Six Spring bunnies

This month's workshop was held at the 'Make It' shop in Chorlton. 

I had a lovely group, including three people I either know or who read this blog. One of whom I have 'known' for nearly a decade, via the early days of this blog and I recognised her as soon as she arrived. And another blog reader who had brought 'my' book to be signed. As it was the end of the day by then, my mind was in several places and I stupidly signed it to the wrong person and had to write it again. But then, as she observed, it was the only one like that! (Apologies again to 'L') 

I have also known Louise Peers for several years and have often seen her amazing little teddy bears on-line. what I hadn't realised was just how eye wateringly small they are; I had estimated them to be quite a few inches. In fact, they are just several centimetres. Roughly the size of a cotton reel, in the case of the little white fairy bear. Mouse sized. And all hand stitched, beautifully. No wonder they sell so fast!

And yet again, everyone produced a lovely creation - despite most of them being complete beginners. I always hope that afterwards they carry on enjoying needle felting as I know some of them will. 

Next workshop in Oxfordshire is almost sold out, and it looks as if I may be holding one in London this year. All the details can be found in my April/May newsletter, which you can read (without subscribing) here. 

Bears and hares

At last, I've finalised the project for my Oxford workshop at Hill End Nature Centre which I visited recently. As it's an all day workshop, I decided to go for something a little larger than normal, so the project is to be stumpy bears.

 

It's not a difficult pattern, but it will need the whole day and there is a choice of making a brown bear or a polar bear. As with all my workshops, the price per person is all inclusive of materials and use of tools. Details can be found on my workshops page. As I'm organising this all on my own (which feels a bit scary) I'm the contact for everything.

My new running hare design from my line of 'Flights of Fancy' range went to a new home last month.

 And now I've finished another - a white hare with violet grey Siamese points.

This one is adorned with twisted silver wire, natural pearls and smoky quartz teardrop beads and is on sale in my Etsy shop.

My Manchester Spring Bunnies workshop is at the end of the month, and we are almost full - just two places left! If you'd like to come to this one, please book directly through the Make It shop site here. They may look small and simple, but each one takes me about four - five hours to make. All that smoothing.

Now I've got to crack on with my April newsletter - if you'd like to see any of my previous newsletters, without subscribing, they can be found archived here. 

Oxford July workshop announcement

While I was down in Oxfordshire holding my last workshop, I visited a potential new workshop space. This is in an area just three miles outside of Oxford itself and somewhere I been past countless times over the years I was living here. But never ventured inside.

This is the little lane which leads to Hill End nature reserve and activity centre. It's been here for decades, educating and encouraging children (and adults)  to enjoy and appreciate the great outdoors. 

I was met by my contact, dosed with coffee and then shown my potential workshop spaces. First was this nice fat barn. 

It was very spacious and light, and I did consider using the cosier overhead gallery. But decided that it was just a tad too big for my needs.  

Next was another nice conversion, again with lots of light flooding in and it was almost right...but not quite.

We walked a little further, past some Hill End sheep. Hill End is situated on the edge of Wytham Woods, which has been shown many a time on the Inspector Morse and Lewis series. 

Did you spot the giant wire toadstool in the background? No? Look - 

It was here that I found my new workshop space, a little cottage which has been converted into a study and classroom area. As there was a group already inside, I could only take a photo of the outside, but I have been assured that it is quite light and comfortable. And it does look delightful. 

So I took a deep breath and booked it. This is the first workshop I've organised entirely on my own and it's a bit of a gamble. I am not sure yet what we'll be making. However, it is going to be an all day workshop, costing £55. There is no cafe on site, so it will be a 'bring your own' lunch affair, which if the weather is fine, can be eaten al fresco. I will endeavour to supply cake and there are drink making facilities.  

As I'm yet to decide on the subject matter, it isn't up on my website yet, but please contact me at gretelparker@yahoo.co.uk if you'd like to book early. One space is taken already! Oh and the date of course - July 9th 10.00 am until 4.30pm. So you get plenty of teaching and making time.

If you're too far northwards to consider Oxford, there are still a couple of spaces left on my Spring Bunnies course, on April 30th - click here for more details. 

Running hare with amber chips on Etsy

The delightful online style magazine Bibelot have interviewed me - most of the questions were of a needle felting nature and I found several old archive photos of old work and of more recent designs such as my hare and amber dangle. But a couple of questions were a little more personal. You can read all about it on their blog here.

Little Houses workshop

Oh where did February go? It ended with my first workshop of the year, a return to Folly Fabrics in Bampton, to hold a 'Little Houses' workshop. I was lodged for the night with the lovely shop owners and I took a jar of Joe's delicious blackcurrant jam as a little thank-you gift. So breakfast on the day was homemade bread and jam. And enough coffee to shake the cobwebs from my brain.

Then off to the shop, to set up. This is the calm before the storm.

 

It's always a full house at Folly Fabrics and I had a lovely mix of returners, some ladies who had seen my latest 'Mollie Makes' cover last year (and traveled a long way from 'down south' to attend)  and a blog friend, from 'Tales from the Weekday Home' - it was really fabulous to meet her in person at last.

While I was staying with Joe, I knocked up this little prototype, so that people had the option of making that or creating their own. Everyone got to work.

And that was it for four hours. Towards the end, the customary cake came out. Don't be deceived by it's innocent simplicity; this view hides the one inch thick filling of chocolate buttercream.

 

I can't remember a workshop where there wasn't a cosy mix of wool, cake and mugs of hot drinks.

Meanwhile, my friend the shop owner, had been quietly making her own delightful  little Scottish croft in the background. It's finished off beautifully. I have bit of a 'proud teacher' feeling about this, but it's mostly down to her own patience and persistence.

So, that was it for February. My next workshop is in Manchester, on the 30th April, with limited spaces, which are filling up; we have just four places left and bunnies to make. If you'd like to come, the booking form is here on the 'Make It  website.

Strawberries and bunnies

Ah, the slight awkwardness of work getting in the way of life and blogging. Work continues and not much else. Several days spent developing a new teaching, pattern and with that in mind,  I have organised a new workshop for them, which is to be held on the 30th April at 'Make It' in Manchester which is already booking up after two days and only a few spaces left. You can book directly through the site here. The bunnies and I will be pleased to see you.

What else? Oh, putting together my first basic needle felt kit, which I should have done ages ago, considering how many times I've been asked for them. I looked at similar starter kits and in some cases was appalled at how little wool was offered, for the price charged. So I have tried to include as much as was physically and economically possible in mine, as well as a sponge mat, pack of decent needles and a wooden holder. 

And at last, my February newsletter is out, with a free and simple pattern for making sweet little strawberries - these only take a small amount of wool, and a few hours (in my case) to make, depending on how wild you go with the decoration. There's also an article about a very odd and as yet unfinished piece of work...you can get the newsletter and pattern here - without even signing up. 

Apart from that, I appear to be surrounded by many small, unfinished things. Such is life.

Wool, automata and cake

Sometimes I am asked to do private workshops and it is always a huge pleasure. Apart from the fun of going away visiting, I am always treated like a visiting princess and thoroughly spoiled. This month I stayed at the home of Ian Mackay, maker of exquisite automata and Fleur Hitchcock, the children's writer. Here is Ian, making a needle felt version of one of the chickens on his amazing pecking chicken machine. Needless to say, as a skilled craftsman, he picked it up at once.

 

It was a fairly informal workshop, and people pretty much free ranged their designs, which was interesting for everyone and made me think on my feet.

There are wonderful examples of Ian's work all over the house, with intriguing handles which beg you to turn them. And when you do, magical things happen.

Driftwood houses are so much the in thing now, with so many people making them,  but Ian was one of the early originators and I loved this little wooden street.

Lunch was pretty darned splendid.

 Amazingly, after all that, people carried on working. This was a particularly splendid guinea pig.

And the youngest member of the group produced her own version of Totoro from Studio Ghibli.

I am always thrilled to bits when someone who has never needle felted or indeed crafted much, produces something lovely. Often they start out with a little trepidation, but at the end of the day, they have made something beautiful, and in this case, entirely their own design.

Naturally, mid-afternoon, there was cake.

The next day, I myself tried my hand at creating something outside of my own comfort zone, in Ian's workshop, but that's another story for a later date. Thanks so much to Ian and Fleur, for making my weekend really special and reviving my own creative batteries, which have been a little flat for the last few years.