Registration is open today at 12pm!

The Craft Sessions is going to be a  special event!!  We have an amazing group of teachers who, as well as being inspiring crafters, are super excited to be able to come and share with you what they know. We have you - who have been so incredibly supportive and enthusiastic about this idea since we launched. Add to that a stunning setting and great food and a bit of yoga, and you have a really special weekend!

After many years dreaming and planning, we are thrilled to say that registration is open today at 12.00pm. Just head to our registration page and click on the link.   

We also wanted to let you know that the final two classes have been added to workshops page - Anatomy of a Quilt is all about how to put together your quilt. Different methods of basting, quilting and binding. We will be starting a whole cloth quilt and will practice techniques on a placemat or table runner..

Secondly we have a knitting class called Beyond Beginners which is a class for those people that want to knit but don't think they can. Or don't enjoy it. Or are just starting and want to get better. We will be making a beautiful cowl. You will learn how to knit without fear !! Knitting is all about the joy and this class will help you feel it.

There is a FAQ up on the registration page but please feel free to email if you have any questions. 

Felicia x

Whole cloth quilt.

What is The Craft Sessions About?

So when we were looking to put The Craft Sessions together I did a lot of thinking about the why. Why did we want to do it? What is it about? What kinds of things do we want taught? What kinds of teachers do we want teaching? Who is it for? 

And this is what I came up with. I believe that;

1. Crafting offers daily nourishment to the soul - a chance to slow down and get lost in the joy of creating. We need more of it!
2. Old-school crafts or traditional handcrafts can be taught in new-school ways which are simpler, more accessible and produce beautiful results.
3. Beautiful things can be made with very simple techniques and skills
4. Making mistakes is the way you learn, so embrace them - they are also often very pretty. 
5. It's your craft. There are no rules to "how" things should be done. Do them in a way that makes sense to you. 
6. Crafting is bigger than just making; it's about community. It is about coming together with friends or strangers to learn, share and connect.

The Craft Sessions is the event that came out of this thought process. We hope it will be all this and more.

Any thoughts - did I get it right? Did I miss any? 

Giveaway and Teacher Feature - Leslie Keating

Leslie won't remember this but we actually met many years ago at a market. What I loved about her from the moment I met her was her enthusiasm. She is one of those people that makes stuff and encourages others to do the same. Her fabrics are stunning as are the things she makes out of them. Have a look at the quilt she made in the picture above. So beautiful! 

She is also a wealth of knowledge and is incredibly willing to share it. She began the handprinted fabric swap nearly two years ago where participants would print and swap fat quarters of handprinted fabric. She then blogged about method after method of handprinting fabric. Her blog is an incredible resource!! And the fabrics swappers have created as part of it are truly amazing. You can see much of it by going through her archives here or having a look at the awesome flickr group. So much goodness.

Lucky for us Leslie is teaching two classes at The Craft Sessions; Block Printing on Fabric and Freeform Patchwork. Go and have a look at our workshop page to see what she has planned.  

Anyway I'm going to hand over to her to hear a bit more about her and her craft. Read on for a chance to win some of her beautiful fabric. Thanks Leslie!

What brought you to craft or make?

I’ve always been a maker. I can’t actually remember a time when I wasn’t creating something. As a kid I took pottery and cartooning classes, made beaded necklaces and mosaic picture frames, hemmed my own jeans and turned men’s pj bottoms into shorts (it was the grunge years, after all). In my 20s I studied graphic design and illustration and started a little business making leather journals and sketchbooks by hand. When I moved to Australia in 2005, I turned to sewing and fell in love with quilting. Eventually I got to the point where I wanted more control over the designs and colours in my quilts so I decided to combine my love for cloth, sewing, colour and design by producing my own fabric to sell and use in my work. I began carving stamps by hand to print onto fabric and then moved on to screen printing as a way to cover larger areas more quickly. 

What do you love about your chosen craft?

Using my own fabric to create things with now is exhilarating, being able to design and print something specifically for a project opens up so many doors creatively. I love mixing ink to just the right shade and I love that I usually come across 4 or 5 awesome shades in the process, filed away for future reference. I love that I am able to jump from quite a range of projects so I never, ever get bored - there are endless patterns to design; goods and quilts to design, print and sew; opportunities to play with my camera (I love photographing fabric!); inspiration to look for everywhere. 

When/how do you make time for craft in your life - do you have a process?

With a newly-minted 3 year old and a soon-to-be 5 year old at home, it can be pretty tricky to find time to work on all the projects I would like to (but there is plenty of time for other craft, especially play dough and watercolours!). I work pretty much every evening, with a mix of nights in my studio and nights spent working on my laptop in the lounge room with my husband, and my kids go to childcare one day a week, giving me a blissful stretch of daylight to tackle printing and bigger projects. I really love what I do and don’t really see it as ‘work’ though, especially as I make sure I give myself time to play and explore new ideas on a regular basis.

Where do you find inspiration?

I know this is a common answer but seriously, from absolutely everywhere. Some of my designs come about spontaneously, just playing with carving blocks, experimenting with the lines that can be created and having a workable pattern or shape appear. Others come to me while I am going about my day, when I take the time to really notice the shapes of things around me, the colours and shades. It is amazing what you can “see” when you change your perspective a bit. Nature is endlessly inspiring, the beach, local gardens, even a field of weeds holds so much design potential. And, of course, there is Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/lesliekeating), the inspiration mecca!

Who are your top 3 crafting heroes and why?

I think every one who has the courage to try and enjoys what they are creating is a crafty hero. The ones who aren't afraid to fail as failure opens up new opportunities to see and do things differently and the ones who can recognise that sometimes there is just as much beauty and possibility in a failure as a success. So, really, I have a million crafty heros, maybe more, but I will list 3 that came to mind instantly:

1. The ladies of Gees Bend for their ability to imbue artistic values into scrap material to create simple, functional, absolutely stunning quilts. 
2. Arounna Khounnoraj of Bookhou as we share such a similar aesthetic, I adore absolutely everything that she creates.
3. Teegs and Lara of Ink & Spindle for their amazing warmth and generosity of knowledge and encouragement plus I hugely admire their strong focus on what they want to achieve as a sustainable small business.

GIVEAWAY

Leslie has offered to give to one of our mailing list subscribers a gift of the six hand printed fabric panels shown below. They measure roughly 34cm by 42cm (13.5" by 16.5"), with four on hemp/organic cotton base cloth, and two on natural linen/cotton base cloth. Screen printed by hand with great care in Leslie's studio. We will randomly draw a name from the list on Friday morning. So if you're not on our mailing list already and you'd like a chance to win (and hear all The Craft Sessions latest happenings) get to it and sign on up! 

Giveaway - Six handprinted panels from Leslie at Maze and Vale

Registration Information and a Winner

We want to start today's post by saying a big big thank you to all of you who have signed up to our mailing list, liked us on facebook, messaged and emailed us to let us know that you like The Craft Sessions. We are loving all the enthusiasm and are so pleased that you seem as excited about it as we are!

We have just updated the registration information on the website including information about the price and what's included (almost everything!!). There is also a bit of a FAQ and information about class preferences. 

One big change!! We have decided to delay the registration opening for a few days until Monday July 15th. Our apologies! We are just finalising the last couple of classes and want to make sure you have time to think about the class list before choosing your preferences.  

Finally today we have a winner of Melissa's gorgeous project bag. Beatrice Iezzi - that lucky person is you! We will send you an email. Congratulations!

Some new photos from Sophie of the tee she will be making in her Sewing with Knits class

Giveaway and Teacher Feature - Melissa Wastney

So today we start a series of posts about our teachers. To share a bit about the crafters they are - what they love and what inspires them. 

We kick off with Melissa from Tiny Happy. I can't remember when I originally came across Melissa's blog but it was love at first sight. She has a kinda calm in her images that gets me every time - makes me want to grab a cup of tea. And her crafting? Well it is stunning, simple and sweet and you can see her style carrying through to each one of the different disciplines she plays with. Love it. 

So we asked her a few questions about her love for crafting and here is what she had to say. 

What brought you to craft or make?

My Grandma was a serious knitter- lots of yoked fairisle jumpers and matching accessories and even skirts and dresses. My Mum knitted constantly for all her 5 kids as well as made quilts, embroidered samplers, wove blankets and spun yarn. She still does! It was just expected that I would make things too and I got my first sewing machine when I was ten. 

What do you love about your chosen craft?

I don't know that I really have a 'chosen' craft as I love to sew, knit, paint, design and embroider. I just like making things and being creative. I like the idea that something beautiful can come from just an idea and a few textiles. I also like to have a few projects on the go. Keeps me happy.

When/how do you make time for craft in your life - do you have a process?

It can be hard to make time but I think it's always possible if the will is there. I knit on the bus on the way to work and in my lunchbreak. I love doing a bit of crafting with friends and a glass of wine. And I try and do a bit of sewing and embroidery sometime on the weekend. It's both easier and harder to do now that the kids are older (10 and 8).

Where do you find inspiration?

I find it all around. People watching at the bus-stop. From blogs and magazines. Also libraries and shop windows! And of course the constant: the colours and forms of nature. 

Who are your top 3 crafting heroes and why?

I really love how Kaffe Fassett puts together colours and shapes in such ambitious ways. He's been a lifelong inspiration- Mum knitted all his garment designs throughout my childhood and I'd stare at the pages of 'Glorious Knits' and dream about the beautifully dressed families and well-decked houses.

Naomi Ito (Nani Iro) is an inspiration- I love her aesthetic and calm yet energetic patterns.

I also love Lotta Jansdotter and the way she captures the essence of something natural and special in her designs and colour choices.

Melissa is teaching three classes for us. Embroidery From The Natural World which is an all day workshop where you will explore freeform embroidery and the way we can use it to express natural forms. Vintage Baby Shoes which is a pattern from Melissa's recently published book, Sweet and Simple Handmade and finally a Modern Sampler which is a half day workshop which is a great class for those wanting to learn a variety of embroidery stitches and come home with a piece of stitched art such as the one at the top of the post. 

Giveaway

Lucky for us - Melissa has kindly offered to give to one of our mailing list subscribers a gift of the project bag pictured below. Perfect for holding a small knitting project. We will randomly draw a name from the list on Monday morning. So if you're not on our mailing list already and you'd like a chance to win (and hear all The Craft Sessions latest happenings) please sign on up!