Needle felt your own Herdwick sheep Doorstop

• Wednesday 15 November 2017

(Easter) Monday 2nd April 18

NEW extra DATE ** Saturday 12 MAY **

Sun 12 August 18

Wed 7 November 2018

9.30am - 4.45pm ish
£68 inc a lovely lunch

A substantial weight at 3.5 kg, the doorstop is created using various wools including that from the local Herdwick sheep. Annis is a highly accomplished needlefelter and her work is for sale in local galleries in Cumbria. She also sells needlefelt kits online.

Materials Charges 2018

There will be an additional charge of £18 payable on the day to Annis for the materials used. This covers not only the costs of materials but also the many hours Annis spends preparing each doorstop inner so that it is ready to be needlefelted - meaning a doorstop can be achieved in just one day.
All your tools and materials will be provided  .

Needle Felt a Hare!

Friday 1st December2017

Sat 17 March 18  full 

Monday 28 May 2018  (Bank Holiday) full

Sun 24 June 18  full

*   Sun 9 Sept  new date  *

Fri 30 Nov 18 full

£68 inc a lovely lunch 9.30am to 5pm ish

Make a lovely Hare of sitting height is approx 34 cm plus the ears . You can decide your own pose , either with ears up ,

or "moongazing" with the ears back .We will be using natural brown wools , all materials and tools are provided

. A full day workshop learning new methods which will inspire you to make more felted creations in future!

Materials in 2018

There will be an additional charge of £18 payable on the day to Annis for the materials used.
This covers not only the costs of materials but also the many hours that Annis spends preparing each inner so                                       that it is ready to be needlefelted, meaning the Hare can be achieved in just one day.

'Applique & Stitch'

Lampshades day

Sarah will come with a host of ideas  for you as well as some templates you can use if you feel unsure about your design.

Please bring along any reference materials that inspire you.

Please bring along your sewing machine in good working order and make sure it has an embroidery or darning foot – if you’re unsure please feel free to ask. If you are unable to bring a machine, there are 3 available to hire for a small fee on the day. Please enquire at the time of booking

with Sarah Ames

2018

Thu 21 June

Sun 18 Nov

10am - 4pm
£68 inc lunch

Join talented Sarah Ames for the day to design and

make your own 20cm drum lampshade using a variety of clever machine enbroidery and applique techniques.

Materials Charge

There will be a £10 materials charge payable to Sarah directly on the day to cover the lampshade kit and extras.

'Applique & Stitch'

Discovering Machine Embroidery

with Sarah Ames

Tues 17 April 2018

Sat 22 Sept

10am - 4pm
£68 inc a lovely 2 course Aga lunch

Join Sarah Ames for a day of discovery and fun creating some lovely pieces using free machinery embroidery techniques incorporating hand stitch, applique and embellishment.

Freehand machine embroidery is amongst the favourite of techniques in the crafting world, it's easy, quick, effective and produces a great range of results.

Your day with Sarah will teach you all the basic skills you need to use freehand machining on a variety of projects.

(note : it must be possible for the feed dogs on your sewing machine to be dropped to permit machining in any direction.

Sarah will come with a host of ideas  for you as well as some templates you can use if you feel unsure about your design. Please bring along any reference materials that inspire you, such a books or magazine pictures that can be traced etc

A Hand Stitched Leather Bag

in a day

Wed 25th or Thu 26th July 2018

£75 inc a lovely Aga lunch
9.30 - 5pm ish

Leather worker Ruth Pullan specialises in creating hand stitched bags and accessories using high quality British materials.

Join her for this workshop which will give you the basic skills needed to make a leather belt and a simple coin purse, or a small leather bag.Please contact Ruth before the course if you have a particular colour in mind.

You will learn how to:

Bag making material costs will be £25 payable to Ruth on the day.

Below ~ Leather Bags from our 2017 course

'Felt Art' with Marieke

Sat 23 June 2018

Sun 7 Oct 2018

£68 inc a lovely lunch 9.30 - 4pm

Create your very own felt masterpiece.
Marieke will bring all the materials necessary for the day, including a lovely choice of of vibrant colours in various fleeces and silks.

Click here to see pics of the July felt art day with Marieke or just click on any of these pics.

Marieke will bring most things necessary with her on the day, however please bring TWO old towels, medium to large, which will get wet, and a bag to carry them home in. Thank you

There will be an additional charge payable to the tutor on the day directly for materials used of £10.

Festive Felt Garlands

Tuesday 21 November 2017
Friday 8 December 2017

Fri 23 Nov 2018

Fri 7 Dec  2018

£68 inc lovely lunch

Join Marieke to make your own lovely felt Christmas garland, comprising, among others: felt hearts, Christmas puddings, Christmas robins, trees and many others. Suitable for all abilities,

Spinning Yarns, Wheels & Drop Spindles

Tue 3 July 2018

Tues 9 October 2018

9.30 - 3.30pm each day
£75 inc lunch

Marion provides all the equipment for this class including spinning

wheels and drop spindles.

However, if you own a spinning wheel, you can of course bring it along!

During this fascinating day, Marion will teach you all about different types of sheep and their fleeces, their various merits and different uses with many samples to explore. You will learn about the meaning and importance of crimp and lustre and why some fleeces are easily spun, whereas others are not. You will learn how to prepare the fibres using hand carders and how to spin using a drop spindle and see the difference in the yarn that is produced from drop spindle compared to the wheel that you will use later in the afternoon. The rest of the day you'll be working on your own spinning wheel, learning how to use the Niddy Noddy and how to ply art yarns for wonderful effect.

Everyone will go home with a skein or two of handspun yarn (as in the picture left - one with drop spindle and one with a spinning wheel); from a sheep's fleece to something you can crochet or knit in just one day! Marion Woolcott's courses are great fun and the studio becomes a haven of soft wool and laughter. The cats always enjoy it too and can often be found in a sleepy ball somewhere amongst the fleeces! Please bring an apron. All material costs are included in this class.

Lampshade Making short course

Georgia is on maternity leave early in 2018 so the Spring lampshade making short course day is being run by

craft interiors tutor Sonja Tilleard on Fri 6 April

(Friday 6 April 2016 with Sonja Tileard click here)

Friday 16 Nov 2018 with Georgia Wilkinson

Lampshade making morning     9.30am to 12 noon

Lampshade making afternoon    1pm to 3.30pm    

£35 inc drinks and a quick light lunch either before or after your course as well as

the basic lamp making kit. See below

Georgia will arrive with all the tools and equipment needed and during this short course you will have fun creating and completing a lovely drum lampshade to take home.

She will bring a selection of her wonderful fresh fabrics from her Yorkshire studio and students can choose these for their lampshades or they can bring their own fabric.

The course price includes everything required to make a smaller shade if you bring your own fabric. If you choose larger options or select some of Georgia's fabric, these will be charged a few £'s extra. See her website

http://georgiawilkinson.co.uk/index.php/collections to choose a fabric if you have a particular favourite and contact Georgia directly to ensure she brings enough along.

Design & Block Print a Lampshade / Cushion

with Georgia Wilkinson

Thursday 9 November 2017

Thu 15 Nov 2018

10am - 4pm ish
£75 inc a lovely 2 course lunch

There will be an additional materials charge of between £10 and £15 payable to Georgia on the day, depending on shade size required..

Georgia will begin by telling you a little about her self and explaining what is possible over the day, with hints and tips for your design to be suitable for a repeat pattern.

Once your design is finalised on paper you will learn to make block prints using a variety of mixed media tools and you will practise on paper before turning and printing up the cotton panama fabric she supplies.

The material for the lampshade will be then cured and hand rolled and carefully finished into a lampshade.

. You can choose to make either a small table lamp shade or a larger pendant ceiling shade - Georgia will advise on print types according to shade sizes. A further piece of fabric may then be printed fto make a matching cushion cover front to take home with you

Morning course

including a light lunch

Tues 26 June

Sun 23 Sept

9.30am - 1pm 

£40 inc a light lunch (12.30-1pm) , coffee etc &

paint/ stencils & 30cm shade kit

Sonja will bring various fabrics for you to choose from and a variety of stencils for you to use in create a variety of professional patterns in your chosen colours - learning & perfecting the finer points of stencilling.

Included in the cost of the course is a 30cm shade kit.Please contact us if you wish to make two smaller matching shades andSonja will advise.

The morning stencilling course on these dates is followed in the afternoon by the

non-stencilling equivilant with Sonja of . .

Roll your own Lampshade

using some of your favourite fabric afternoon.

Unfortunately, due to family circumstances, Caroline will be unable at present to give us a date for a Batik course

Please let us know if you would like to be informed when one arises.

9.30 - 4.30pm
£75 inc a lovely 2 course lunch

Using cotton or calico fabrics, a vibrant range of fabric dyes and beeswax you will create your own picture design - under Caroline's careful guidance -

which will be then coloured over in a number of stages using a wax resist.

Starting with a simple outline provided, Caroline will explain the process and show you how some lovely effects can be created. You can then proceed to make as many designs as time allows.

No previous experience or drawing skills are necessary .

Materials are charged extra depending on the amount produced, usually between £5 and £10.

£75 inc a lovely lunch  9.30 - 4.30pm

Wed 27 June 2018 ~ Thu 20 Sept 2018

10.00 - 4.00pm

Maggi is a fashion consultant and illustrator based in Cockermouth, previously she was in charge of Creative Design for Fashion BA Hons at the University of Central Lancashire and specialised in Haute Couture, which included Pattern Cutting and Fashion Design. She also ran the Contemporary Applied Arts BA Hons course at University of Cumbria teaching Millinery, Pattern Cutting and Textiles. Consequently she is more than qualified to answer your fashion and dressmaking questions.

Maggi is particularly interested in helping people understand their body shape and learn to modify dressmaking patterns accordingly. She will encourage you to work with your own figure type to create stylish looks and perhaps act as a catalyst for change and allow you to re-frame the way you view yourself and your body.

Which are you?

Understanding Basic Pattern Cutting

Make a simple tunic shape to suit your figure type. This is a one day course where you get step by step instructions to create a very basic simple tunic, from which you can make other tops and dresses at a later stage in any fabric - no button holes, no zips - just simple creative fun, with lots of suggestions and advice on further adaptions at a later stage.

What to bring: A long ruler if you have it, any rolls of brown paper or lining wallpaper and paper scissors will be useful but some paper will be provided. We also provide pattern masters, tapes, rulers and pencils .

Emma will provide zips and interfacing plus extra fabric for pockets, leather handles and a magnetic snap -

all,included in price..

Please also bring matching thread, fabric scissors, pins, ruler and a hand sewing needle.

You should also have a zipper foot for your machine in addition to a regular foot. Emma can show you how to change the feet if you are not sure!

Leather Handled Tote Bag Workshop

Sunday 19 Nov 2017

£75 inc materials & a lovely 2 course lunch etc 9.30 - 4pm

A large, spacious bag with leather handles, an open top and a magnetic snap closure.  You will need to bring half a metre of an outer fabric (heavy weight curtain fabric is good or perhaps heavy linen) and a lining fabric (quilt weight cotton or cotton lawn). If the outer fabric has a large pattern, a metre would be better to allow for pattern matching.

Boxed Clutch Bag

with optional strap

Sun 5 Nov 2017

£72 inc materials & a lovely 2 course lunch etc 9.30 - 4pm

Make a smart box clutch featuring several compartments, to co-ordinate with that special outfit. The bag you'll make is slightly larger than the green lined one below, slightly slimmer & it sits in your hand more comfortably.

Below blue box shows the improved, slightly larger and slimmer boxed Clutch top right..

Clasp Purse & Applique Purse day

Sunday 3 Dec 2017 - 2 spaces available

£68 inc all mats. & a lovely 2 course lunch etc 9.30 - 4pm

An opportunity as Christmas 2017 looms, to spend a day with Emma

making both a clasp purse and an applique purse.

Perfect for presents, even if only to yourself :)

Just bring alng one fat quarter of outer fabric and another of lining, plus a zip if you want a precise colour match.

Emma provides everything else.

Enjoy a Nuno Felt Scarf making Day

Perfect for Hen Parties for groups of up to around 15 people here at the Cycle Cafe making corsages and nuno scarves and foibles.
Please enquire

Linda Chapman is one of the team behind the hugely popular WOOLFEST. She is also a member of the co-operative 'The Wool Clip' in Caldbeck.

Linda came to Cumbria some 5 years ago and created her own felt making studio overlooking Blencathra in the Lake District.

A talented all round artist, she has a fine art degree, with an original background in painting.

Linda's work is sold in galleries throughout Cumbria and online from her website.

Material Charges

Approximate material charges between £5 and £10 will be payable to Linda on the day depending on what is made.

Previous
Workshop Photos

Linda's Nuno Felt Scarf and Corsage Day

How to make felt flowers and foibles and nuno scarves which are fine silk chiffon or muslin, gently rubbed with woollen yarns to create a ruched effect when dampened.

This wonderful Rag Rug was made by a beginner student Dori

Previous
Workshop Photos

Large Traditional Rag Rug Making Days with Emma Tennant

9.30 - 3.30pm each day
£74 inc a lovely 2 course lunch

You will be shown how to design, plan out and prepare and then start making these lovely distinctive hard wearing traditional large floor rugs.

Emma provides traditional frames to use of 3ft x 4ft, ideal for these stunning large floor rugs, the type for which she is so well known (though they do reduce to smaller working size if needed). These frames are individually 'joiner made' to Emma's own personal design - they arrive here pre-prepared by Emma and can be used over and over again.

You can use one of these special frames for the day and just pay Emma for the detached hessian at the end or you may buy the frame and take it home for £40. You can decide on the day.

Similarly with the hookie tool - these are completely hand made by the only man in the country who makes them. Both the metal hook and the handle are forged and turned by him. They are a lovely quality to use and cost £17. Again, you can borrow one or buy it at the end.

Emma prefers using a fairly close weave hessian that gives a denser, longer wearing rug.

Once booked with Emma you could start looking out for materials to bring with you for our rug. For a floor rug woollens works best as they clean easiest, wear well and don’t attract the dirt as much – ie tweeds, coats, jumpers, trousers, jackets, anything from charity shops as long as clean and dry – and if you know of any old fashioned tailors, they always have trimmings from wool garments they may be glad to give away.

Notice the shading effect in her designs - which brings them to life.

Author of 'Rag Rugs of England and America'

Emma Tennant lives in Roxburghshire, Scotland .She is widely held as an authority on the history of Rag Rug making. Emma spends her winters making and designing rag rugs which are made by a group of neighbours and marketed under the name Hermitage Rugs. She spends the summer painting flowers in her studio at the foot of the Cheviots Hills and is a member of the Council of the National Trust.

WHAT TO BRING?

We will provide the frame and hookie tool to borrow or buy at the end if you wish.
The hessian is included in the £40 charge if you buy a frame - if however you just take the hessian home there may be a small charge payable to Emma.
Some large SHARP dressmaking scissors and some bags of material as detailed above.

Do give your design some thought and remember, 'simple' often has more impact.

What to Bring

Please bring a pair of embroidery scissors and don't forget glasses and a magnifier if you use one.

Material Charges

There will be an additional materials charge of between £15 and £40 depending on the design you choose and will include all wools, design printed linen, stitch instructions, along with a CD of images for students to take away and to complete their design.

An embroidery frame will be available to borrow.

The workshop will begin and end with a short talk about the history and techniques in crewel work and embroidery in castles in Cumbria and beyond.

Traditional Crewel Work

9.30am - 4.30pm
£75 inc a lovely 2 course lunch

Come along and learn how to 'paint' with your needle' with Philippa Turnbull to create a beautiful Crewel piece using the same methods as yesteryear.

We are thrilled that Philippa will be able to spend a day with us sharing her many telents and knowledge. She is one of the leading authorities in this wonderful form of heavy embroidery that once lavished the walls of our Castles and Country Houses.

She will bring with her a range of crewel work designs to choose from in order to create an embroidery suitable for a cushion, stool top or as a framed piece.

Phillipa’s passion for crewel work and her talent as a designer and embroiderer afford her the privilege of researching and recreating some of the most exquisite historic crewel work in the world.

She was involved in the recreation of HRH The Queen Mother’s Bedhead and Bedspread at Glamis Castle in Scotland and has been instrumental in launching a textile museum at Muncaster castle in the Lake District, England, both of which are testament to her dedication to this art form.

Philippa's on going research among private collections allows her to bring you textile information from the historic source, including stitches and techniques long forgotten by current needlework stitch books. As such, her kits and retreats bring to life the designs, colours and techniques of the 17th and 18th centuries and are hailed as among the best embroidery experiences available.

As well as developing their kit range, Phillipa and Laura work with castles, country houses and museums around Britain to ensure precious private embroidery collections are understood and appreciated by fellow enthusiasts.