Workshops at Halfpenny Home 2015

 HH HQ has had a little makeover recently and the website is next in line for a spruce up! Moving the shop and producing 30 beautiful projects for Indigo: dye it, make it has taken up a lot of 2014 and anyone who knows me will be aware that I will use any excuse to get into wellies and onto the allotment...deadlines suffer as a result!

 2014 has seen milliner Scarlett Valentine join us for some really exciting workshops including the 'Upcycle an old hat' workshop which was pretty amazing! We have her 'Paper Stars and Flowers' workshop this Friday (12th December) to look forward to! She's coming back in 2015 to share more of her millinery experience and knowledge with us, list is below...

 The rather lovely Kat Shave makes stuff with her crafty mate Dawn and they sell it to raise money for charities - Kat kindly made a load of textiley, felty, buttony Christmas cards for us to sell in aid of National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society, the charity I fund raise for and also raise awareness of this invisible, chronic illness which can have devastating, life changing effects. The NRAS supports people going through diagnosis and treatment, the money raised helps to fund a free telephone advice and helpline. Thank you very much Kat I love the felty lights!

 Christmas is almost here and with the help of Pauline from The Sugarcraft Studio (my neighbor at Alder Carr Farm) the tree for the Christchurch Tree Festival in Needham market got it's bling on and looked lovely with a nice representation of all the things that go on at the farm, we even got the Alder Tree ice-cream and the Suffolk Cycle Breaks on!

 Luckily we chose a lovely day for the Christmas Fair and with Father Christmas waiting in his festive grotto, his little helper waiting outside and a bevy of creative types selling their rather gorgeous wares in the courtyard we were really getting in the Christmas spirit...or was that just the mulled wine?

 Ella's lovely linocut prints...

 Tracy Ranger's Gedgrave Flock's wooly lovelies!

 Jackie Daly's amazing jewellery...Jackie has been to many workshops at both HH HQs and I have fallen in love with her polymer clay work!

If you fancy getting to grips with a new craft in 2015 and being part of the messiness below then take a look through the workshop list as it stands so far, there will be more - booking in person at the shop, via phone 07887511081 or email halfpennyhome@googlemail.com - I will be listing some on our shop halfpennyhome2 at etsy.com so that you can book online.

A deposit of £15 holds your space but we need full payment two weeks before the workshop date - if you have to cancel we will try hard to fill your space (and we usually do!) in which case you will get a full refund - in some cases we can transfer deposits to another workshop. 

Unless stated you need bring nothing along, there are no unexpected extras as everything is included except for your lunch! Fortunately there is an excellent cafe here and a great farm shop with a deli...we stop at around 1pm for something to eat. Most workshops start at 11am and finish at 3pm, we always have cake and it's always gluten free, yummy and made with eggs from my happy chickens! Oh, and the cost per session is usually £35, in some instances material costs mean that it will be higher but this isn't too often :-)

2015

Saturday 31st and Sunday 1st January - Getting to know your sewing machine a little bit better, for beginners, improvers and and anyone who needs to get that dusty machine out of the cupboard under the stairs!

Thursday 5th and Thursday 12th February - Catherine is teaching beginners dressmaking and to start you off it's an A-line skirt! *please note this is a two day session so £35x2=£70* you will also need to buy/supply your own pre-washed dress fabric for this workshop, everything else is supplied.

Saturday 7th February - Milliner Scarlett Valentine fashioning flowers for hats, corsages and decoration!

Sunday 8th February - Needle Felted Garlands with Jenny Tidman and as it's nearly Valentine's Day it has to be hearts...

Saturday 14th February - It may be Valentine's Day but all one really needs in life is to be shown by a  professional how to make a decent box cushion with a zip and piping! Over two decades of experience to call on and we'll make a cushion to fit a small kitchen chair.

Sunday 15th February -Fabric Printing with rollers from The Painted House, we also print paper!

Saturday 21st February - Girls popover dress, a lovely beginners dressmaking including using an overlocker!

Friday 27th February - Vintage style collar with Scarlett Valentine. A gorgeous collar which will set off any dress and makes good use of all those vintage notions...

Saturday 28th February - Crochet for beginners with Jenny Tidman.

Sock Sundays! 1st, 8th, 15th March - there's homework in between and it's £60 for the whole course, you will have a pair of hand knitted socks at the end! Must be able to knit and purl.

Saturday 7th March - Indigo Batik, techniques from Indigo: dye it, make it. Messy workshop so wear old clothes...

Saturday 14th March - Needle Felted Flowers with Jenny Tidman, felty, floral FUN!

Saturday 21st March - Styling feathers with milliner Scarlett Valentine!

Sunday 22nd March - Weaving and Rag Rugs, learn to use a peg loom and some rag rugging techniques...

Saturday 28th March - Fleece prep, raw fleece to useable tops with Jenny Tidman, HH HQ's own Fleeceologist! A messy workshop with up to an hour of outside work so bring warm clothes!

Sunday 29th March - Free Motion Machine Embroidery with Nicola Gouldsmith, a lovely workshop full of fun, creativity and sometimes we remember to stop for lunch...

Saturday 4th April - Vintage Style Clasp Bag. Suitable for beginners and improvers using gorgeous vintage fabrics - eeek!

Fridays 10th and 17th April - Teepee featured in Indigo: dye it, make it *please not this is a two day workshop* £70

Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th *as above*

Saturday 18th April - An introduction to wet felting with Jenny Tidman.

Sunday 19th April - Learn to knit! Struggling with your increases or your SSKs this is the day for you!

Friday 24th April - Silver Clay Jewellery with Melanie Blaikie. Alchemy before your very eyes! Clay turning to pure solid silver...10am -4pm, light lunch included as well as cake! £95- 10am -4pm

Saturday 2nd May - Drum Carding Day with Jenny Tidman. A whole day making batts with Jenny, ready for spinning up into beautiful yarns...you're welcome!

3rd May to 19th December to follow...

 Love Nic x