Workshops 2013

 The very popular free motion embroidery is back!

It is so much fun and a brilliant way to gain confidence in using your sewing machine - there are sessions on Saturday 16th March 2-5pm and Thursday 2nd May 10.30-2pm £30 per person per session.

Following up the May session with a Bunting making session on Friday 3rd May 10.30-2pm - an excellent opportunity to create a work of art and combine the two workshops! The Bunting session costs £35 per person with a discount of £5 if you attend both the Thursday and Friday sessions!

I've been supporting a brilliant local company that provides internet access and advice to young and old residents in Needham Market - The Internet Cafe has been hosting a series of 'Indoor Carboot Sales' and together with my baking chum Lady Galula I've spent a few Sundays selling some of my more unusual wares like these old French needlework magazines. We also have a good old natter and partake in some of the best bacon rolls around...

There's one more before Easter - I'll be at the cafe in School Street 10-2pm on the 24th March and then Jan (supplier of bacon rolls) has planned to hold the fairs on the 2nd Sunday of each month after that.

 Doing fairs and the big Easter Monday remnant sale at HH HQ is a great chance for me to get out some of the rare and hard to find stuff that is looking for a new home! This time I have a collection of hand-printed furnishing fabrics, silks and whole rolls of furnishing fabrics that are going 'cheep'...Easter....geddit?

 Rocks with frocks?! Actually a really lovely way to learn to crochet and aren't they gorgeous?! Friday 12th April is the next session and spaces are very limited...£35 per person including a light lunch!

 The last workshop where we enjoyed a lovely homemade lunch was the needle felting one run by Jenny Tidman - we made these cute ducks which were supposed to be Easter Chicks but we all rebelled! One lady even turned hers into a cat...

 It fascinates me how a lump of fleece can be transformed into some gorgeous creatures by simply being stabbed with a needle - a special needle with barbs down the side. We had a few 'ouches' on the day but everyone thoroughly enjoyed it and it was great having Jenny's expert tuition and funny stories!

 Jenny has blogged about the day here and explains how we became friends and the wonder of twitter, glass and David Sylvian....we are both in awe of the brilliant work that Sue produced following the chick/duckling/cat workshop!

 It was such a lot of fun that Jenny is doing another on Friday 19th April 11-3pm £30 per person including a light lunch and cakes of course!

As you can see there are little felty creations appearing all over the place - it's such a fun craft to learn!

 I can't wait to see what Jenny comes up with next...

Another of Jenny's passions is natural dyeing and anyone visiting HH HQ will see some of the fantastic shades that can be achieved using plant dyes - the dyeing workshops are amongst my favourites to run and are so popular with felters and spinners. 

This year we are adding indigo to our dyeing! It's magic and watching the blue shade develop before your eyes is quite wonderful - dyeing workshops £35 per person and you will dye a skein of yarn and a piece of silk!

Indigo

Saturday 12th April 1.30-5pm

Thursday 25th April 10.30-2pm

Madder and Mordants

Learn about the role mordants play in dyeing and how to use dried plant dyes...

Saturday 8th June 1.30-5pm

Purple Feathery Reed Heads

An invasive weed that we can put to good use! When picked at the correct time the dye produced is a stunning pistachio green!

Saturday 24th August 1.30-5pm

 Scented container candles make lovely gifts and this year there are even more teacups, jars and dishes to choose from....£35 per person and as you can see from the photos below there's always cake to keep us going as we melt wax and choose scents!

 In a previous life I made soft furnishings for interior designers and I'm often shocked to see how complicated piped cushion-making is made out to be in books - learn some tricks of the trade and gain a plump feather filled cushion for your sofa!

Saturday 25th May 1.30-5pm £40 per person - limited to four persons.

 I've been asked time and time again to run some upholstery workshops - it's tricky because everyone's chair is a little different and who wants to lug a heavy piece of furniture around only to work on it for just a couple of hours? I'm having a series of three upholstery days where you can come along for the day, use the equipment and tools required and gain some skills!

Friday 14th June

Friday 5th July

Friday 26th July

 We ran a frame purse workshop last year where we used some gorgeous old fabrics to make a teeny coin purse - I then spied these brilliant bag versions! 

Saturday 22nd June 1.30-5pm £40 per person - limited to four spaces.

 I rather fancy using this vintage silk fabric for mine, I'll keep you posted!

 Not baking though you'd be forgiven for thinking that I'm whipping up a batch of cakes here!

Soap making and other stories...

Saturday 6th July 1.30-5pm £50 per person - limited to four spaces.

The Steam and Craft Fair held at the Museum of East Anglian Life every year is a fantastic event which showcases some traditional crafts and gets everyone together amongst the steam engines! Last year I demonstrated some Indigo dyeing, mordanted some yarns with rhubarb leaves picked from the walled garden and helped some talented stitchers to produce little pincushions.

I was joined by my OH who was doing a little bit of traditional upholstery...

We had a lovely time and met some great people so were delighted to be invited along again this year, we'll be there on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th with felted stones and big knitting on offer!

All workshops are subject to change and a place is secured on payment - call or text me on 07887511081 for details or drop by HH HQ it would be lovely to see you!