Events Machine Freelancer
We’re excited to offer a fantastic opportunity to join the rapidly growing Events Department at Hand & Lock.
We are currently recruiting enthusiastic and creative individuals to join our onsite Events Team in a flexible, freelance capacity. This position is ideal for students, recent graduates and freelance professionals seeking hands-on experience in embroidery, live events and customer-facing environments.
Key Responsibilities
- Operate digital embroidery machines during live events and activations
- Frame garments and prepare embroidery areas with precision
- Engage with guests and clients in a confident and friendly manner
- Represent Hand & Lock professionally across various brand activations
- Support team members in delivering smooth, high-quality event experiences
Ideal Candidate Will Have:
- Experience with digital embroidery machines
- Knowledge of direct-to-garment embroidery techniques
- Previous customer service, event or retail experience
- A detail-oriented, team-focused and professional approach
Please note: While full training will be provided, prior experience with embroidery equipment is required.
Why Join Us?
This role offers the opportunity to work across a variety of Hand & Lock live events and high-profile brand activations, contributing to a vibrant and fast-paced team known for creativity and craftsmanship.
How to Apply
To apply, please send your CV and a short cover letter outlining your relevant experience to: enquiries@handembroidery.com
Hand & Lock Training Programme
Hand & Lock has an enduring passion for education and instruction to keep the beautiful craft of embroidery alive. Since the early 2000’s, Hand & Lock has sought to promote, cultivate and preserve the highest standards within the creative embroidery field. Whether you are studying for a qualification in Textiles, or perhaps you have just graduated in a Fashion or Costume related course; If you are keen to further your exploration of embroidery, our training programme could be the right path for you.
The goal of the Hand & Lock training programme is to provide an enriching and in depth embroidery studio experience, supporting both students and graduates alike. This traineeship will give you ‘real world’ industry experience in a thriving embroidery studio. We will help you to expand your creative skills across a range of specialisms as well as the practical skills required to run a creative business. Hand & Lock is a unique and diverse company working on projects of all shapes and sizes for a wide range of clients and outcomes. This breadth of knowledge and experience will equip applicants for a wide range of roles across the wider fashion and textiles industry.
Programme Detail
APPLICATIONS FOR 2026 ARE NOW CLOSED
Applications for 2027 will open mid 2026 - Date TBC - Please do not send your applications in now
Term: 6 Months Minimum - 12 Months Maximum. Students and recent graduates are all welcome to apply.
Start dates are set quarterly: First Monday of the Month in January, April, July & September.
Applications for 2026 will be reviewed and kept on file in case of availability.
Pay: Minimum Wage hourly rate
Hours: 18 per Week (3 days a week, 10am - 4:30pm)
During contracted hours, you will gain experience across all departments of the Hand & Lock studio.
Additional Benefits
The Hand & Lock Diploma for Contemporary Embroidery:
You will automatically be enrolled onto the H&L Diploma for the duration of your training programme.
Personal Development Days:
You will be welcome to use our studio facilities on the weekdays that you are not contracted to work for the duration of your training programme.
How To Apply
To apply for the Hand & Lock Training Programme you will be required to submit an application to us. This application must contain a CV, covering letter and minimum 15 page digital portfolio of work. You may also submit supporting references to a website and/or social media accounts.
Your portfolio should contain a range of beautiful, innovative, highly creative and varied design work, showcasing a keen interest and skill level in embroidery design and wider textile/ fashion design.
Portfolio Submission
You should include any of your current skills that may be relevant to the training programme, such as:
- Basic hand sewing skills
- Microsoft Office or google alternatives (e.g. Sheets/Slides etc)
- Design work: including trend research, moodboard creation, hand drawing and CAD design
- Embroidery/ Textile samples showing a variety of techniques and different uses of materials.
- Hand embroidery skills
- Adobe suite (photoshop, illustrator, InDesign etc)
- Wilcom digital embroidery studios
- Experience working with digital embroidery machines
- Experience working with Domestic sewing machines or any other sewing & embroidery machinery
- Pattern cutting/ basic sewing & construction skills
- Photography skills
Interview Process
If your application is taken through to the next stage, you will then be invited to our studios for an interview with our Production & Creative Manager, Head of Education and/ or our Studio Manager.
The interview process will include a discussion of the pieces in your portfolio, what you hope to gain from the training programme and what skills you can bring to the H&L team during your training programme.
The Interview will also include a tour of our studios.
If your application is successful you will then be assigned a start date for your Training Programme. There will be specific staggered start dates set throughout the year.
Send Your Application
Please apply to: enquiries@handembroidery.com
Please ensure to use subject line: (YOUR FULL NAME) TRAINING PROGRAMME APPLICATION
Note: Please write your preferred date (eg, 2026) and also the preferred duration (6 or 12 months) and state your preferred start date in your email.
How To Apply
To apply for the Hand & Lock Training Programme you will be required to submit an application to us. This application must contain a CV, covering letter and minimum 15 page digital portfolio of work. You may also submit supporting references to a website and/or social media accounts.
Your portfolio should contain a range of beautiful, innovative, highly creative and varied design work, showcasing a keen interest and skill level in embroidery design and wider textile/ fashion design.
Portfolio Submission
You should include any of your current skills that may be relevant to the training programme, such as:
- Basic hand sewing skills
- Microsoft Office or google alternatives (e.g. Sheets/Slides etc)
- Design work: including trend research, moodboard creation, hand drawing and CAD design
- Embroidery/ Textile samples showing a variety of techniques and different uses of materials.
- Hand embroidery skills
- Adobe suite (photoshop, illustrator, InDesign etc)
- Wilcom digital embroidery studios
- Experience working with digital embroidery machines
- Experience working with Domestic sewing machines or any other sewing & embroidery machinery
- Pattern cutting/ basic sewing & construction skills
- Photography skills
Interview Process
If your application is taken through to the next stage, you will then be invited to our studios for an interview with our Production & Creative Manager, Head of Education and/ or our Studio Manager.
The interview process will include a discussion of the pieces in your portfolio, what you hope to gain from the training programme and what skills you can bring to the H&L team during your training programme.
The Interview will also include a tour of our studios.
If your application is successful you will then be assigned a start date for your Training Programme. There will be specific staggered start dates set throughout the year.
Send Your Application
Please apply to: enquiries@handembroidery.com
Please ensure to use subject line: (YOUR FULL NAME) TRAINING PROGRAMME APPLICATION
Note: Please write your preferred date (eg, 2026) and also the preferred duration (6 or 12 months) and state your preferred start date in your email.
