A how-to of putting together a quilt - basting, quilting and binding.

Description:  Have you ever made a quilt top and then got a bit stuck about what to do next? This class takes you through the process of putting together a quilt. To do this we will begin creating a beautiful whole cloth quilt. We will learn two different methods for basting a quilt, three methods of quilting and two methods of binding. We will be talking about which rules you need to follow and which ones you can ignore. How is that for a class!  

Materials: Students will need to bring fabric for the front and back of their quilt, as well as for the binding. They will also need to bring a batting, a rotary cutter, board and a ruler as well as a basic sewing kit. A more detailed materials list will be emailed to you closer to the date.

Takeaway: While we won't finish our quilts during the day, you will have a basted quilt, as well as a small placemat or table runner upon which we have been practicing our binding and quilting techniques.

Level: Beginner - you need to be able to sew in a straight (ish) line on a sewing machine.

Workshop Length: Full day

Beyond Beginner Knitting - teaching you to knit without fear!

Teacher: Kirsten Johnstone

Description:  This is a class for anyone that wants to knit beautifully but for some reason thinks they can't. We will have you knitting without fear and with confidence by the end of the session. We believe that one of the tricks to beginner knitting is to work on a pattern that will yield a beautiful result. No matter what your current ability!

We will be working on a beautiful cowl and will cater to all levels of beginner knitter but especially those that say "I can't knit". This class is a half day class that we are repeating twice. You can come once or repeat the class if you really want results! 

Materials:  Students will need to bring yarn and needles. A materials list will be sent to you closer to the event.

Level: Beginner - especially those who think they can't knit

Workshop Length: Half day

This class is about learning different traditional embroidery stitches and making an original sampler from them.

Teacher: Melissa Wastney

Description: Melissa will bring a selection of her vintage embroidery books so we can practice new and interesting stitches. The sampler could be worked in one colour on cream linen with different horizontal rows of stitches to showcase the techniques learned, similar to traditional red- or black-work samplers. Plain red or black stitches always look gorgeous on natural linen. 

Materials: Students would supply the linen they wish to use, along with an embroidery hoop and thread of their choice. They would also need to bring scissors and sewing needles. 

Takeaway: Students would take home a finished sampler that could be framed at a later stage. Students would also take home handouts with stitch diagrams.  The framed sampler would make a nice gift.

Level: This half-day class would suit anyone with an interest in embroidery, because you could work simple or more complicated embroidery stitches.

Workshop Length: Half day

Introduction to Seamless Garment Design

Teacher: Georgie Hallam

Description: Taking the leap from knitter to designer is one that many knitters find quite daunting, but it needn’t be. This class will explore a variety of different seamless garment construction possibilities (raglan, circular yoke, saddle shoulders, set in sleeves) before moving onto sizing and grading, knitting the sample/prototype, copyright and ethics, resources and support, pattern writing, pattern testing, finding inspiration, yarn selection and selling your patterns. 

Participants will begin the grading and sizing process for their own raglan sleeved garment. Please bring along yarn and appropriate needles. If you have an idea before the class that is fabulous, but don’t feel that you have to.

While the class will use child garment design as the example, it will also address how this can be applied to adult garment design as well.

Materials:  Students will need to bring yarn and needles for the sample garment for your pattern. Feel free to bring a variety along to help with your inspiration on the day!

Level: Intermediate

Workshop Length: Full day

Sewing the gorgeous and extremely versatile Wiksten Tank

Teacher: Sophie Parslow

Description: What if your favourite item in your closet was made by you? Discover the possibilities of sewing a hand-made wardrobe 'as good as the shops' as Sophie guides you through the makings of the beautiful Wiksten Tank: A fresh and flattering sleeveless top or dress featuring a tiny front pocket and scooped hems. As your tank comes together you'll learn how to French seam, attach bias binding and sew a rolled hem worth bragging about. At the end of the workshop you'll be taking home a completed Wiksten tank, copy of the pattern, a toolbag of new skills and the confidence to sew your own clothes!

Materials: BYO sewing machine* + basic sewing kit (pins, scissors, measuring tape etc.) If you have a special fabric you'd like to use for your tank, bring it along on the day. The pattern works best in lightweight fabrics, try to steer clear of home dec / stiff quilting cottons. There will also be an option to choose a kit that would include a beautiful hardcopy of the pattern as well as some fabric designed by Jenny of wikstenmade. If you are doing this workshop we would contact you to see if you were interested in this option.

*If you are travelling some distance to the event or just would prefer not to bring your own machine please contact us. We will have some machines available.

Takeaway: A beautiful, incredibly wearable tank dress or top as well as a copy of the pattern so you can make more when you get home. (I currently have four!)

Level: Those with some sewing experience, perhaps in other areas (cushion making or quilting etc) but are yet to make their first foray into garment sewing.

Workshop Length: Full Day

Learning the process of dyeing with indigo. 

Teacher: Julia Billings

Description: In this half-day workshop, you will learn the steps involved in creating an indigo vat and experience the magic that results from indigo dyeing. After preparing the vat, we’ll take time while it rests to look into the history of this old and venerated dyestuff and prepare fibres for dyeing. You may choose to dye your yarn and fabric solid colours or to explore patterning using shibori (methods of folding, clamping, binding and stitching).

We will then dip and remove our fibres from the bath multiple times to achieve a good depth of colour. There will also be a chance to discuss some of the keys aspects of dyeing with indigo; fibre preparation, overdyeing to create complex colours and other tips and tricks.

Materials: There will be a materials fee of $15 to cover yarn, fabric, dyestuff and other materials. Students will need to bring a pen and notepad and to dress warmly (as the workshop will take place outside. Indigo will stain clothing and footwear so bring an apron and be sure to wear something dark or old!

Takeaway: Participants will take away yarn and fabric dyed in the workshop.

Level:  Beginners welcome

Workshop Length: Half day

Into the Realms of the Round. If you’ve ever wanted to tackle seamless knitting and haven’t quite known where to start, this is the class for you.

Teacher: Georgie Hallam

Description: Why seamless knitting? It is the perfect modern day knitting style; no seaming means garments are finished quickly and can often be tried on as you knit.

An introduction to the basic elements of seamless knitting is given, along with some of that handy information it’s often assumed most knitters know; how to do a tension square and adjust your needles ~ both flat and for circular knitting how to calculate how many balls you need, how to choose the correct size, how to read a chart and how to read a pattern. In learning these techniques, knitters will begin working on a sweet vest for either a baby or a child using the Milo pattern (pattern supplied with class).

Materials: The pattern for this class, Milo, will be supplied. You will need to supply a 4mm 40cm circular needle and approximately 100g of 8ply/dk weight yarn.

Takeaway: A lack of fear regarding seamless knitting and the beginnings of a milo vest. 

Level: Beginner knitters who can knit and purl.

Workshop Length: Half Day

This is a full day workshop in which we'll explore simple free-form embroidery and the way we can use it to express natural forms. 

Teacher: Melissa Wastney  

Description: The day will start with a selection of traditional and modern embroidery inspiration and we'll study how textile artists interpret their natural surroundings with stitches. We'll learn and practice some simple stitches. Then we'll go outside to collect pleasing natural objects for our own inspiration. Upon returning to our hoops, we'll spend some time sketching the pieces before making our own piece of textile art. This could be framed at a later date.

Materials: From Melissa "I will bring my collection of coloured threads and some linens to share. But students could bring any thread or linen they would especially like to use, an embroidery hoop, and their sketchbook and a pencil." 

Takeaway: We will finish the day with an original piece of stitched artwork that could be framed at a later date.

Level: This class would be great for beginner stitchers as well as experienced ones. Melissa is an experienced free-form embroidery teacher and loves seeing students express their artistic ideas with needle and thread.

Workshop Length: Full Day

Sewing a pair of baby slippers from special or recycled fabrics.

Teacher: Melissa Wastney

Description: In this class we will sew a pair of special, reversible baby shoes using fabric that is special to you. These shoes have been sold in galleries and show around the world for the last 8 years and she has recently published the pattern for others to use in her new book "Sweet and Simple Handmade".

Materials: Students could bring their own piece of special fabric, such as a meaningful piece of embroidered linen or other textile, a small piece of cotton corduroy, cotton stretch fabric and lining fabric (we will explain all this in an email if you are doing the class). Melissa will also bring a selection of fabrics to choose from. Students will also need to BYO sewing machine* as well as bring scissors, thread and pins. 

*If you are travelling some distance to the event or just would prefer not to bring your own machine please contact us. We will have some machines available.

Learn to design and carve your own stamp and use it to print onto cloth

Teacher: Leslie Keating  

Description: This class will cover the basics of creating a design suitable for block printing, how to transfer a design onto the carving block, how to carve with a lino cutter set, what paints and ink are suitable for stamping on fabric and what base cloths work best. There will be time allotted to work on a simple design, participants will then work at carving their stamps and can have a play with stamping using supplied inks and cloth. 

Materials: Ink and cloth will be provided but participants will be required to purchase a kit for around $20 which would include a Speedball lino cutter (comes with 6 blades) and a carving block (large enough to get a few stamps out of or one big design). Participants are also welcome to bring their own fabric to stamp on.

Takeaway: This is a technique focused class but you will go home with a printed fat quarter of your own design plus a work sheet with tips and listing the brands of ink and types of cloth recommended. 

Level: Beginner

 Workshop Length: Half Day

Design and knit your own colourwork hat.

Teacher: Julia Billings

Description: Designed to give knitters an introduction to the thrills of stranded colorwork, this day-long class combines a bit of theory and lots of hands-on. It should give you the confidence to not only start knitting colourwork but also to create your own patterns.

After a peek into the traditions of colourwork knitting, we’ll spend the morning covering the basics of colour theory and charts and creating a “story” that you’ll use as a basis for a hat design. You’ll learn how to put together your own colourways and motifs and then chart out your own beanie/ tam pattern, incorporating shaping into your motifs.

We’ll then get to work with needles and yarn in the afternoon, bringing your pattern to life and learning the tricks to knitting with two colours at once- carrying the unused yarn neatly at the back, working in the round, colour dominance and more.

Participants should be comfortable with casting on, knit and purl stitches and increasing and decreasing prior to this class. Some experience knitting in the round would be great but is not essential.

Materials:  There will either be a small materials fee for yarn of $15 or participants would bring the materials themselves. Materials list will be provided.

Level: Intermediate

Workshop Length: Full day

Learn simple techniques for creating original and stunning improvisational patchwork.

Teacher: Leslie Keating

Description: Leslie makes beautiful quilts using this method, many of which can be seen on her blog at mazeandvale.com. This class will deconstruct the rules of patchwork and share carefree, easy ways to combine pieces of cloth into one-of-a-kind works of art.

Materials: BYO Sewing Machine*. Fabric scraps will be provided. Participants are also welcome to bring their own fabric.

*If you are travelling some distance to the event or just would prefer not to bring your own machine please contact us. We will have some machines available.

Takeaway: Participants will go home with a completed 40cm by 40cm block and a work sheet on how to turn said block into a cushion cover (if desired). 

Level: No previous quilting or patchwork experience is necessary.

Workshop Length: Half Day

Re-fashion Stations: Sew a bespoke children's tee from a thrifted shirt

Teacher: Sophie Parslow

Description: Are you ready to get your stretch on? Conquer knit fabric once and for all and give new life to old shirts as you create your own bespoke, vintage inspired children's tee. With Sophie, seasoned re-fashionista, by your side, be guided step-by-step through the modern and easy-to-make Banyan T-shirt by Figgy's patterns.  Then customize your tee with authentic vintage ephemera with an easy to use transfer method. Forget you ever feared things that stretch, in this fun-packed workshop and be inspired by the exciting possibilities of DIY re-fashion!  

Materials:  Each participant must purchase a copy of the pattern. We will send you more details on where and how to purchase it if you are doing the class. Sewing machine - possibly new enough that has a walking foot and stretch stitch function*. Also please bring along a basic sewing kit.

*If you are travelling some distance to the event or just would prefer not to bring your own machine please contact us. We will have some machines available.

Takeaway: A complete lack of fear when it comes to sewing with knit fabrics and an awesome child's t-shirt. 

Level: Some sewing experience necessary, sewing with knits not essential.

Workshop Length: Full day

Explore the dyeing potential of your garden and local surroundings in this hands-on dye workshop.

Teacher: Julia Billings

Description: We’ll begin this half-day workshop with a gentle walk in search of the dye plants growing in the surrounding landscape- you may know them already as weeds, landscape trees or indigenous species but you’ll see them differently after this walk...

We’ll then head back with our samples and spend the rest of the session using several of them to dye yarn and fabric. There will also be a chance to discuss some of the other key aspects of dyeing; fibre preparation, mordanting and tips and tricks for dyeing with plants and other natural materials.

Materials: There will be a materials fee of $15 to cover pre-mordanted yarn, fabric and other materials. Students will need to dress warmly (as the workshop will take place outside) and to bring a raincoat, walking shoes and a pen and notepad. It is unusual for clothes to be permanently stained with plant dyes but, to be safe, wear something dark or old!

Takeaway: Participants will take away samples of yarn and fabric dyed in the workshop.

Level: Beginners welcome

Workshop Length: Half day

The banes of knitting; fixing your mistakes and finishing techniques for a more professional look.

Teacher: Georgie Hallam

Description: This class is about turning home-made into hand-made; creating garments that you’re proud to admit, “yes, I knit that!”  We will begin by looking at how to read your knitting, an essential skill for any knitter. This will lead us into fixing mistakes such as dropped stitches, twisted stitches, an errant stitch a few rows down. You will learn to focus on the area where there is a problem and drop back to that stitch to fix it, rather than having to rip back entire rows.

The second half of the class will look at a variety of simple tips and techniques that will improve the finished look of your knitting; tubular cast ons, matching your cast ons and your cast offs, neatening underarms, casting off neatly and sewing in ends properly, stopping garter button bands from rolling in, eliminating gaps in joined areas.

Materials:  Students need to provide yarn and needles for playing with in class; 8ply/dk weight is probably the best. You will also need to pring 4mm straight needles as well as your preferred needles for knitting. 

Level: Adventurous beginner - Intermediate

Workshop Length: Half Day