In Conversation with Louise Bennett of Stitch and Splodge
By Bracken Jelier
For Louise Bennett, creativity has never just been about making things. It is about connection, confidence, learning and giving people the space to slow down. As the founder of Stitch and Splodge in Stoke, Plymouth, she has created a welcoming place where people of all ages can come together to learn new skills, try something creative and enjoy a sense of community.
Louise’s route to running Stitch and Splodge has been shaped by a lifelong love of creativity and a strong belief in the value of teaching. Before launching the business, she spent 16 years as a secondary school teacher, specialising in food, design, and textiles within design technology.
“I loved every minute of it – most minutes anyway,” she says with a smile.
Teaching gave her the chance to watch young people grow in confidence and ability over many years, and that remains one of the most rewarding parts of her career.
“Seeing children progress over a period of seven years, if they stayed on into sixth form, is the best feeling in the world. Having the privilege of being part of their experience - I’ve got students I’m still in touch with now who message me and say, ‘Miss, I’ve got a job in a Michelin-starred restaurant.’ That’s a wonderful feeling; to know you’ve played a small part in that journey.”
Although Louise later returned to the food industry, where she had originally trained as a food technologist, she found herself missing that creative, people-focused side of teaching. Slowly, the idea for Stitch and Splodge began to take shape.
“I decided to start doing some creative workshops from home,” she explains. “It just grew very, very slowly.”
What began around her dining room table expanded into workshops hosted across Plymouth in cafes, garden centres, and any venues willing to have her. It was a valuable stage in the business’s growth, but Louise knew that constantly travelling between venues was not sustainable long term.
After a short period based at Ocean Studios in Royal William Yard, she began looking for a permanent home. Just as she was beginning to think she might need to return to the pop-up model, she found the Stoke premises that now house Stitch and Splodge.
“I just knew it was the right place,” she says. “Straight away.”
That instinct has paid off. Today, Stitch and Splodge is a bright, distinctive creative hub offering workshops, parties, and bookable spaces, all designed to feel accessible and welcoming rather than intimidating or exclusive.
One of the things Louise speaks most passionately about is the huge range of people who come through the door. There is no single Stitch and Splodge customer. Instead, it is a place for everyone.
“I have all ages coming,” she says. “I’ve had four and five-year-olds coming with parents, I do birthday parties for children, and I have two wonderful ladies in their late eighties and everything in between.”
What they gain from coming is about far more than the craft itself. For some, it is a chance to meet others and feel less isolated. For others, it is an opportunity to experiment creatively without the pressure of committing to lots of materials or expertise. For many, it is simply protected time to switch off from the demands of everyday life.
“I think they get social time, meeting other people. If people live on their own, that can be quite lonely, so building friendships with people who’ve got things in common is wonderful.
“And then there’s having time for yourself. It’s all very well saying, ‘Yeah, I’m going to go home tonight and do some crochet,’ but you get distracted. You end up doing emails or whatever else. Having a dedicated workshop time that you’re going to commit to means it happens.”
Since opening her own premises, Louise says visibility has improved hugely. Having a shopfront has made a real difference, helping local people discover the business and feel confident enough to step inside.
“As a business, the biggest obstacle for me has been people knowing that I exist,” she says. “So having the shopfront has made an incredible difference.”
That physical presence is supported by social media, newsletters, and word of mouth, but for Louise, relationships remain at the heart of everything.
“Yes, I want to advertise. Yes, I want people to come to workshops. But ultimately, I’m a product too. For people to get to know me and what I’m like is really important.
“Having been a teacher, I understand that relationships are crucial to everything. Whatever type of work you’re in, whatever sector you’re in, at whatever level, actually being trusted and forming those relationships are essential.”
Her connection to the local area is clearly important too. Louise talks about getting involved in local networks, meeting nearby traders and enjoying the stream of curious residents who pop in to see what Stitch and Splodge is about.
“Since I’ve moved in, almost on a daily basis I have somebody come in and just want to be nosy, which I love,” she says. “I love that sense of curiosity. Come in, absolutely, and see what I’m up to.”
In a world increasingly shaped by screens, automation and AI, Louise believes that making things with your hands has never mattered more. For her, craft offers something tactile, grounding and deeply satisfying.
“There’s something very special about the tactile sense of making something,” she says. “If you’re doing something like knitting or crochet, you physically see it grow. There’s something really lovely about making a blanket and feeling the weight of it on your lap getting heavier. There’s a real sense of joy in that.”
She is also passionate about preserving practical and creative skills that risk being lost. With design and technology under increasing pressure in schools, Stitch and Splodge offers another way for children and adults alike to access those experiences.
“There’s this huge gap around sharing generational crafts and skills,” she says. “So many people say, ‘My grandma taught me to do that.’ Unfortunately, with the challenges within schools, design and technology is a rapidly decreasing area.
“That’s where I feel really strongly, having been a DT teacher. Being able to offer those skills outside of the national curriculum, but still in a fun, relaxed way, is important.”
That commitment continues to grow. Louise is preparing to introduce sewing machine workshops for children, helping younger people learn practical textile skills that are no longer widely available in many schools.
“To be able to provide that opportunity for children who want to learn those essential skills is a real privilege.”
As well as workshops, Stitch and Splodge also offers three bookable spaces designed for different kinds of use. There is a workshop room for messy and hands-on creative sessions, a relaxed training or meeting room for up to 12 people, and an upstairs space called The Sanctuary, ideal for one-to-one sessions, counselling, interviews or simply a change of scene for remote workers.
While Stitch and Splodge is rooted in Stoke, Louise also sees it as part of a much wider cultural picture in Plymouth. Having lived in the city for 23 years, she says she has seen huge change especially in the growth of its creative and cultural offer.
“I think as a city overall, it’s changed beyond all recognition,” she says. “Particularly the cultural aspect. There are so many businesses and organisations working so hard to put us on the map.”
She believes Plymouth’s strength lies in the range and diversity of what it offers, shaped by the people who live here and the experiences they bring. But she also stresses the importance of making connections across the city’s creative landscape.
“The diversity of what we offer as a city is incredible,” she says. “But making links between them is really important. Supporting events, supporting organisations, and supporting businesses is crucial.”
That sense of support, care and creativity runs through everything Louise has built. Stitch and Splodge is more than a workshop venue. It is a place where people can try, make, learn, chat, pause and reconnect - with creativity, with others and sometimes with themselves.
