Rag Rug Workshop - Full Day - York

Bryony reviewed: Rag Rug Workshop - Full Day - York

"I had a wonderful day spent with like-minded crafty people and learned so much in such a short time! Elspeth's enthusiasm really set the tone and there was a nice balance of practical skills taught and creativity encouraged. Such a nice venue too, very well set up and everyone so welcoming. Thank you for a relaxing and inspiring day."

Ragged Life responded:

"Thank you for the lovely review Bryony, I'm so pleased you had a good time. You were a pleasure to teach :-)"

Sue reviewed: Rag Rug Workshop - Full Day - York

"Hi, lovely day, felt I achieved a lot in the day. Tutors were great and kept u supplied with drinks and biscuits. Thanks "

Ragged Life responded:

"Thank you Sue, we're so pleased you had a good time. You were a pleasure to teach :-)"

Lesley reviewed: Rag Rug Workshop - Full Day - York

"Very good course and we left with a project well underway."

Ragged Life responded:

"Thank you Lesley, we're so pleased you enjoyed the day, you were a pleasure to teach :-)"

Sue Osbon reviewed: Rag Rug Workshop - Full Day - York

"A really enjoyable course; well-timed, friendly, full of information and advice. Plenty of material to work with on the day. Some items to take away were included in the course fee and there was plenty more to buy at reasonable prices (but no pressure to buy). The course tutors (Lorraine and Casey) were knowledgeable and kept us all supplied with tea, coffee and biscuits. Whether attending on your own or with some friends, I would recommend it. "

Ragged Life responded:

"We're so glad you enjoyed the class Sue, you were a pleasure to teach :-) Thank you for the lovely review, we do appreciate you taking the time."

Angela Dillon reviewed: Rag Rug Workshop - Full Day - York

"This was a good day. I have learnt new skills and had lots of time to reinforce the learning. "

Ragged Life responded:

"Thanks for the review Angela, I'm glad you had a good day, you were a pleasure to teach :-)"

Vanny reviewed: Rag Rug Workshop - Full Day - York

"This was such a lovely course to do. The teachers were great, helpful enthusiastic, encouraging, friendly. It’s a great craft ! Easy to pick up and such fun! "

Ragged Life responded:

"Thank you Vanny, I'm so glad you enjoyed the class and hope that you feel inspired to get creating some beautiful items for your home :-)"

Helen Thomson reviewed: Rag Rug Workshop - Full Day - York

"The venue is excellent, airy, well-lit. The shop is full to the brim of all sorts of sewing material. I would recommend a visit to the Viking Loom if you are into crafts. We did learn the three techniques of rag rugging - whilst making a flower on a hessian bag. That took the morning. We were then shown a book by Elspeth which was then taken away again. We were then given the opportunity to start our” project” - rug, cushion, wreath or flowers. You are given the hessian for your project and you can buy more. I had come to the work shop to make a rug based on the pride colours. As instructed I didn’t bring any material with me - as it would all be provided. This is when the negatives start. The choice of scrap material to do your piece was very limited, (ok whilst you learn how to make the flower - but even then mainly neutral colours) certainly no bright colours or material in sufficient quantity to get a start on the work unless you are happy to constantly change colours. . So I decided to leave early and take my work with me - but then the crunch- to complete your work as a minimum you will need the relevant hook (there are three types), very sharp scissors (which you may have) and the little wood block to get your lengths even (you could manage without that - but your life will be much harder). You therefore need to be aware you will need to put your hand back in your pocket - it all adds up. The book that was passed round will set you back some more cash if you want a copy. So either offer a half day of techniques with the choice to buy the relevant equipment or include the equipment in a full day as there is no way you will finish your rug/cushion etc on the day. And you must bring your own material with you to get started. This is very obviously a franchise- possibly with a mind to make money and direct you to the ragged life website. I have done a lot of courses advertised on the craft courses website and have always felt the tutors were knowledgeable and enthusiastic. I didn’t quite get that impression this time. You might be better off watching a YouTube video and buying the hooks and hessian on line rather than doing the course. Certainly not worth the £80"

Ragged Life responded:

"Hi Helen, we're so sorry that you weren't happy with the course. Far from being a large franchise, we are actually only a small business with a team of three (Elspeth, Lizzie and Lorraine). We're very passionate about the about the quality of our workshops (as hopefully you can see from all our previous happy students), which is why only Elspeth and Lorraine run the classes (they have decades of rag rug + teaching experience between them). Nevertheless, we take on board your feedback regarding the fabric selection. We will highlight more prominently in our pre-workshop email the need to bring fabrics along if you have a specific design in mind. As you can hopefully understand, it's very difficult to predict what colours students will choose and in what quantities, but we honestly try our best. Thanks for taking the time to feed back and all the best, Elspeth "

jill padwell reviewed: Rag Rug Workshop - Full Day - York

"A really relaxed and enjoyable day and I came away eager to complete the rug I had started in the class. All the materials are extremely good quality and the big balls of blanket wool I bought are a dream to handle. Advice was given individually throughout the setting and it was fun to see different ideas taking shape. we were warned it would be addictive and I absolutely agree"

Ragged Life responded:

"That is so great to hear Jill, thank you. You were a pleasure to teach :-)"

Doreen Parkinson reviewed: Rag Rug Workshop - Full Day - York

"Thoroughly enjoyed my RagRug Workshop. I haven't done this craft before but at the end of the day had mastered the technique as had all the other ladies. Lorraine the trainer was lovely, really knowledgeable and helpful - it was a fun day and I would recommend it for anyone who enjoys crafts. It makes a marvellous gift. We all came home with a hessian bag which we had decorated and made a start on a rug to complete at home. Loved it."

Ragged Life responded:

"Thank you so much Doreen for such a lovely review. We're so pleased you enjoyed the class - you were a pleasure to teach :-)"

Gilly reviewed: Rag Rug Workshop - Full Day - York

"Such a lovely way to spend a day. Great tuition and company from my fellow students, lovely refreshments & fun projects to choose from. I am firmly hooked on rag rugging. If you do this course I can guarantee you will never look at a piece of clothing in the same way! Thank you"

Ragged Life responded:

"Thank you Gilly for such a lovely review. We're so pleased you had a great time and that you are a firm convert to rag rugging :-)"

Denise Rajab reviewed: Rag Rug Workshop - Full Day - York

"Fantastic day . The course was brilliant . Fab instructor who was very patient and was very easy to understand . Would highly recommend the course to anyone wanting to learn . The coffee, cake and biscuits were an added bonus . Thank you very much"

Ragged Life responded:

"Thank you for the lovely review Denise, we're so pleased you enjoyed the class :-)"

Suzanne reviewed: Rag Rug Workshop - Full Day - York

"What a really great day this was at the York workshop on 11 January. It was led by Lorraine who was friendly, good humoured and knowledgeable in equal measure. I would highly recommend this workshop to anyone as being great value for money. You'll leave with the information and tools you need to finish the project you started (either a rug, cushion, flowers, bag or whatever) at home. There is also the opportunity to buy other pieces of kit at really reasonable prices if you feel you've totally got the bug (as I did!). There's no pressure to buy. I'm not one for leaving reviews but felt I should as I was so impressed by it all."

Karen Robson reviewed: Rag Rug Workshop - Full Day - York

"A brilliant half day course with an excellent and friendly tutor. It is amazing how much can be learnt in only a morning when you have a pressure free and relaxed atmosphere. Elspeth has the talents of a good teacher to provide clear instructions and individual help whilst encouraging creativity. She answers all questions with humour and the sincerity of an enthusiast. Thank you for introducing me to a new hobby I hope to enjoy for years."

Sarah reviewed: Rag Rug Workshop - Full Day - York

"I’m still smiling 2 days later. This was such a friendly course. Elspeth is a great teacher. She gave attention to everyone and never left slower crafters behind. It’s lovely to come away with all the skills to get rag rugging immediately. I’ve finished a second practice piece and I’ll be starting a cushion shortly. I would highly recommend a Ragged Life course to anyone."

Ragged Life responded:

"Thanks so much for your kind words Sarah. You were an absolute pleasure to teach and I can't wait to see your final cushion :) Keep me posted. All the best, Elspeth"

Emmie reviewed: Rag Rug Workshop - Full Day - York

"Great workshop! Completely relaxed environment with a lovely host. She gave very clear advice/ instructions and made sure we were all happy with what we were doing. Overall, a very positive first workshop experience."