July’s speaker was Tony Phillips (the Manbroiderer), a textile and mixed media artist. He started his talk with a brief history of embroidery, showing us how different styles from different countries have influenced his work. He then went on to talk about how, post the covid lockdown, embroidery, and crafting in general, is going through a renaissance, with a new generation of crafters coming to understand the importance of the mindfulness and creativity on mental health and wellbeing. He discussed the future of embroidery, how the increasing focus on recycling/upcycling can be used alongside modern technology and AI to enhance the creative process, while still blending with traditional hand techniques.