I was very pleased to be back at Made and Making for a Creative Stitchscapes workshop last week. Creative Stitchscapes is pretty much code for, you make what you want, and everyone comes out with something totally different. I never know quite where a workshop will take us, what the focus will be, what skill levels I'm working with... it's a challenge and I love it.
Sometimes I get repeat customers which is always lovely, but this time it was six total newbies, all very keen, who gelled together nicely and we had some great conversations and sharing of ideas. It's nice when strangers in a class have something in common because they all encourage each other and chivvy each other along which just makes the day so lovely.
The workshops are never long enough to finish a piece - they aren't really long enough to get properly started but, in the time we have, the goal is to get your fabrics all chosen, cut out and tacked before lunch time, then spend the rest of the afternoon playing with stitches and talking through plans for how to finish the hoop. I will demonstrate the same stitch as many times as required and sit on the floor next to someone to talk them through a bullion knot or similar for as long as they need (as long as there isn't a queue of questions from the others).
It would be lovely to have a Stitchscape retreat and spend a couple of days working on a piece in a beautiful location.
Attendees approach these days differently, they either just want to get out of the house and play around with something creative whilst chatting and drinking tea and having some 'me' time or. they really want to focus and learn and get the most out of the day, extracting as much information from me as possible and trying every stitch in the book! Rather than working methodically through the layers like you would normally do, it's often quite sporadic, adding different stitches here and there to get the feel of them before moving on - and actually that's the beauty of the Stitchscapes, it doesn't matter where you start or how long you work on a section, it's not going anywhere and there isn't a specific order. There is no right or wrong (which is pretty much my mantra).
Sadly the others escaped before I had a chance to photograph their work. The end of a class can be a strangely abrupt time where, as you are talking to one person, the rest pack up and try to sneak off with their work hidden in the bag! If I can't catch them they just - poof! - disappear on me with a smile and wave and a "thank you for the lovely day" wafting back through the door.
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