Latest reviews

30 Jul 17'

Gillian Widdowson reviewed: Machine embroidery - stitch doodling with Julie Brand at Tigley Textiles in Worcester

"I have just had the most enjoyable day learning a new craft. Julie is kind, patient and most of all, knowledgeable. Who needs therapy when you can spend a day learning free motion embroidery ?! Thoroughly recommend."

30 Jul 17'

Nina Muir reviewed: Weekend upholstery courses - Oxfordshire & Berkshire Borders

"What an enjoyable weekend course of upholstery! Philip is a brilliant teacher with amazing patience and is very knowledgable and willing to answer all aspects of the subject. Great to meet other students with a wide range of furniture to also learn about. I will definitely be going back for another course and look forward to completing another project. Thank you"

30 Jul 17'

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

"Thank you for an enjoyable and fun day. You had great and informed teaching skills. Would love to be able to come again ( from Australia)."

30 Jul 17'

Lesley Issac Penny reviewed: Machine embroidery - stitch doodling with Julie Brand at Tigley Textiles in Worcester

"A really lovely enjoyable day. I had absolutely no experience of machine embroidery but felt quite confident by the end of the course. Really want to carry on and try other styles and techniques- lampshades, panels etc- can't wait!"

30 Jul 17'

Aidan and Felicity reviewed: One day welding course: an introduction

"Thank you Julian for a fantastic 2 days. The first day we spent learning how to weld and the second creating our own sculptures, which involved welding annealing and some blacksmithing. We certainly had plenty of hands on experience, which was fantastic"

30 Jul 17'

Crisiant reviewed: Artisan Printmaking Weekend Course

"I loved every minute of this weekend printing course. Nicola is an excellent teacher with lots of patience and I was able to complete several prints on cloth and paper even though I was an absolute beginner. I highly recommend this course."

30 Jul 17'

Adrian Lambert reviewed: Coil Pottery | Short Course

"A good day that gave me the basics of making and finishing coil pots. Deiniol is patient and relaxed but manages to sneak a fair bit of information into your head about the finer points of working with clay. He lets you get on with it as much as you can but is happy to step in if things are going awry, which they did for one of my two pots that I made over the course of the day. One is now functioning as a water jug at home, the other which was a vase - because I faffed around when choosing the surface finish, was only bisque fired. Deiniol has since helped me finish it (actually my kids did it!) and I'm looking forward to seeing the finished item. I absolutely exceeded my expectations, but as there's still plenty of room for improvement I'm hanging out to do more and see if I can't do better the second time. I started thinking afterwards that a hand made jug and vase would cost more than the course fee too, so it was well worth it."

30 Jul 17'

colm reviewed: Portmeirion crafts retreats

"Thanks to everybody for an excellent weekend. Was given it as a gift. Never done anything like this before. I would recommend it to anybody."

30 Jul 17'

Daniel Patton reviewed: Timber framing courses

"It’s quite hard to convey what an awesome experience the last two weeks have been. In terms of learning about green oak timber framing, Alan is a very gifted teacher. He has somehow managed to tailor the teachings perfectly to accommodate the varying levels of experience within the group. And he does this with such great patience and humour! Alan was also assisted by his equally talented son Connor who was very generous with his time, both during the daytime timber framing, and the evening axe throwing and archery shenanigans! I now know enough to get started on my own small projects and I have the bug to learn more about Green Oak Timber framing. The food was incredible, and I say this as a fussy eater. I was never felt wanting for anything else, although my wife is now subtly suggesting a diet is in order! Many thanks Mary! Finally, the fellow members of the group seemed to be the icing on the cake. I felt lucky to be joined by such a varied group of awesome people who all had a common interest in being creative with the idea of eventually building something from timber. In summary, an amazing couple of weeks which will never be forgotten! Thank you to all involved! Dan"

30 Jul 17'

J.N. reviewed: Portmeirion crafts retreats

"Loved it, this is perfect for people who think they don't have a creative bone in their body, turns out we all do, it's just a case of finding the right thing for you and your own area of creativity. I'm now hooked, a total creativity convert."

29 Jul 17'

Michael Fendrych reviewed: Ceramics/Pottery workshops in Edinburgh area

"Just started this course and I'm very impressed with the quality of teaching and very friendly environment.Highly recommended. Michael"

29 Jul 17'

Emma reviewed: Introduction to green woodworking - make a stool or small table

"Didn't know I'd be able to do it but it was great! Fresh air, great food and came home with my rustic stool which has pride of place in my kitchen. Highly recommend if you want to get away from the rat race for a couple of days."

29 Jul 17'

Nick Godley reviewed: Advanced Timber Framing Course

"Back to the woods for the advanced timber framing course and was again blown away by how hospitable Alan and the family are and enjoyed the week immensely! The main problem was that the week seemed to be over in a blink. Going back again before the year is out. If the courses keep running, ill keep going!"

29 Jul 17'

Roger Hoey reviewed: Learn to Turn in the Dartmoor National Park

"I have just had, I think, my third visit here. Chris is endlessly patient & an extremely good teacher. Part of yesterday was devoted to setting up my bench grinder for sharpening, I might add that all this was at my request. After that I made a lovely bowl out of sweet chestnut. Anybody out there & thinking of giving woodturning a go, this is the chap you want. Needless to say I shall be back!!"

29 Jul 17'

Tamsin reviewed: Introduction to Green Wood Furniture Making - 2 Day Course in South Devon

"My best weekend in years! I never thought I could do it but turns out I could - thanks to skilled and patient teaching from Pete and apprentice Joe, and the friendly support of a lovely bunch of fellow learners. Pete doesn't do it for you, and I admit to the occasional weak moment where I wished he would; instead he conveys calm confidence that you will 'get it' and so of course you do - and that makes you doubly proud of the finished product. I'm so chuffed with my stool - not without it's 'quirky' features but completely functional and gorgeous - and am seriously wondering what to make next. Thank you to everyone who made it such a great couple of days."

28 Jul 17'

Emma reviewed: Introduction to Frame Loom Weaving

"I had a lovely day learning to weave at Alice's unique studio in Old Portsmouth. It was so interesting and therapeutic to learn something new, and to be taught by someone with extensive knowledge and experience of the craft. It was great to be able to buy some equipment at the end too - a beautiful, handcrafted loom and a variety of shuttles. Thoroughly recommend."

28 Jul 17'

Chris Jackson reviewed: Woodturning in Devon with Colin Simpson

"I spent 2 fantastic days with Colin, learning the basics of wood turning. Aside from him being a thoroughly nice bloke, Colin is extremely thorough when explaining techniques. Nothing is too much trouble and if a question arises which is at a tangent to the project you are working on, he often 'chucked up' a rough piece of wood in a spare lathe to demonstrate his point. Colin is a great instructor. He is extremely patient and he explains everything clearly, but mostly, he ensures that you get plenty of time on the lathe to master the techniques he passes on. I now need to put into practice what I have learned, but I will definitely be back for more training in the near future."

28 Jul 17'

David Ramsden reviewed: Introduction to traditional green wood turning course

"An excellent introduction to the craft, under the tutelage of Simon. He is a great teacher, and his passion and knowledge of both the craft and the forestry that supports it shine through. A great relaxing, learning day. Thanks Simon."

28 Jul 17'

Nick and Niladri reviewed: Throwing & hand-building pottery workshops £64 per person for 2 hour workshop

"Thanks Catherine for a wonderful day. We had real fun on the wheel and it was a brilliant introduction to working with clay. We would highly recommend your courses to anyone who is interested."

28 Jul 17'

Alison Humphries reviewed: 1 Day Fused Glass for beginners workshop at The Silver Zebra studio Cheshire - Est 2004

"This was a fabulous introduction for a beginner with lots of information about materials and techniques provided. Deborah is encouraging and helpful and the templates and ideas given help you to make the most of the day. I can see why people get addicted to this craft! There is a lovely lunch provided as well as tea and coffee as required. Thanks very much to Deborah at the Silver Zebra for sharing her skills, experience and enthusiasm."

28 Jul 17'

Fraser Petrie reviewed: Timber framing courses

"The week I spent at Hewnwood with Alan and his family was quite simply one the best weeks of my life - and I've had a few good ones...! Alan, Mary, Connor and of course (bow of the head m'lady) Alice, are a lovely family and you feel more like a family friend than a student. The pace & content of the course is relaxed and informal however very 'cleverly' matched to not only the needs of the group but to each and every individual. The many positive reviews so far are testamont to the consistency of Alan & Mary's recipe for a great week. Talking about recipes, as has been mentioned so many times, Mary does an amazing job of creating fantastic food in very challenging circumstances - akin to the royal family dining 5 star whilst on a shoot in the wilderness. The only negative comment would be that my wife was expecting me to be slimmer on my return after a week wild camping in the woods - oh dear.... I will definitely be putting all I learnt to good use and will be returning to show the results to the teacher (and Alice of course x) and hope to meet some or all of the other students who all made the week so enjoyable. If you are able to camp as opposed to going home every night then I would highly recommend that you do as the nights by the fire with music and laughter is not to be missed. Alan, Mary et al... thank you again, it was an absolute pleasure to meet you all x PS. Alan, get on with the cob oven...! PPS. Save a beaver, choose chocolate...!!"

28 Jul 17'

Sue Sawyer reviewed: Introduction to Spoon Carving

"What a brilliant day we had, carving a spoon from what started out as a large lump of wood! A really informative and relaxing day with expert tuition from Chris, a kind and patient instructor. A lovely setting in a quiet woodland workshop with only the birdsong for distraction. Also included was a lovely lunch with homemade soup, perfect on a rainy day and a slice of cake during the afternoon break. I would highly recommend this day, all your other cares and worries disappear as you strive to produce a perfect spoon. Well, maybe not prefect when you see the delicate spoons Chris has carved, but perfect to me as my first attempt. Thank you Chris for a great day, and thank you Lainey (I hope the spelling is correct) for a tasty and filling lunch. Best wishes Sue"

27 Jul 17'

Jane Winship reviewed: Machine patchwork courses with Green Man Quilts

"Had a wonderful day with Sheena today. I learnt so much about my machine and how I can get so much more from it. Sheena is an exceptional teacher and makes things so much easier. I've got a lot to practise which I know I will enjoy. This was a real fun day and so enriching. Thank you so much Sheena."

27 Jul 17'

Susan G reviewed: Upholstery and upcycling furniture and interiors

"Fabulous class - our second time as we enjoyed it so much before. Even better this time with brilliant instruction, great company, lovely surroundings and home made food - what more could you ask!"

27 Jul 17'

Tony reviewed: Furniture painting workshops / Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

"I wanted to say a big Thank You to you for a very enjoyable day. I know my wife enjoyed it too and it was relaxing, informative, fun and educational and has inspired both of us to just "have a go". As you know, she is the "crafty" one in our home and it was just great for me to join her for an event, something to do as a couple and definitely something we will both do in the future. We got some paint etc from the Packhouse so we're all set. Thanks for making me so welcome and I'm so glad I came along. Tony"