafters. It'll be our 1st birthday in July, so we'll definitely have to plan something special for that!