NEW YEAR, NEW SKILL

A new year has begun - have you made any resolutions, goals, or intentions for the year?

With the challenges of the past two years still circulating, sometimes reaching for something new and creative to focus on can help calm the mind.  We've rounded up some of our upcoming workshops and craft projects to inspire you to create something wonderful in 2022.

Block print a tablecloth

Heading for a spring clean of your old linen? Why not repurpose old sheets or a plain tablecloth and brighten up your home with Molly Mahon's tutorial for a block printed tablecloth. Carved using lino and repeated to make a striking, symmetrical pattern, Molly takes you through each step of the process with these easy to follow instructions.

Hungarian written embroidery

Learn the history, technique, and culture of Hungarian written embroidery, írásos (“written" in Hungarian), a folk style that originated in Transylvania in the 1700s.

Suitable for beginners and experienced embroiderers, participants will stitch a traditional pattern design on linen and learn about the history of írásos and the women still practicing it today in Romania with Sarah Pedlow, artist and founder of ThreadWritten. 

Find out more about the workshop here.

Knit a tide beret

After the mildest new year in the UK on record, the wintry weather has finally caught up with us it seems.  Inspired by winter in the northern Scottish Islands and using a traditional fair isle stitch, Hilary Grant's tide beret is the perfect accessory to get you through the season, and can also be worn as a slouchy beanie.

View the instructions and pattern here.

English paper piecing

English Paper Piecing is a unique quilting technique that requires a great level of precision to make the geometrical design, as explained in the novel, The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier:

“....Appliqué is very popular here. To my eye it has a facile look about it, as if the maker has not thought hard but simply cut out whatever shape has taken her fancy and sewn it on to a bit of cloth. Piecing together patchwork, on the other hand, requires more consideration and more accuracy; that is why I like it, though some say it is too cold and geometrical....”
― Tracy Chevalier, The Last Runaway

Keen to preserve this technique, and to share it with a wider audience, Alice, founder of Alice Caroline, began making her own quilting patterns, inspired by a sense of English textile traditions and the passing down of quilting skills through the generations. Join this workshop to learn the skills to make one of Alice's own English Paper Piecing textiles called the Anna's Star Cushion, using Liberty Tana Lawn fabric.

Find out more about the workshop here.

Sew a bolster cushion

If your resolution is to get through that stack of books on your bedside table, why not whip up this simple bolster cushion to set the mood for luxurious bedtime reading or a lazy sunday afternoon.

Our friends at Merchant & Mills kindly provided us with this free craft project, and the version above was made using a vintage linen sheet and tied with cotton tape. Plus, the outer cover can be easily removed for laundering!

Transforming furniture with paint

Are you looking to give a worn out piece of furniture a new lease of life in 2022? In this workshop taught by world leading paint and colour expert Annie Sloan, you will be inspired to transform your furniture with her creative tips and tricks for painting and decorative mark-making. 

Style-driven, colour confident and practical, this one-off workshop with Annie will be a unique experience to gain-first hand knowledge, helpful tips and creative passion from one of the world's authorities in paint, colour and style.

Find out more about the workshop here.

Wishing you a creative and fulfilling new year!

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View all our free craft projects

View all our upcoming 2022 workshops