Spring is coming….

Well outside it might be raining but inside the Cherry blossom is blooming thanks to all of you lovely folks who have sent back your completed mandu kits. Please keep them coming. I always enjoy receiving your excellent work. You have returned around 160 so far which is great. Let’s beat these grey days and turn our attentions to making up those kits. (See below for sending back you finished mandus)

Welcome to everyone who has recently joined the project. If you would like to catch up on previous newsletters you will find the previous newsletters in this blog.

I would like to thank new group coordinator, Susan Vogel, in Switzerland for joining the project this month with her group, Birdie Bees. I am looking forward to photos of finished mandus against a snowy backdrop.

Cherry Plum blossom on silk fabric dyed with Surprise web cap (Cortiniarus semi sanguineus)

Would you like to make a second kit?

There are now 575 registrations, with sixteen other countries joining the project. If you would like to help the project reach its target and are missing making mandus why not sign up for a second kit. That is what Jenny Donohoe and her fabulous team from the Irish Guild of Embroiderers have been doing helping to push the project to its target of 900. Just follow this link to my kits page.

Next month I will be sharing other ways that you can help stitch our way to success.

Community outreach

This month I started my community programme of workshops. At these workshops all the participants are making the same size of mandu to create strings that contrast with the graduated versions of the kits.

I worked with the talented textile degree students at Northbrook College in Worthing who learnt a little bit about Korean textiles and how my research inspired me to create this project.

At the Hangleton and Knoll Youth Arts Group I met a great group of young people who made a fabulous string of mandus at their afterschool session.

At the workshops at Sew Fabulous, a community interest company in Brighton market, everyone was very productive producing 8 strings of nine mandus by the end of the day.

I am looking forward to running a series of workshops for Esteem a charity working with young adults to build lasting self-esteem, next month.

Time to start returning your mandus

Return your mandus in a small box that protects them from being crushed. No flat pack packaging please!

Remember to add your name to your numbered label and attach the string to the completed mandu mobile.

Send them back to Sara Cook, 43 Hamilton Road, Brighton, BN1 5DL

Please let me know if you'd like to share the message inside one of your mandus—whether it's a personal goal, a note of gratitude, a hope for change, or a piece of wisdom.

Email me at saracook7777@gmail.com