Latest reviews

Tess Clark reviewed: A day on the tiles: one-day mosaic workshop

"We had a great day at the Valley Craft Studio making our mosaics. Very relaxing experience and Fiona has struck the perfect balance between helping the students and letting them enjoy the experience of learning something new. Endless cuppas and lovely cake too. Would highly recommend!"

Valley Craft Studio responded:

"Thanks for you glowing review Tessa. Your family of birds was beautiful today and I am looking forward to grouting it this week. It was lovely to meet you and your Mum - I had a great day with you both x"

Chris Heg reviewed: Introduction to cabinet making

"Not only did I make a beautiful cabinet that has pride of place in my dining room, I learned plenty of new skills on this brilliant course that I’ve used to make loads of furniture since. The Makers Quarter is a great place to learn and Stephen & Sophie are really fun, helpful hosts and teachers. I tell all my friends to do this course!"

Patrick Boland reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"I have long fancied taking up woodturning and took the plunge this year - bought some kit and had a day training with Mark. He has the best setup/mancave you could ever want - and he's a really nice guy as well! I was more then a little nervous but Mark quickly put me at ease and - as with other reviews the day flew by. Mark is an extremely competent woodturner and a very very patient teacher. I came away absolutely exhausted but fully motivated to getting fully tooled up to get onto my own lathe and start making shavings (to start with). If you are looking for a start in woodturning then you could do no better than have a day with Mark."

Kate Stanford reviewed: Beginners Crochet Taster Day

"Faye taught me to Crochet. Her teaching methods are very easy going and relaxed. So much so that she then taught my daughter at age 8 and she struggles with mobility issues and fine motor skills. Under Faye's guidance granny squares were coming off her hooks at a lightspeed."

Unravel & Unwind C.I.C. responded:

"I have my grandmother to thank for my relaxed approach to teaching crochet, and my time working in schools to thank for my approach to guiding children."

Karen reviewed: Beginners Crochet Taster Day

"I came to Faye having started to self teach at home, because I had an issue with the popcorn stitch. Since then we’ve tried lace crochet, arigurumi , crochet by graph and many other things. It’s not just learning to crochet, it’s making friends too. Faye always has the answers and I’m very glad I found the group."

Unravel & Unwind C.I.C. responded:

"Thank you. I don't always know the answer but I certainly know how to find out. I'm glad you enjoy our weekly meet ups."

Rowena reviewed: Folded Homewares

"Really enjoyed the workshop today. Fascinating to turn paper (flat, static) into such interesting forms so readily (lively, architectural surfaces which reflect light in different ways..). I'd love to lose myself in the focused accuracy and almost rhythmic nature of it. Rowena, Edinburgh Sept 2019"

Bernice reviewed: Introduction to modern calligraphy - Nantwich

"What a lovely way to spend a Saturday morning! It was fun, not too difficult, but very informative. I feel that with a bit of practice I can now tackle some lovely calligraphy projects. Thank you so much."

By Moon & Tide Calligraphy responded:

"Bernice, yes you certainly can! I know you'll write beautiful cards and tags for Christmas time - practice makes perfect and you did brilliantly in the workshop. It was so lovely to meet you, and I hope you enjoy your calligraphy at home. Claire x"

SUSAN HADDAD reviewed: Introduction to modern calligraphy - Nantwich

"Very enjoyable. Small group and Claire was very patient and encouraging. Very relaxed environment and we all left with a sense of achievement...i will certainly be practising at home to improve!"

By Moon & Tide Calligraphy responded:

"Sue thank you ever so much for your lovely review! I do hope you continue to enjoy modern calligraphy at home. It was wonderful to meet you and I really enjoyed watching your progress through the class! Claire x"

Lisa reviewed: Silver clay jewellery workshop - inspired by nature

"This course exceeded my expectations. Frances is an excellent tutor - warm, friendly and encouraging. The class was carefully structured so that you can understand and practice each part of the process, with clear guidance and explanation at each stage. I don't consider myself very creative, but was really chuffed with the pieces I made and it was a lot of fun. I would thoroughly recommend."

Barbara Taylor reviewed: Two day Free Machine Embroidery workshop

"An intensive but fantastic 2 days learning the essentials of free machine embroidery. Ruth pitches her information & help at whatever level is appropriate for the individual. We had fun, excellent food & left with handouts & work that we were proud of after such a short time. I would recommend Ruth as an excellent tutor."

Sang reviewed: Glass blowing for beginners with Jon Lewis

"We had a fantastic day learning to blow glassblowing with Jon, who is both a great teacher and an amazing artist. Jon was encouraging, calm and patient, and we managed to make baubles, paperweights and vases / glasses in our session which are beautiful take home souvenirs! Lunch was a great kiln fired pizza too :) Would recommend Jon and the day to anyone fancying something a bit different and all just 30 mins from London :) thanks Jon!"

Kristie Reeves reviewed: Weave a scarf in a day - handloom weaving

"Following the hand weaving day in Halifax I did eventually purchase a small rigid heddle loom, and completed my first scarf last week. A big thank you to Anne for introducing me to hand weaving.  I find it very therapeutic and am loving the flexibility of having such a small loom."

J Agnew reviewed: Footstool making workshop - weekend

"This is an excellent course which enables you to make your own bespoke footstool- I am absolutely delighted with the one I made. Jacqueline is a friendly, knowledgeable teacher who ensures that you understand every step of the process. She is on hand to assist and guide you when necessary whilst also allowing you to develop your skills. I throughly enjoyed the course: thank you."

The Bespoke Home - Furniture Maker responded:

"So glad you enjoyed it Jo, you were a pleasure to teach. Thank you! ?"

Stephanie reviewed: Introduction to cabinet making

"I absolutely loved this course. It was fun and super concise. Steven was great at being patient and giving extra support when needed. He also helped to facilitate any requests we had to make our pieces stand out, and they did, the cabinets all looked amazing and individual to us. I did my course over 3 days with 4 others who I got to know over the days and we all kept in touch through WhatsApp to discuss further developments with our cabinets. Overall I spent 3 days at the makers quartet having lots of laughs and came out with a beautiful handmade cabinet and 4 new friends. I would love to do more there in the future."

Viv Gee reviewed: Paint your own piece - furniture workshop - North Wales

"Had a really great fun workshop with Charlotte on Saturday. I was really grateful for all the help and advice she gave me which enabled me to upcycle an old side table into something which looks good and which I will now use, instead of having it hiding away in a corner. I will be booking for another of her courses in Chester."

Charlotte's Country Commissions responded:

"Thanks Viv, you did an amazing job on your side table, well done. I hope you enjoy your new transformed piece of furniture and look forward to seeing you again in one of my other workshops soon."

Pippa Brush Chappell reviewed: Christmas Decorations Berkhamsted HP4

"I'm not the craftiest person ever -- but I've done a couple of workshops now with Helen and I just love them. She could not be nicer in helping you figure out what to do and encouraging you to have a go, and I've been so pleased with what I've made each time. The workshops are always friendly, always relaxed, and always worth signing up for. Helen knows what she's about, for sure, and is a brilliant instructor."

Helen Reeley Gardens responded:

"Thanks Pippa! Great that you guys treat yourselves to a group Christmas gathering at the workshop. Friends are special."

Mirren d'Orville Baglin reviewed: One day stained glass classes by Le Breton Traditional

"Having wanted to try stained glass for a very long time I went to the September one day course. Had an over ambitious project for the day but Matt was very patient and an excellent instructor which allowed me to complete my first piece on the day. The class was fun and relaxed and I met lots of other creative people with varying degrees of skills. Happily I wasn't the only beginner so didn't feel out of my depth. Happy to recommend this workshop to anyone and hope you enjoy it as much as I did."

Kate Howe reviewed: Weekend introductory blacksmithing course 'O' at Quinnell School of Blacksmithing

"Absolutely fabulous ! I can't believe how much we achieved and how quickly we threw ourselves into it. It's quite astounding what we were able to learn and make in such a short space of time thanks to Peats expert tuition. Whilst physical it is very rewarding and it certainly helps you sleep well! Thanks also to the hospitality of the Quinnell family and for the splendid spread of food. Loved every minute of it … a very special weekend."

Chris Bower reviewed: An introduction to wood turning with Gregory Moreton (2 Days)

"Thanks to Gregory's patient teaching style we learned so much in only 2 days. It was relaxed yet perfectly paced to cover everything. I was nervous not having touched a lathe in over 40 years but I was soon gaining in confidence in using the tools and techniques taught by Gregory. We will be back for a further course in wood turning next year."

Katie Wells reviewed: Architectural homage freehand machine embroidery or drawing with thread workshop

"Stacey's machine embroidery workshop at Sands Hotel in Margate was fantastic, I would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn new skills and make new friends. Stacey put so much effort into the preparation for the workshop - she created individual handmade worksheets for everyone in the class, which were each tailored to the specific projects that we had chosen. Stacey is a very patient teacher, with such a warm, bubbly personality, her welcoming presence made the day very special."

Helen Stacey reviewed: Weave a scarf in a day - handloom weaving

"We had a lovely day and at the end of it we each had a scarf that we really liked. Anne is an excellent teacher and extremely patient."

odette owens reviewed: Botanical eco printing workshop

"Fantastic and informative course run by Maggie. Well paced to involve all levels of skill, Maggie demonstrated all steps to producing a lovely silk scarf by the end of the day. Lovely atmosphere and venue. Looking forward to attending the next course and hoping it will be across 2 days."

Hazel Nixon reviewed: Wood turning courses

"Great day with George and have the most beautiful bowl to show for all my efforts and learning on the day. George gives expert tuition with tips and knowledge that can only come from years of experience. This really helped with making the bowl, each stage was well explained and practice was fabulous so you could try different techniques along the way. I have been given the confidence to work with wood and turning in the future. The day was well paced and included plenty of delicious refreshments. I definitely have a new found hobby and can’t wait to do more. Thanks George a great day!”"

Ruth Ford reviewed: Architectural homage freehand machine embroidery or drawing with thread workshop

"Stacey is an inspirational tutor. She has an amazing creative energy and talent that she shares with you. She encourages you to push the boundaries of your own creativity. Love stitching with her and an added bonus is the amazing view from the Sands Hotel over Margate sands and harbour."

Caroline Green reviewed: Make a silver ring: one-to-one workshop

"My mum brought me this as a gift and I had a lovely morning in Angela's workshop making a stack of three rings. I had never done jewellery making before but Angela was a great teacher and I ended the session with some unique rings which I love."