Everyone Should Enjoy Making Stuff

We have had a cracking couple of weeks in the workshop, but first I have a little story to tell. 

My sister has been taking art classes for the last year, and she has been quite productive, so most of the family have been receiving paintings for birthday presents.  She gave me a still life of Peppers, which I love.

Last weekend was the East Garston Allotments flower and Produce  Show (I was runner up for my jam and pumpkin, which gave me immense pleasure) and I saw that they had a painting class.  Anyone could enter so I put Carolyn's picture in.  I then had a very tense morning, deciding that if she didn't come anywhere, I just wouldn't tell her I'd entered it.  The show opened at 1.00pm when the judging was finished, and I went down with great trepidation.

Well......

 

How exciting was that?  I sent her this photo and she asked if hers was the only entrant - it certainly wasn't!

Anyway, back to the workshop.

First of all we had a record 12 people turn up for Pitch and Stitch - everyone doing lots of different crafts, and lots to talk about.  Jane, who pointed out that the last time she came there were only 4 people, said,

"What a big group on Tuesday! & what a lovely mix of people doing different projects & crafts! I love it as it keeps me inspired to keeping crafting in whatever form that takes for me & it is also nice to know that we all share certain characteristics that are common amongst “crafty” people."

The next week we were down to four again, but I know lots of people were away on holiday.

Then Ros brought in the tunic she has knitted and we were all blown away

A stunning piece of work.

Ros is taking two knitting workshops for us this term - one for socks, and one for a beautiful scarf, so we are looking forward to that.

Then today Jenny brought in the quilt she started on a Lynne Johnson day in June - English Paper Pieced and hand stitched

Again, we were stunned - she only started it in June!

Lynne brought in her strippy quilt she has made, which is just one of the beautiful quilts which can be made on the Lynne Johnson days

So, all in all, very exciting.

I am in the throws of bringing out the new schedule, just waiting for a couple of photos from teachers.

I also always try and get in some new teachers, to try and get a bit of variety in the workshops.  I usually have to pay them a bit more than I pay our regular teachers,  but am prepared to make a loss because it is something new.  This time I have been really shocked by the amounts I've been quoted, and have been unable to book them.  I know our workshops are priced very low, but have always felt  that I would prefer people to feel they can come regularly, and not just as one offs.  I think  lovely crafty days out should be affordable to everyone, and most of the time we are only doing things our mothers, aunties or other members of our family have taught us, so it should be accessible to everyone too.

I will probably have to put our prices up a bit in the next year, but am determined that our workshops will not become pretentious and trendy - just fun, engaging and informative days where people will hopefully start on a new hobby.

Crafting started at home, and I'm determined to do my bit to ensure there is room in everyone's lives for a bit of homespun 'making stuff'!

What we get up to in the Workshop!

A great crowd of us in the workshop this morning, and lots of different things going on - besides a lot of chat.

Last week the talk was all about ghosts and hauntings.  I am rather superstitious, but hadn't realised quite how much I had taken in until I went to shut in the geese and chickens.  It was very dark, and the wind was whistling around, and I got half way down the drive before I had to run back - there was no way I was going out there without a very strong torch!  It was a good half an hour before the back of my neck stopped prickling!!

Anyway, today we were mainly talking about marmalade making, local gos.....I mean news, the Northern Lights (three of us have recently been to see them) and, of course, what we were working on.

Lots of us start on one thing, and then move onto the next for a bit of a change!

Louise was knitting and then quilting

Karen finished off this pretty little dress,

and then got her knitting out

And having finished her Modular Knitted blanket,

Lynn got on with her Yoko Saito block

Three of us were working on tapestries.

Eileen has her handbags

                                      Dawn her lovely flowers

                                                                      and Sally her wily old fox!

Ros was going applique mad (which is something she never expected to happen)

 

 

and two of us were binding.  Jackie putting the binding on what seemed like hundreds of Morris hankies

 

and I was putting the binding on my Donegal Tweed quilt

 

My goodness, there's a lot of talk about our mother's crafts being forgotten, but I'd say they're still going on strong here in East Garston.  In fact, I know that people are crafting all over the country, but quietly, in sheds, studios, workshops, spare rooms, and in front of the telly!  Much more fun in company though! 

Our Caravan site opens this week, so we look forward to all our visitors from around the country who will pop up and join us on Tuesday mornings!

 

Smocking and then a Day Out!

What a very busy week!

Wednesday brought a surprise in that my Sunflowers have finally decided to bloom - in October!

And then on with the Smocking workshop - Jill Richards from Smocked Frocks (she'd just finished her 1,000th dress) took the class and she was brilliant.  Her smocked dresses are so beautiful

and we were fired with enthusiasm.  The 'other' table (as it came to be called) really got the hang of it and were making beautiful samplers.  'Our' table, which included Sandra  and me, struggled a bit.  In fact, it was rather like when my father tried to teach me long division...He'd show me how to do it, I'd be thrilled that I'd finally got it, then he'd walk away and I'd say "Come back, I've forgotten again".  Poor Jill was back and forth from Sandra and me all day!  However, we were inspired and will be furiously bidding on the pleating machine that Jackie let slip she saw on ebay!

This is Carol's sampler

and these are all our samplers

But I'm not saying which is mine!

Then, after what has really been quite an emotionally trying couple of weeks - we were thrilled to go with Miss Lemon's Wool Shop up to the Knitting and Stitching Show at the Ally Pally

So exciting - all the stands and displays and exhibits.  By 3 O'clock I was ready to drop but bursting with ideas.

I made a few well picked purchases, and can't wait to get started on the new projects.  I loved the Namolio stand - just a little stand but packed with linen fabric and threads which I have a particular weakness for:

 

Sara from  Black Sheep Wools had crocheted a lovely blanket in beautiful wool - she's sending me the pattern tomorrow - which I will start as soon as I finish the knitted blanket I'm working on

and I love Sue Stratford's knitted Christmas things

I loved being up in the Big Smoke, and the view from the Alexandra Palace across London is amazing

But, more importantly, it was great to come back home to the country with lots to look forward to!