A Night at the Circus

If you don’t know Giffords Circus, then you’ve been missing out. It’s something of a British institution. Founded by the late, much-loved Nell Gifford in 2000, Giffords is a travelling village green circus unlike anything else. Each year, its big-top arrives like a little piece of magic, whisking audiences into a beautifully handcrafted world that feels both nostalgic and completely enchanting.

So when we were asked to create a bespoke kit which captures the essence of Giffords, I lept at the opportunity. As someone who would love to run away to the circus, I think this is the closest I will get!

A Night at the Circus freestyle kits teach you all our favourite embroidery stitches - running stitch, satin stitch, chain stitch, Hungarian braid, French knots, stem stitch, whipped stem stitch and turkey work.

You start with the sampler, which walks you through all the stitches and helps you build confidence, and once you understand how each stitch behaves, you can embellish your circus performer however you like. The joy of these kits is that no two finished pieces are ever the same - take the jewel-like colours and all the stitches you have mastered, and let loose your own creativity.

Inside this beautiful box, there is a whole circus to discover. These freestyle kits include two pieces to embroider. A sampler to teach you eight different embroidery stitches and the patterned circus performer printed onto fabric, which you will embellish.

We have detailed videos to teach you each of the stitches and help you complete your sampler. You will then take that knowledge and choose how you want to embroider your circus performer.

We believe framing is absolutely integral to any piece of art. A frame can make or break a finished piece, so as much consideration should be given to the frame as the artwork in it.

We are passionate about getting everyone making and feeling creative, so we have a curated range of materials to enable you paint your own frames. Or alternatively, our signature decorative frames are all hand-painted in our London studio and designed to perfectly complement our embroidery kits.