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Meet Julia Langley: Let's Play Stitch Bingo!
Annual Online Retreat, Behind the Stitches - 23rd October 2026
How many stitches does your sewing machine have? And how many of them have you actually used?
If you've ever wondered what all those decorative stitches and extra features are for, Julia Langley might just inspire you to start experimenting.
We're delighted to welcome Julia to our People & Places online retreat this January, where she'll be inviting us to play Stitch Bingo!
From Barbie clothes to beautiful quilts
Julia's sewing journey began with scraps of fabric left over from her mother's costume making, which she used to make clothes for her Barbie dolls.
After a childhood spent taking ballet lessons (she even has Royal Academy of Dance certificates signed by Margot Fonteyn!), Julia went on to work at Lloyd's of London. Her lunchtimes were often spent buying fabric at Petticoat Lane to make her own outfits.
A stall selling handmade hair accessories at Greenwich Market followed, eventually developing into baby and children's clothing after the birth of her first daughter.
It was a visit to the American Museum that sparked her love of patchwork, and she's now been teaching for around 15 years.
For Julia, teaching is about much more than learning a technique.
"I love teaching and get so much joy from seeing other people fall in love with quilting and how they grow in confidence and creativity. The laughter and friendships I have made from sewing really do sustain the soul!"
Making the most of your sewing machine
Although Julia enjoys almost every form of sewing, appliqué is a particular favourite, whether worked by hand or machine.
She's also a self-confessed sewing machine nerd!
Through her freelance work with Janome, including YouTube demonstrations exploring stitches, machine feet and techniques, Julia has developed a particular enthusiasm for helping people understand what their machines are capable of.
She believes that the more we know about our machines, the more control we have over our work and the better the results we can achieve.
As hand stitching and quilting have become harder on her hands, machine sewing has also taken on greater importance, allowing her to continue enjoying the craft she loves.
Let's Play Stitch Bingo!
During our online retreat, Julia will be showing us how to turn a random collection of machine stitches into a miniature work of art.
It's an opportunity to explore those decorative stitches, features and settings that so often go unused.
Rather than relying on the same familiar stitches, Julia will encourage us to experiment, discover new possibilities and have some fun along the way.
Whether you're comfortable with your sewing machine or still discovering what it can do, there should be plenty of inspiration to take away.
Floral Folk in Stitches
One of Julia's latest designs, Floral Folk in Stitches, draws inspiration from Hungarian folk art.
This sampler-style appliqué quilt uses a variety of decorative stitches to add detail and interest to the finished piece.
Designed to be worked in smaller sections, it can be quilted as you go and includes links to more than 12 instructional videos exploring different stitching finishes.
You can quilt it by hand or machine, finish it with a border, or keep it as a smaller wall quilt. It's also a great way to use fabric scraps.
Seasons in Stitch
Julia's Seasons in Stitch on-demand course takes the exploration of machine stitching even further.
Across 15 video tutorials, she introduces more than 50 different stitches alongside hand and machine quilting, raw-edge and needle-turn appliqué, fabric painting and three-dimensional effects.
With no fixed timetable, participants can work at their own pace, sharing progress and ideas through a private Facebook group.
Both projects reflect Julia's approach to teaching: developing practical skills while encouraging creativity and experimentation.
A few things you might not know about Julia…
Away from her sewing machine, Julia has led a rather varied life.
She ran a village shop and Post Office for nine years, can dance flamenco and was a Brown Owl and Guide Leader from the age of 18.
She also knows how to cook jam roly-poly over an open fire for 50 people!
And, perhaps most unexpectedly, she can use a swozzle — the little instrument used to create Mr Punch's distinctive voice.
As Julia puts it, living in a village sometimes means taking on all sorts of roles!
Join Julia at People & Places, 2027
Julia is one of the guest speakers joining us for People & Places, The Quilters' Guild's annual online retreat, taking place on 23–24 January 2027.
Across two days, Guild members can enjoy talks, demonstrations and creative inspiration from a varied programme of speakers.
Event details
• Dates: Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 January 2027
• Time: 10am–7pm each day
• Location: Online
• Tickets: £55, exclusively for Quilters' Guild members
• Recordings: Available for 28 days after the event
Bookings are now open!
Join Julia and our other guest speakers for a weekend celebrating the people, places and creative ideas behind quilting.
Book your place at People & Places here.
Discover more of Julia's work at www.sewingboxsomerset.co.uk or follow her on Instagram at @sewingboxsomerset.
More From Annual Online Retreat
Meet Katherine Gough: Preserving a Family Legacy of Welsh Quilting
Meet Katherine Gough and discover her research into Welsh quilting, her grandmother Sarah Marion Davies and the Rural Industries Bureau quilters.
People & Places: Discover the Programme for Our 2027 Online Retreat
Explore The Quilters’ Guild Online Retreat, 23–24 January 2027. Discover quilting history, creative techniques, workshops and more. Members only, £55.
Meet Julia Langley: Let's Play Stitch Bingo!
Discover Julia Langley's creative approach to decorative machine stitches and join her for Stitch Bingo at the Quilters' Guild online retreat in January 2027.
