Latest reviews

9 Mar 15'

Linda Atkinson reviewed: Timber framing courses

"Without a doubt this is the best course I have been on in my life! I was a bit intimidated by the idea of attending a course I knew nothing about, and a bit worried about being a female in a male dominated field of interest, but I had nothing to fear. Alan and his crew, and his adorable family, made me feel right at home. I would say to anyone thinking about doing this course - JUST DO IT - you will never regret it - and you will have memories to last a life time."

8 Mar 15'

Jan Ashford reviewed: Spinning, weaving and dyeing - Monthly on a Saturday

"There are a range of people attending classes doing spinning, weaving and knitting so providing an opportunity to learn about different aspects of all three crafts from both people attending and Alison's instruction."

8 Mar 15'

Jacqui Wright reviewed: Hand spinning for beginners at Cartmel Handspun

"A huge thank you to Elaine for sharing her knowledge with me. Today I completed my beginners spinning course and am absolutely hooked! I'm now looking to buy my own wheel and looking foward to making lots of new friends."

8 Mar 15'

Sue Fish reviewed: Wire & mixed media sculpture courses with James Ort

"Just come back from another wire and mixed media weekend course with James, its always such fun. He is not only very encouraging, but has a wonderful eye for anatomy, and comes up with amazing ideas for building the details of the sculptures. I thoroughly recommend his courses!"

8 Mar 15'

Sara Howard reviewed: Wire & mixed media sculpture courses with James Ort

"Excellent teacher, lovely studio with a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Will definitely go again!"

8 Mar 15'

Morgan Stace reviewed: Firebird Forge Blacksmithing School

"Mort's tuition was thoroughly enjoyable, made more so by the relaxed and flexible manner that he teaches. Being a fan of history and craftsmanship Mort provided interesting conversation throughout the day. However, the best part of the course was having the joy and satisfaction of coming home with objects that i had chosen to make and created with my own hands."

8 Mar 15'

Angela Arherton reviewed: Pembrokeshire Maddie Janes Mosaic

"I didn't know what to expect when I decided to go with a group of ladies as I'm useless at art, but this is so different. Maddie and Penny put you at ease straight away and before long I was in my own world. The studio is fantastic, full of equipment and a beautiful log burner . I made a mosaic mirror and am so pleased with it. Will definitely come back again."

7 Mar 15'

Angela reviewed: One day introductory course to candle making

"Informative and productive. Gained a lot of knowledge."

6 Mar 15'

Yolanda reviewed: Beginners Hand spinning - 'From fleece to fibre’ - at All in a Spin

"Thank you Dunja, I had a fantastic day last Saturday on your beginners spinning course. The course is very well organized and gives a good grounding in hand spinning techniques with an excellent introduction to different kind of fleeces and how to select and care for them. Dunja shared her knowledge in a warm and humble way addressing the group or making it individual as we needed it. You can really feel how much Dunja loves wool and everything related. Her teaching skills are excellent; very well balance the information and the practical. I’m looking forward to returning for the advance course in a few weeks."

5 Mar 15'

Sandra dale reviewed: Jewellery making - Beautiful stitched vintage cuffs

"I came on this workshop with 4 friends and we all had the most fabulous time. We were all so impressed at to what we were able to create within the 3 hours and have continued to make additional cuffs since with the understanding of the technique wonderfully taught and clearly presented. Loved the cakes, especially the chocolate cupcakes. We would all come back again to Amanda's beautiful workshop and recommend this course to anyone wanting to create fabulous accessories."

5 Mar 15'

Lynda Clark reviewed: Beginners Weaving with the Rigid Heddle Loom - at All in a Spin

"I absolutely fell in love with weaving. Spent the day on a 16" rigid heddle loom and ending up buying one from Dunja and going home with it. 2 weeks on and still in love with weaving. A great introduction to an amazing craft"

5 Mar 15'

Lynda Clark reviewed: Improvers Hand Spinning - Next Steps in Hand Spinning - at All in a Spin

"Had a fabulous day and loved what I created. The location, Dunja and the tuition were all amazing. Would highly recommend it."

4 Mar 15'

Liza reviewed: 121 - An Introduction to Cold Process Soap Making

"I had my first learning course about cold process soap making and it was a wonderful experienced with the help of Emma.I was a bit nervous to start with the course however, you've made it easier for me to understand. Thank you very much for the patience and support in providing me knowledge about soap making. I highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to do something different. Thank you again."

4 Mar 15'

Ali and Sorrel Russell reviewed: Moulded leather rucksack

"What a wonderful course! In three days we learnt how to mould wet leather into a clamp mould...very scary! .....and on to make the finished moulds into two finished bags. As always the tuition was excellent, clear, informative, and with each person going at their own pace. Gaynor and Enya were, as always, patient and happy to answer any questions giving us all lots of confidence in our ability. We left with lots of information and the skill to make another bag on our own. All this as well as a lovely gang of other students made for a fun three days Cant wait to return for the five day course in the Autumn With Fond Regards Ali and Sorrel....or Laurel !"

3 Mar 15'

Craig Parker reviewed: Candle making workshops

"I took my girlfriend on Angharad's candle making course at the end of February. Right from the very first interaction I had the whole thing was wonderful. Angharad was kind enough to send over lots of information on the course and the local area so that we could really make the most of our stay. This included hotel recommendations, other points of interest and even different craft courses nearby. The workshop is set in beautiful countryside that is honestly breath-taking, a really nice place to do something like candle making. We found Angharad to be very knowledgeable and she had what I can only imagine to be every different type of candle making implement or material there is. As it was St David's day Angharad was kind enough to invite us into her home for some traditional Welsh Cowl (which was delicious) and was a really memorable part of the day. We left having made 8 candles and despite me being the least arty person in the world, they actually looked good! (A sign of an excellent teacher) I couldn't recommend the workshop any more highly."

3 Mar 15'

Liz Baldwin reviewed: Improvers Hand Spinning - Next Steps in Hand Spinning - at All in a Spin

"I did this the day after a he beginners course and despite being a novice spinner I learnt a lot about how to choose fibres and prepare them in different ways and got to play with blending on a board and a drum carder which was both fun and very informative. I came away from the two days feeling that I really understood what I am trying to do so now I just need to practice. The farm is a lovely place to spend a couple of days and Dunja is an excellent teacher. Would recommend this to anyone who wants to start to explore fibres and how to prepare them and learn some new spinning techniques. I am sure I will be back for a weaving course at some point."

3 Mar 15'

Liz Baldwin reviewed: Beginners Hand spinning - 'From fleece to fibre’ - at All in a Spin

"I am amazed at how much I learnt in a day! it was as enjoyable as it was educational. Dunja is a superb teacher, she is gentle and patient and paces the day to suit everyone. She obviously loves to spin as much as she loves to teach. I did the beginners and advanced courses on consecutive days which was quite tiring although it never felt like hard work. I would recommend this to anyone who is just starting to learn to spin. Fabulous cake as well."

3 Mar 15'

Sue Harrison reviewed: Rag Rug Half Day Workshop - Hertfordshire

"Very helpful course for beginners. Great surroundings and company. Instructor has enormous passion and enthusiasm. Great examples and inspiration on how to apply. Would have liked the course to have been longer so that we had more time to apply our learning."

3 Mar 15'

lucy walters reviewed: Beginners Hand spinning - 'From fleece to fibre’ - at All in a Spin

"What a fantastic day. On arrival I was able to find Dunja helping a lamb arrive in to the world. That was magical. The farm have some wonderful views. The spinning course was just what I needed. Dunja went through all yhe different types of fleece and how to care for it. It was really nice to have it broken down and explained clearly. The spinning aspect was a bit difficult for me, but Dunja patience helped me through and she had loads of tips. It was just a fantastic day. Would highly recommend if u are wanting to learn the skill of spinning.......... P.s. Lunch provided was just lush. :-)"

3 Mar 15'

Matthew Grattan reviewed: Carve a Rocking Horse Head Course

"A great experience which I can thoroughly recommend. Everyone at the Rocking Horse Shop was so welcoming and friendly - it really feels like you're not just doing a course - more like being welcomed into a community of like-minded people. Having never 'carved' more than anything than the slot for a door hinge with a blunt chisel (!) I was curious to see how well I would fare on what seemed to be a rather daunting challenge, but Tony's teaching is first class and his approach is steady, methodical and patient - allowing you to build your skills at the right pace without ever feeling rushed or overwhelmed. For that reason I found the course not just an excellent learning experience but also a great way to relax and clear the mind. The number of students (6) is just right, and the balance of woodworking, rocking horse history, finishing tips and general banter was spot on. Now I just need to get on and finish my horse! ;-)"

3 Mar 15'

Jullie Keyser reviewed: Carve a Rocking Horse Head Course

"I received this course as a Christmas present and as I had never done anything like this before I was very nervous at the start of the first morning. Tony Dew and the rest of the staff really put everyone at ease right from the moment we arrived. The tuition was excellent with group demonstrations each step of the way and everyone received just the right amount of individual support. This course gave me the confidence to believe that I can carve a large rocking horse. The Rocking Horse Shop is a beautiful place to visit for anyone interested in rocking horses, they have so many on display, old and new. I would recommend this course to anyone whatever their woodworking experience."

2 Mar 15'

Avril Gardner reviewed: Crochet for Beginners

"I have just enjoyed this course. The teacher was excellent. She was friendly, easy to talk to and had planned and paced the day really well. We covered every aspect of crochet, from different types of hooks and yarns to reading and understanding patterns. We also were taught the stitches and techniques so that it was possible to create our own piece of work. From complete novice to this all in one day!"

2 Mar 15'

Ruth reviewed: Spinning, weaving and dyeing - Monthly on a Saturday

"I love coming to this class. Alison patiently teaches us everything we want to know about spinning and weaving and more."

1 Mar 15'

Irene MacRaild reviewed: Tapestry weaving workshop for beginners

"I had a lovely relaxing day in picturesque surroundings doing something I enjoy with likeminded people, perfect. Jane was on hand to offer encouragement and suggest different ways to approach my weaving, there was a huge selection of yarns and colours - something for everyone. Jane's husband Graham prepared a lovely lunch and there was tea/coffee, cakes and wine - wine's always good."

1 Mar 15'

Zoe gibson reviewed: A Day of Crochet Workshops - Broomstick and Freeform

"I invited Sarah into my primary school to work her magic on a commemorative piece for our schools 60 year anniversary. She was very professional throughout coming up with dome fabulous ideas and integrating our own designs. She worked with every child in the school from age 4-11 years to create 3 very large felt panels depicting images from our school life. The finished product is amazing. Her enthusiasm, skill and passion in what she does shone throughout the week. Thank you."