New Workshops

Well - we had the Teddy Bear workshop today and it was hilarious!  Mine isn't finished yet - he's still in pieces but Sandra assures me that once he's put together he'll stop looking like a fat mouse: when he's finished I'll put up a picture and you can be the judge!!

On a more serious note, we are really pleased to be able to add two more workshops to our Spring/Summer Schedule.

First, on Thursday 28th June we have a willow weaving workshop with Christine Brewster.  Sandra, my husband and various other Morris Dancers met her at the Newbury Coat Festival and everyone insisted we had to get her here.  Christine is a very busy lady and has her own workshop at Englefield, where she makes baskets, plant supports and sculptural weaving projects with living and dried willow.  Take a look at her website, http://www.stripeybasket.co.uk/ for more information. Happily, though, she can fit us in.  She plans to do three projects she usually covers as part of a series of 5 evening workshops - so we will be kept very busy!  We will be making  a willow trivet, a simple basket and a simple sculpture.  If the weather is fine (will it ever be fine again? - I don't think I've ever been so cold in my life as I've felt this week) we will work in the garden.

The second workshop is Mariner's Compass with Ann Jermey.  Ann has run loads of brilliant workshops and comes highly recommended, but, as with all the best teachers in my experience, was very loathe to toot her own trumpet.  I asked for some info I could quote and she sent this:  An experienced quilter who stitches by hand or machine depending on whether she is in a hurry!  She is happy with hand or machine quilting and now has a Long Arm quilting machine.  Ann has taught patchwork and quilting locally and nationally for many years and enjoys the experience of teaching.

Every year she tries to put a quilt into the three main quilt shows, consquently she has had a quilt in Quilts UK ever since it started.  

Anne actually is a very experienced teacher who has a wealth of knowledge she takes pleasure in sharing.  She had a long list of classes she gives, and we were very tempted by some of her quilting classes but decided the Mariner's Compass block would be a great challenge for all you more experienced (or brave) quilters out there.  She has sent this picture and we will have sample pieces in the workshop shortly:

If you decide to hand stitch, you will manage to get at least a quarter of the 12" block done on the day.  For those who are machine stitching, you may well get half or more done.  You will also create templates for this design.

We have already started taking bookings for these workshops - so try to book as early as possible.  And remember, for visiting teachers we can only reserve places on receipt of payment.