Hussif workshop with Illuminated Arts

Create your own handcrafted sewing kit in this inspiring drop-in workshop, offering hands-on, practical instruction in a supportive and encouraging environment.

A hussif or huswif (short for housewife) was a case containing sewing supplies; some were rolled up and some were folded. During the American Civil War, women often made them for loved ones serving in the armed forces so they could sew on buttons and mend their uniforms. 

During WWI and WWII, women’s sewing groups made and included these sewing kits in care packages, making them a popular item among soldiers. The 'huswife' became a standard army issue of the British Military to their soldiers and sailors up until the 1960s.

This workshop is suitable for all, regardless of experience, and will focus on ways to creatively combine pattern and stitch in pursuit of a practical outcome - with a little textile social history thrown in for good measure.

These sessions are run by Illuminated Arts. Your tutors will be textile-artist-historian Melissa Jo Smith and internationally recognised textile designer Rebecca Cole. They will guide you through each stage of the creation process, ending with a personalised, hand-crafted sewing kit to cherish.

The workshop is free and open to all. It is part of Illuminated Arts' current project to provide community workshops accessible for people with memory loss, Alzheimer’s and dementia.

This current community stitching project will culminate in a 'Pocket Parade' at the Queen's House in spring 2026.