Workshops 2017

 These Merry Mice are not only wishing you all a Merry Christmas but also bringing the workshops of 2016 to an end :-( Don't be glum chum, turn that frown upside down :-) because...

 I don't want to Badger anyone (see what I did there?) BUT the end of 2016 means that 2017 is nearly here! Seven and a bit years of creative workshops at HH HQ and we're still coming up with new ones, it usually starts like this...oooooo, this is fun to do! I reckon a load of other people would like to do this too...

 Oh, hello lovely little mouse with red mittens! Did you enjoy the gluten-free apple and ginger cake? Thank you to lovely Sue Howlett for bringing along her fleecy friends and helping some eager crafters to create some fantastic Christmas Creatures from fleece this weekend! We all loved it!

We're a little behind in getting this workshop list out in blogland due to some nasty Avian Flu alert last week which led to a whole day building a sizeable shed to cover the allotment chooksters, elderly cockerel and his 4 retired egg laying wives are now safe and sound! I know other poultry keepers are also concerned including this little kitty's homeowners - let's hope it passes quickly!

 I really enjoyed the two workshops this weekend, I was a bit naughty and booked myself on the jewellery one - no pics because I *may* have been making Christmas presents...

Workshops 2017!

Needle Felting

Saturday 4th  March

Saturday 22nd April

Sunday 28th May

Sunday 25th June

Sunday 23rd July

Saturday 16th September

Sunday 22nd October

Saturday 2nd December

Sunday 10th December 

All sessions are 11am - 3pm and cost £40 per person - a £20 deposit secures a place.

  All materials are included plus you take your tools home with more fleece to carry on stabbing!

Scarlett Valentine Millinery

Sunday 26th February - Silk Roses
Friday 7th April - Origami
Saturday 20th May - Scandi-Handicrafts
Sarah's millinery techniques lead to some extraordinary paper craft and flower creating workshops which are always great fun!

Saori Style Weaving with Cherrie Stevens (Weaverbyrd)

Sunday 14th May
Saturday 17th June
Saturday 8th July
All sessions are 10am-4pm and cost £55 per person, your loom will be warped ready for you to start weaving straightaway!

Polymer Clay and Resin Jewellery Making - we need a better name for this Jackie!

The jewellery is amazing and when you combine it with resin it just looks incredible - cufflinks, brooches, pendants, earrings and bracelets are just a few of the things you can make in a day!

Saturday 18th March
Saturday 15th April
Saturday 27th May

All sessions are 11am - 3pm and cost £40 per person - 5 pieces of jewellery are included to be made with extra findings if wished available to purchase on the day. Please note that the resin has to be left to set for a week so you will need to return to collect.

Lino Cutting and Printing

Saturday 5th March
Saturday 8th April
Saturday 24th June
Saturday 5th August
Sunday 27th August
Saturday 18th November
Saturday 25th November

Print fabric, paper, card or wood with lino cut designs you have designed yourself!

Wet Felting

Friday 28th April
Friday 16th June
Friday 11th August
Friday 6th October
Friday 17th November

Delighted to welcome Kris Marriott to HHHQ! Master felt maker and former shepherdess! Inspiring others to felt and achieve brilliant results. To quote a friend 'Kris has them making a hat, bag or slippers in a day, a day!'
All sessions are 10am-4pm and £55 per person.

Jointed Mohair Bear Making

Sunday 12th and 19th March

Let Helen guide you through the fascinating world of jointed bear making over two days of relaxing hand sewing and bear construction. There's a little hand-sewing homework between the two days, maybe 1.5 hours? (I am very sloooow) but at the end of the two days you will have a very cute mohair bear with moving joints! Sessions are 11-3 each day and the cost is £70 overall including all materials and use of tools. It also includes cake, coffee and tea!

Crochet

Basic Crochet
Sunday 26th March
Saturday 29th April
Saturday 1st July
Sunday 10th September

Broomstick Crochet
Sunday 17th September

Tunisian Crochet
Sunday 24th September
All workshops are 11am-3pm and cost £40 per person, all materials included and refreshments!

Sewing Workshops

Sunday 12th February - Padded Heart Garland
Saturday 11th February - Sewing Machine Surgery - Bring your machine in and get to know it a bit better in company, with tea and cake and best of all this day is completely free! A donation to NRAS would be appreciated (I have Rheumatoid Arthritis) but is not obligatory.
Friday 31st March - Roman Blinds - make a sample size in a day which you can refer to and make more blinds! Save £££££s
Saturday 1st April - Recycled Denim - Bean bags, bags, organizers or just about anything! Learn the best way to deconstruct an old pair of jeans and rebuild them into something a bit more useful!
Sunday 9th April - As above!
Sunday 30th April - Free Motion Machine Embroidery, doodle with your sewing machine! Create amazing gifts and works of art with your machine :-)
Saturday 13th May - Scandi-style Apron
Sunday 20th August - Free Motion Machine Embroidery as above!

All workshops above are £40 per person, £20 deposit holds space.

Natural Dyeing

Sunday 23rd April - seasonal dyeing
Saturday 6th May - seasonal dyeing
Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th June - Indigo Batik
Saturday 2nd September - Purple Reed Heads
all workshops above are £40 per person and run from 11-3 include all materials and cake

Rag Rugs

Sunday 15th October - Rag Rugs
Sunday 19th November - Rag Wreath
Sunday 26th November - Rag Wreath

Other Workshops!

Upholstery - 5th May - limited to two persons, £40 per person
Puppets! - Sunday 21st May
Papermaking  - 9th July
Brewing - Saturday 15th July and 16th July - Green Walnut Wine

Cheers everyone! It's been a tricksy 2016 but we've nearly done it....x



It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas...

 What will Santa bring this little mouse?

You may remember the cute little squirrel made for the NRAS Tea Party a few years ago? It was kindly made for us by Sue and was a prize in the raffle! Sue has kindly agreed to take over teaching the Needle Felting here at HH HQ as Jenny feels too unwell to continue sadly. I had been hoping she would change her mind over the summer - we had a lot of fun over the years and I'm sure everyone wishes her well very soon.

 Sue joins us for her first workshop here on Sunday 11th December and we're looking forward to making some cute and fuzzy Christmas Creatures (Christmas Jumpers are optional...)

 Jackie Daly has managed to fit in another one of her popular Polymer Clay and Resin workshops here on the 10th of December where you can make 5 items of jewellery included in the workshop fee with the option of buying more findings on the day! Due to having to leave the resin to harden the finished trinkets can be collected anytime after a week has passed.

 It's been a different kind of week here at the farm with Wednesday seeing me return to my furnishing background. I was kindly asked to teach a Roman Blind workshop over at Snape Maltings, it was a smashing day and at the end we were all exhausted but very happy with the finished blinds. It's part of a new venture for this part of Suffolk and other workshops have included Wellbeing Workshops and demonstrations from an instrument maker!

 A very smart finish!

After I finish the workshop list on here I'm off to get ready for tomorrow's bunting and garland workshop feulled with sugar free peanut fudge!

Christmas Workshops 2016!!!!

Sunday 13th November - Garlands and Bunting for Christmas!

Saturday 19th November - Festive Free Motion Machine Embroidery

Sunday 20th November - Fabulous Day of Festive Stitch Fun using gorgeous Christmas fabrics!

Saturday 26th November - Origami! Gift Boxes and Bags, paper decorations for Christmas all conjured up by Sarah Valentine!

Sunday 27th November - Rag Wreaths!

Saturday 10th December - Polymer Clay and Resin Jewellery with Jackie Daly, make trinkets for Christmas!

Sunday 11th December - Festive Needle Felting with Sue, make a Christmas Creature!

Sunday 18th December - *Silver Clay and Silicon Mould Making. Make shiny 99.9% pure silver for Christmas*

All workshops listed above apart from those marked with a * run from 11-3 and are £40 per person  with £20 deposit required to save a space, full payment on the day of the workshop. The Silver Clay one is £75 per person due to the cost of the materials involved.

Look forward to seeing you on one of these very soon! 

Next Blog Post will be the 2017 workshop list, I'm just waiting to hear back from some talented folk :-) 

Nic x

Piglets, posh frocks and posies!

 If you've visited Alder Carr Farm in the last week you may have noticed some activity around the pigsty (if I'm not at HH HQ you will most likely find me over there...) these two adorable piglets come from Baylham Rare Breeds Farm, they have been enjoying all the attention and apples!

It makes a change to be cleaning out pigs and not chickens, one of the piglets bit the OH on the toe meaning he WILL remember boots....

 Sarah AKA Scarlett Valentine has settled in nicely with some fantastic workshops featuring felty floral corsages, working with Sinemay and other millinary related delights! The rest of the time Sarah creates amazing headgear and accessories, we are often in awe of how she manages to keep coming up with new designs! 

We're teaming up with Sarah on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th May when we will have a hat sale running alongside a mini fashion show of Colette dress patterns - there will be designs made up in some gorgeous fabrics and worn by some of the growing number of Colette 'fans' dressmaking questions and queries about these vintage style patterns are welcomed. Tea, coffee and cake will be available along with 10% off patterns and 10% off any fabric purchased that weekend!

 Still loving teaching people to love their sewing machines...

 ...and welcoming Melanie from Silverclay Workshop!

 Melanie ran her first workshop at HH HQ last week and did Jenny Tidman add her name to the list? 

 She did and above picture shows her finished pieces, lovely!

Chris couldn't stop burnishing her silver pendant even as she was wearing it, an email from her the following day said it all 'Melanie was an excellent tutor and the other gals on the course were great fun' we had rhubarb, apple and white chocolate cake...Melanie will be running some more classes at HH HQ so if you're at all interested in the alchemy of silver clay working then do let me know!

 Another first was Catherine Armitage's skirt workshop, Catherine AKA Lulumama is pretty amazing at making sense of dress patterns and the mystery around sizing! It was lovely to see the ladies getting the fit of their skirts absolutely right...

 ...a finished skirt! The group of ladies have promised to send over some glammed up piccies! Catherine is teaching a few classes over the next few months and places go quickly as we only have four spaces on each course, details in the list below!

 Workshop list, get to the end and there's more cute piglet pictures! Mostly £35 per person and run from 11-3 unless otherwise stated.

Saturday 2nd May - Drum carding batts with Jenny Tidman, whether you're a novice fleecer or a spinner!

Saturday 9th May - Crochet

Sunday 10th May - Natural dyeing with seasonal plants

Saturday 23rd May - Sinamay flowers with milliner Scarlett Valentine

Sunday 24th May - Fabric printing

Saturday 30th May - Needle felting

Sunday 31st May and Saturday 6th June - Dressmaking, an A line skirt £70 10am start and you will also need two metres of pre-washed fabric. Pattern, notions and sundries included

Sunday 7th June - Kansashi flowers, the kind Geisha girls wear!

Sunday 28th June - Rag rugs and weaving

Saturday 4th July - Needle felted sheep

Sunday 5th July - Get to know your sewing machine a little better!

Saturday 11th July - Bunting!

Sunday 12th July - Cushion making, zipped, piped or envelope, it's up to you!

Saturday 18th July - Advanced needle felting, The Green Man

Saturday 25th July - Dress making, a simple blouse. 10am start, £45 includes pattern for Sencha by Colette Patterns, you will need to bring along pre-washed fabric

Saturday 15th August - Polymer clay jewellery with Jackie Daly

Saturday 12th September - Wet felted bowl, moving forward with felting, not a beginners class £50

Saturday 19th September - Introduction to machined patchwork

Saturday 3rd October - Drum carder day, get your batts ready for some autumn spinning!

Goodbye from the piglets, hope to see you soon! Nx

Christmas gift ideas...

 We did so enjoy making these Padded, Heart Garlands when Christina came and held a workshop for me! We over ran slightly but as we scuttled around the shop gathering notions and cutting up manuscripts the time didn't seem to matter so much!

 There will be more pictures as more garlands are completed, so different but with one thing in common...they are all GORGEOUS!

One more 'normal' session on Thursday 24th October 11-3 and then a Christmas version on Thursday 7th November 11-3 £35

 Everyone knows how much I adore Free Motion Machine Embroidery! It's a brilliant technique that I never tire of and I think it's a useful tool in helping people conquer fears involving *whispers* sewing machines...the apliqued piece pictured below will soon become a cushion!

 An ideal Christmas giftmaking opportunity for me and I find the more I do the more I want to do...

 ...a little bit more on the Christmas Stocking! We're making these on Saturday 2nd November 1.30-5 and Friday 13th December 11-3 £35

 The other craft I can never, ever get bored of is Needle Felting! I reckon it's one of those things that you are always learning new tips and tricks...Jenny Tidman holds these workshops and I'm a tea girl!

 Three sessions coming up and places go FAST! 

Fridays

18th October

8th November

6th December

We always have fun, we always have a nice lunch and everyone gets addicted to this fleecy fun...

11-3 £30

 Another ideal gift are scented container candles and with Festive Firelighters scented with Christmassy smells it's a popular workshop and one that people come to time and time again!

 Saturday 19th October 1.30-5 and Thursday 28th November 6-9pm are the last two sessions this year! £35 and it's possible to make up to 6 candles and 6 firelighters, you are welcome to bring along favourite cups, jars etc.

 Soap making is fun to do and makes a brilliant gift at any time of year but especially so at Christmas and as cold process soap need time to 'cure' you need to plan ahead! Last two soap sessions are on Friday 1st November 11-3  and Saturday 30th November 1.30-5 and cost £50 due to the cost of the ingredients but you will make a good selection of soaps!

This beautiful soap is one of our new recipes and smells amazing, I used some at the weekend and it is a good foamer!

Some new workshops to HH HQ are the Bombs and Balms - our test run wet well and reports are of good fizzing fun...

Lip Balms, Healing Balm and half a dozen Bath Bomb Buns on Friday 25th October 11-3, Saturday 9th November 1.30-5 and Sunday15th December 11-3 £35

As always cake and plenty of tea are provided!

Book in the usual way, drop by HH HQ, text me on 07887511081 or email halfpennyhome at googlemail dot com

Nic x

Christmas Gift Workshops!

 Getting very excited as we get nearer and nearer to Christmas and this week we have the first 'Heart Garland' workshop which was inspired by this beautiful one made by Christina! Embellished with trinkets, sparkles and buttons it would make an ideal wedding, Christmas or christening gift with a personal handmade touch! Christina has a couple of spaces free on Thursday 3rd October 11-3 £35 and I can honestly say it would be an ideal, no pressure class for absolute beginners! I'm even getting the precious tin of gorgeous Mother of Pearl buttons out...

 After a *first* a *last* as it's the last upholstery day at HH HQ for this year on Friday 4th October 10.30-4 £35 and one of the keen upholsterers is also a BRILLIANT needle felter and has already booked THREE sessions with Jenny Tidman! Fridays 18th October, 8th November and 6th December 11-3 and £30 which also includes a lunch and splendid cake! BEWARE though that needle felting is horribly addictive and episodes of cuteness like this (see below) happen frequently!

 As we are all still crazy about giving handmade gifts it's no surprise that the Container Candles and Festive Firelighter workshop is often requested at the moment and thanks to a friend of Halfpenny Home we are also making the firelighters with teasles which are SOOO spikily pretty! Two more sessions this year on Saturday 19th October 1.30-5 and Thursday 28th November 6-9 £35 we usually end up making about 4-6 container candles and half a dozen firelighters!

 I've wrapped mine in rustic hessian and used one of the new 'naturals' ribbons that have just come in!

 Finished off with a gift tag...

 We've been making soap here for years and indeed HH HQ was once a soap factory! All this time we've loved the coconut oil and cocoa butter that goes into the cold process soap, it makes our hands so soft...so the jump from soap to balms isn't that huge at all!

 Balms with healing infusions and essential oils and bathbombs with dried flowers...the list is endless!

 My favourites include a minty foot cream and a coconut and hempwax lip balm, I also now have a use for all those empty jars of Tiger and Oriental Balm at last!

 Three sessions of Bombs and Balms on Friday 25th October 11-3, Saturday 9th November 1.30-5, Sunday 15th December 11-3 £35

 AND did somebody say 'soap'? 

Two more sessions this year Friday 1st November 11-3 and Saturday 30th November 1.30-5 £50 space for 4 persons only and we make 4 soaps which are then divided between the 4. Cold process soap is made with caustic soda in the traditional way and needs 4 weeks to 'cure' so the November workshops will be the last held before Christmas.

 A new workshop this year inspired by the gorgeous new Christmas ribbons! Make a stocking using techniques including applique, embroidery and using bias binding! I love the pompom snowflakes and the turquoise linen is a lovely vintage cloth which is a joy to use! Two sessions on Saturday 2nd November 1.30-5 and Friday 13th December 11-3 £35

 Using the '42 Hands' keepsake quilt as inspiration we have a couple of sewing sessions called hands and feet in which we capture the cuteness of our favourite little people's hands and feet in faded floral fabrics and vintage linens. Learn how to applique, piece quilt and patchwork a work of art! Saturday 5th October 1.30-5 and Friday 11th October 11-3 £35

 The quilt in all it's glory!

Carrot cake for today's workshop and we'll go from this...

 ...to this in just over three hours!

I have a couple of private sessions for groups of four ladies booked in to make the bag and stocking, indeed any of the above workshops can be booked in this way and I can even bring them to you!

I am also available for one-to-one tuition in all aspects of stitchery, knitting and crafting. 

Crafting parties are a fun way to spend time with friends and I can provide a wide variety of these with prices starting at just £10 per person. Most are also easily adapted to suit children who have an interest in craft!

Book any of the sessions above by either dropping by HH HQ, texting me on 07887511081 or message me via twitter @halfpennyhome

Have a splendid weekend! Nx