I remember back in the day when a hen weekend in Blackpool was deemed fairly extravagant,  compared to the usual ‘ night out’ .One of my last invitations requested my company on a long weekend to Spain with an option of staying for the whole week! An invitation I have to say I politely declined. A few years ago I also remember reading a  survey submitted by a credit card company confirming that one in three hens ventured abroad spent  around £550 per head!

Now it may be due to the recession or  perhaps the return of the ‘make do and mend’ culture,  but it would appear that craft and afternoon tea are featuring high on the list of brides to be. On Saturday I hosted a hen party at the studio. The hens made simple fabric flowers whilst the bride to be and I made a cushion, to finish, each individual flower was added to the cushion cover to completing a beautiful and memorable keepsake of the day.  To make the day extra special, the bride to be had been completely unaware of what was in store when she arrived and was over the moon with the finished product. With the left over fabric, the hens made simple corsages and even picked up a few sewing tips along the way.

If you would like to do something fabulous for a special occasion don’t rush to the travel agents, drop us a line, we’d love to hear from you.

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There is a great line up of Summer Schools this year at The Craft Studio. We have some new tutors on board with a wealth of knowledge and expertise that will leave you wanting to make, make, make.

We can all feel a little frazzled during the school holidays and we have first hand experience of how little time we have to ourselves , so these 3hr ‘ learn, make and go’ sessions are just the remedy. Leave the echo’s of  ‘ I’m bored’ , ‘ Can I have’, and ‘ Why not’, at home and join us for  Felt Making, Contemporary Card Making, Sewing, Patchwork, Crochet. Paper Crafts, and Book Making all with tea, biscuits of course!

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April offers classes, one to one inductions and crochet parties and will also be heading a Craft Club once a month on a Wednesday evening starting on the 28th March 6 till 9pm, a chance to finish off those unloved projects with crafty companions, tea and biscuits. New on the agenda and not to be missed is a 5 week evening class starting on 2nd May, a chance to progress with ease and to build confidence.

April’s talent is extremely apparent when you look at how varied her classes are, from card embellishments to cupcakes and mittens to mug cosies, its all in a days work for April.

For more information on dates and how to book visit www.aprilmarietextiles.com

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Stitching into paper, dyeing fabric, altering book covers, creating hidden layers…..the things that ignite my creativity. Serendipity….the accident of finding something good or useful without looking for it, the thing that inspires me. Learning to draw with the sewing machine….. Creating cloth from paper and printing with stamps…just some of the techniques I will be sharing.

Join me at my studio for a brand new 5 week course that will introduce you to the world of Mixed Media. Fun, informal, hands on and full of creative tips and techniques. Why not view the gallery to see what’s in store

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On Saturday I held a workshop solely dedicated to Applique and Free Machine Embroidery. The two techniques work great together , a combination of  raw edges and sketchy stitching….. simply sublime!

I allowed lots of practice time to help people familiarise themselves with this on trend technique that requires a darning foot, the dropping of the feed dogs and an embroidery hoop. As I have mentioned Free Machining in a previous post I will let the photos from the class do the rest of the talking and due to the popularity of the workshop I have now added a second date ,so why not come along and join the fun

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It has been indicated that, compared with material purchases, experiential purchases make people happier, they contribute more to their happiness in life, and represent money better spent.It is thought that experiences have greater social value. People like sharing and I often think people feel more comfortable talking about their experiences than they do about possessions and not only that,  they create memories,  which I’m sure you will agree, really do last forever!

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If  you are struggling to come up with some ideas to keep little hands busy this half term, then why not introduce them to the fun and fascinating world of Felt Making. When heat, moisture and friction are applied to  pure wool fibers, something magical happens! Felted Soap is first on the agenda! A very cool concept for all ages and a great Granny gift too!

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The Craft Studio have teamed up with Louise from Sew Scrumptious and are holding FREE workshops in November.Meet new friends and join in the fun making colourful and unique pilowcase dresses for girls around the world. Can’t Sew? then learn as you make.Places for the workshop are booked on a first come first served basis. Please bring 2 pillowcases with you, all other materials will be provided. If you have any fabric or trims that you would like to use then please feel free to bring along. To date over 47,000 dresses have been delivered to 53 countries. Why not take a look at how the project started and see what dresses are being made by people all over the world by visiting www.dressagirlaroundtheworld.com

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So… I know some of you won’t appreciate me reminding you  that the  ‘ seasonal’  time of year is just three months away! but now that you’ve caught your breath, why not make an early start on the preparations by making your own cards this year I know its something I wish I had done year on year but by the time I get round to it, its simply too late.

Thats the reason Alex at The Craft Studio is keen to give you a head start in creating unique Hand Stamped Cards that your family and friends will appreciate…and keep! So why not join us on Monday 17th October for an evening away from the TV and enjoy paper crafting techniques and fantastic materials turn into little works of wonder. If you cant make it for the card making, why not try your hand at making a Paper Wreath, to coordinate with your home decor or as a unique gift.

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A warm welcome to April who hosted The Craft Studio’s first crochet class on Saturday. Crochet is a new addition to list of fun and exciting Autumn Workshops this year. Taught to crochet by her Granny, April is Inspired by tradition, history and good old family values, she is keen to sustain traditional techniques and ideas, many of which capture a sense of homely comfort, warmth and wellbeing. April also sells her crocheted goodies via her website www.aprilmarietextiles.com. If you missed Crochet Flowers why not try Crochet Squares

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