Latest reviews

28 Jan 18'

Alison reviewed: Full day leather craft workshop

"What a fab day! The course was paced exactly to meet our needs and with 4 people there we were all able to work at our own speed on different projects. Rosanna had a wide range of project ideas for us to choose from and a huge choice of leather colours ensuring we all came away with unique products to be proud of. I am fully inspired and ready to start my own projects with a new range of skills in place. Thanks Rosanna!"

28 Jan 18'

Ralph reviewed: Woodturning courses in Hampshire - Beginners and improvers wood turning courses - Turn British, all British lathes!!

"I’m recently bought my first lathe as a beginner but realised I needed more guidance despite having attended another course. Andy tailored the two days to my needs. He taught me how to sharpen my tools properly and how to mount work safely. He also encouraged me to try different cutting techniques and not to be afraid of the skew chisel! He is a real expert and patiently helps develop confidence. I’d happily recommend Andy, and I’m likely to go for a refresher in the future. Martine also provides great food!"

28 Jan 18'

Jenny reviewed: Felt art -(wet felting )with Debra Esterhuizen, Appleby , Cumbria

"I have now attended 2 workshops with Debra. I am an enthusiastic but inexperienced felter. The confidence and knowledge gained from Debra is wonderful. Debra is a very generous teacher. There are so many resources to use in her workshop and the space created by all the wonderful felt art on the walls and boxes and boxes of wool, silks and ribbons is really inspirational. Thank you Debra for another really good day yesterday. I'm thrilled with the pieces I made and look forward to joining you again soon."

28 Jan 18'

Julian Clappison reviewed: Beginners introductory pyrography course in Lincolnshire

"Susan's Pyrography course was well thought out and well equipped. She has a very relaxed way of getting her craft and her skill over to her students. The course itself was both interesting and informative. I can't draw or very arty but Susan gave me the skills and confidence to take up this amazing hobby that I have wanted to do for a very long time."

27 Jan 18'

Rachael reviewed: Full day leather craft workshop

"I had a fantastic day ! Rosanna made us all feel very welcome from the get go. Encouraged us to be experimental with our own projects/ideas. Wasn’t phased by the quantity we wanted to make( I made 6items ) Rosanna was extremely patient and friendly. Her workshop/ retail outlet is beautifully located ! Would recommend this course whole heartedly. I attended the One Day course. Many Thanks Rosanna I will definitely be booking again."

27 Jan 18'

Andrew Jackson reviewed: Wood turning tuition, New Forest, Hampshire (1 day) (2 people)

"The consistent 5 star assessments on this site truly reflect the excellence of the teaching. It is clear that many people have been surprised by what they can achieve, under the guidance of an master craftsman, in a very short time. We were no exception. It was a thoroughly rewarding and enjoyable day. If you wish to try your hand at wood turning, this is the place to come. If you wish to take it further, Graham is keen to advise you."

27 Jan 18'

Gillian reviewed: Felt art -(wet felting )with Debra Esterhuizen, Appleby , Cumbria

"A wonderful day of creativity, learning and fun. Being given a huge selection of wools, silks and ribbons alongside huge amounts of enthusiasm and support from Debra ensured that even I produced 2pieces of work that I am pleased to show to family and friends! The Hub is a fabulous learning environment thank you Debra!"

27 Jan 18'

Phil Francis reviewed: Hand forged rustic knife course

"Went with a friend and after a slight delay finding the forge (at the end of the road but it looked like it was No Access) had a fantastic time. Andy is a great teacher and doesn't rush you. It is really exciting to see the blade emerging from the steel after all the hammering. Even more fun is cleaning up on the grinders. The finished blade looks much better than i thought it would! I'm definitely intending to go back"

27 Jan 18'

Tina Townsend reviewed: Silk painting workshops

"I had a really great day. Bridget was a patient and friendly tutor. I produced something I was really proud of and am hooked . Goodbye acrylics. It’s fun forgiving and very effective . Will be doing it again for sure."

27 Jan 18'

Sue Resuggan reviewed: Machine embroidery - stitch doodling with Julie Brand at Tigley Textiles in Worcester

"What a lovely day! I have learned so much. Julie is an excellent teacher. Engrossing, creative and therapeutic workshop!"

27 Jan 18'

Sandra allport reviewed: Machine embroidery - stitch doodling with Julie Brand at Tigley Textiles in Worcester

"A very informative and lovely day. Great inspirational course. Highly recommend to friends."

27 Jan 18'

Becca kenny reviewed: Machine embroidery - stitch doodling with Julie Brand at Tigley Textiles in Worcester

"Thank you for a great Christmas present. Really enjoyable day learning new techniques which I will continue at home."

27 Jan 18'

Lia palios reviewed: Machine embroidery - stitch doodling with Julie Brand at Tigley Textiles in Worcester

"Any anxiety I had at the beginning of the day was swiftly blown away by Julie's wonderful welcome and the friendly group. The whole day was relaxed and fun and Julie was able to give clear instructions and encourage creativity I didn't think I had. I have come away from the day eager to carry in with free motion embroidery and will definitely be bringing my friends to another one of her workshops in the near future. Had a great day!"

27 Jan 18'

Oli Foulds reviewed: A General Leatherwork Skill Day

"Hands down the best course I've ever been on. In anything. Solid 5 stars. Perfect for the beginner, this is a fantastic hands-on experience mixed with the theory behind it all and a fascinating history lesson thrown in too, all set at a pace that gives you plenty of time for it to sink in. It's amazing what you can learn to do in a day! I walked through the door with no knowledge of leatherwork whatsoever but over the next few hours I was able to go through the core techniques and then actually put them all into action and produce something that I will be able to keep forever. Nigel's friendly, patient, expert guidance all the way made it not only a great learning experience but an absolute joy from start to finish. The day is centred entirely around what you want to achieve and I couldn't fault a single thing. Outstanding tuition in a beautiful craft - I would strongly recommend this course to anyone who wants to give leatherwork a go. This is absolutely the way to start."

27 Jan 18'

Deborah Oxberry reviewed: Silverclay beginners jewellery workshop in Newcastle upon Tyne

"My friend and I were interested in doing this course, but we have limited availability owing to work (and other) commitments. Claire was very accommodating and offered a course for just the two of us. We were both totally new to silver clay work, and found the course interesting - it was hands-on and we managed to come away with pieces that we had made and more importantly, that we could actually use. Claire was very friendly, and we enjoyed meeting her dog Daisy, who made us very welcome too! Claire had a lot of equipment for us to use and gave us lots of tips in case we wanted to try using silver clay at home, including written information for us to take away."

27 Jan 18'

Oli Foulds reviewed: Introduction to leatherwork with Armitage Leather

27 Jan 18'

Helen Dowson reviewed: Knitting workshops in Leeds City Centre

"I would really highly recommend this course. Anne explains, demonstrates and then helps you to have a go yourself, and by the end of two hours I could crochet! I am absolutely delighted, and am already very happily making a blanket. I am planning to take a friend soon for her birthday, and will hopefully get some more pointers myself then too! The cafe is a lovely location, and the coffee and cake just add to the great experience."

27 Jan 18'

Hannah Shepherd reviewed: Container candlemaking course and wax melts with afternoon tea

"I had a great day in a lovely, laid back and fun day. The instructor was really friendly and had lots of tips for making candles cheaply at home. I came away with five candles and lots of tips. Brilliant day."

27 Jan 18'

Rhona hobson reviewed: Make a silver ring or bangle

"Lucy is incredibly knowledgeable. She has a great teaching style and it felt very like we worked together. She is informative and thoughtful in her approach. I have been hobbying for some time and working with Lucy has given me the confidence to move on to the next step of casting. The documented photos of progress are great reminders and the resources Lucy shared super helpful. Great to learn from a fabulous craftswoman like Lucy."

27 Jan 18'

Sharon Carson reviewed: Hedgerow basketmaking holiday

"i had a great weekend at Basket weaving. Jane was so patient & passionate with us all. The atmosphere was contagious. For my first time i was impressed, I would be interested to book another course ."

27 Jan 18'

Annette Hales reviewed: Silversmithing Jewellery One Day Tailored Workshop at Brightsmiths: One to One tuition

"I had a lovely and rewarding day at Brightsmiths Workshop which is located in a beautiful setting. Rosie is an excellent teacher and I learnt through a wonderful hands on experience which helps with retaining processes taught. She teaches amazing attention to detail and so the silver ring I made was so well finished. My husband was very impressed and tried hard to find a join- which of course he couldn't !! I really want to return to learn more skills and would fully recommend a day here to anyone who wants to learn this craft."

26 Jan 18'

Michael Spinks reviewed: Introduction to leatherwork with Armitage Leather

"I recently had a days tuition with Nigel. During this time we covered stitching, pattern making, leather cutting and tools. To start with the improvement in my stitching has been, in my opinion, transformational. I can't recommend that highly enough. Next we covered pattern making, cutting, edging all areas I sought to improve. Essential to avoiding costly mistakes on the more expensive leather. Nigel is wealth of knowledge and extremely open about tools, suppliers on the market. It was an invaluable days training, which I hope to repeat."

26 Jan 18'

Tony reviewed: Stonecarving Weekend, Gloucestershire Cotswolds

"My partner and I, with four friends, attended the introductory stone carving course given by Sebastian last weekend. I was keen to try stone carving as this is a material that I have no experience of working with at all. It was intriguing working with Bath Stone (quiet a soft stone) and pleasing results were obtained rather more promptly than I had thought was possible. It was a strangely compelling task and the time flew by. Sebastian is a very supportive and enthusiastic teacher and allowed each of us loose to develop our own projects, some of which were well planned and others purely random (such as my own). Despite some cold and wet weather the workshops were sufficiently warm. Conditions are a little basic owing to the relatively remote rural location of the workshops. Moderately aggressive geese guarding the route to the lavatory did cause some consternation among some of the attendees. I would not hesitate to recommend this course to anyone interested in trying stone carving for the first time. It is certainly an activity that I would try again."

26 Jan 18'

Will reviewed: One day blacksmithing course

"Just got home from a great day with Julian! We ‘forged’ (sorry) a great working relationship and I had a thoroughly enjoyable and informative day. Never done black-smithery before and Julian was very patient resulting in me leaving with a most impressive toasting fork that I can honestly say that I produced myself! I wholeheartedly recommend this course ... he makes a cracking brew too!!"

26 Jan 18'

Katherine Tubby reviewed: Denim jeans - be the designer!

"I really enjoyed learning how to draft a pattern from an existing pair of well fitting jeans and make a new bespoke pair. Angela is a wonderful teacher-very easygoing, relaxed and clear in explaining how everything fits together. We very much enjoyed hearing about her experiences working in the industry and also found it interesting using her industrial machines and learning about all the other pieces of kit available to the professionals. Since attending the course I've been able to continue fine tuning my pattern using old fabric, and am heading out now to buy myself lots more denim. It was a great course in a fascinating workshop. Thanks also to Angela's husband for sharing his experiences and also making tea! Highly recommend this course."