Saturday 28th March 2026 – 11:00am
Teaching Room
Kaffe Fassett has inspired people across the world with his colourful work in fabric, knitting, needlepoint, patchwork, painting and mosaic. We are delighted he and Brandon have found time in their busy schedule to share their passion for colour at the Stitch Retreat.
There will be time for questions, photographs and book signings.
Kaffe Fassett
Kaffe Fassett was born in San Francisco in 1937. He started training as a fine artist but, inspired by his conversations about England with Christopher Isherwood, headed to London in the ‘swinging 60s.’ His passion for colour led him to knitting and designing knitwear for Missoni and Bill Gibb amongst others, and his hand-knitted garments are now in museum collections all over the world. He later took up needlepoint and patchwork, creating both his own works and designs for others to make.
In the early 1980s Kaffe first started collaborating with Yorkshire based yarn company, Rowan Yarns. He has contributed to the bi-annual Rowan magazine for over 30 years, his designs being characterised by their exquisite use of pattern and colour blending. His first book was Glorious Knitting, offering 30 patterns for knitted garments, all giving the illusion of complexity simply through the use of colour. Since publication the book has sold over 400,000 copies, a remarkable feat for a knitting book.
Since 1976, Kaffe has been the leading designer of needlepoint kits for Ehrman Tapestries. In 1987, the ‘Kaffe Fassett Glorious Needlepoint’ book was published, exploring the full potential of needlepoint as an inspirational source. As well as providing charted patterns, the embroiderer is given many ideas for producing his or her own designs for colourful rugs, shoulder bags, cushions and other items.
Kaffe turned his hand to printed fabric design when working with Liza Prior Lucy in USA on new patchwork designs, publishing his book Glorious Patchwork in 1997. Since then, Kaffe has produced over fifteen patchwork & quilting books. He, Brandon Mably and Philip Jacobs now design an ever expanding range of fabric prints for the patchwork market. They are instantly recognisable from their bold use of colour, geometric motifs and floral inspiration.
Throughout his career Kaffe has championed textile design; teaching, lecturing, presenting television programmes, exhibiting, writing and acting as patron to a great many charities.
Brandon Mably
Brandon Mably has been the manager of the Kaffe Fassett Studio for the past thirty years and is a successful textile designer in his own right.
Despite having no formal design education, his enthusiasm and Kaffe’s encouragement saw him take up a marker pen, draw a bold image on the canvas and simply start to stitch, a technique he still favours today. Since his initial design Brandon has worked on countless commissions, including designs for Erhman Tapestries.
Brandon applies his design aesthetic; bold graphics and acid hits of colour, to many forms of textiles as well as needlepoint, working in knitwear, fabric design, mosaics, rag rugs, patchwork and painting. He has published three knitwear books and produced a further 45 titles in collaboration with Kaffe Fassett.
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