Adult Crafting Workshops
Willow Plant Supports – SOLD OUT
Sunday 6th June 2021, 10am-2:30pm
Brighten up your garden this summer by weaving your very own (huge!) willow support. Measuring roughly five and a half feet in height, these beautiful plant supports are woven out of freshly cut willow. Over time, their vibrant colours will mute down to a lovely dark brown. You can prolong their lifespan by placing them in the shed during winter months and bringing them out again to add seasonal summer beauty to your garden.
This course, led by Carys Dawes, AKA “The Willow Warbler”, will provide all the materials and instruction you will need. It is suitable for beginner weavers or those who have tried it before.
There will be a break in the middle so please bring a packed lunch.
£45 per person, adults only, 5 people max, booking essential
Mindful Mandalas
Sunday 13th June 2021, 2-4pm
Lose yourself in the calming rhythm of stitch as you create your own unique version of this age-old symbolic form. Using dyed vintage woollen blanket pieces, Lindsay Roberts, AKA “The Border Tart”, will help you explore stitch ideas in the round, using only the simplest of stitches and a range of threads. This will enable participants to focus on the soft wool in their hands, the progress of the needle and the patterns it creates with their chosen threads. Participants may finish their small cushion-sized work off at home. All materials will be provided but participants are welcome to bring their own needles and threads or fine yarns if they wish. Extra scissors are always useful. No prior experience or confidence required.
£25 per person, 8 people max, booking essential
Slate Mosaic
Saturday 19th June 2021, 1-4pm
The aim of this workshop led by BAMM artist Marion Ross is to provide the materials, guidance and advice on how to create a small slate mosaic. A variety of cut and uncut slate, coloured glass tile, Italian millefiori and porcelain tiles will be available to choose from.
Bases in a variety of shapes and sizes will also be pre prepared, to allow maximum time for the creative process. All tools and safety equipment will be provided. Please bring an apron to help keep clothes clean or wear something that doesn’t matter if it might get dirty. Also, if possible, bring a cardboard box (30cm x 30cm approx) to take your piece home as the adhesive used will still be wet.
Hopefully everyone will complete their little project on the day!
£40 per person, adults only, 10 people max, booking essential
Beginners Thistle Workshop
Sunday 20th June 2021, 1-4pm
Ideal for first time stitchers or anyone returning to embroidery after a bit of a break, this is a gentle introduction to crewelwork (embroidery with wool on linen twill material).
Susie Finlayson, AKA Susie Stitch, will guide you through some simple stitching to create your own embroidered thistle.
All materials are provided and no prior experience is required..
£25 per person, adults only, 8 people max, booking essential
Bookbinding: Sketchbook Selection
Sunday 27th June 2021, 1-4pm
Learn the art of bookmaking with Cassandra Barron of Bookbinding with Cass. You’ll learn three of her favourite bookbinding techniques and make an Accordion Fold book, Japanese Stab Bound Book and an Exposed Long Stitch leather or pleather journal.
All materials provided, including plain and decorative paper, bookbinding tools, thread and leather.
£60 per person, adults only, 8 people max, booking essential
Introduction to the Art of Pewter Casting
Sunday 4th July 2021, 10am-4pm
Discover the ancient art of pewter drop casting. Melt the pewter over an open fire, in this absorbing and satisfying workshop led by artist Lara Greene. We will use lead free pewter, which looks much like silver. Pewter is an alloy of tin, which is soft and easy to work with. We will look for inspiration in the natural surroundings to create a design, then carve it into plaster block moulds. We will cast the metal & finally fettle & polish the work. Everyone can make one or more unique pieces to take home. You can create jewellery, a mini-sculpture or just a curious object! Please wear non- synthetic clothing if possible.
£50 per person, adults only, 8 people max, booking essential
Felted Strand Necklaces
Saturday 10th July 2021, 1-5pm
During this workshop, you will make a soft felted necklace using pure, reclaimed wool. Once your unique wool colour combination has been chosen, learn how to fashion them into felted strands using only olive oil soap, water – and a bit of effort! These beautiful necklaces, devised by workshop leader Lara Greene, add an eye-catching feature to any plain outfit, whether casual or more dressy. They feel light and comfy to wear. Also great for new or expecting mums. Workshop suitable for any level of experience but you need to be happy working with your hands and arms.
£28 per person, adults only, 8 people max, booking essential
Paisley Pattern Workshop
Sunday 11th July 2021, 10am-3pm
Spend a day with Susie FInlayson, AKA Susie Stitch, learning some new stitches while creating your very own piece of embroidery based on the iconic Paisley pattern. All materials are provided with additional materials available to purchase if required.
By the end of the day you will have tried your hand at stem stitch, back stitch, French knots and satin stitch, as well as doing a little bit of whipping and seeding!
No prior experience is required. Bring your own lunch.
£35 per person, adults only, 8 people max, booking essential
Slow Stitchin’ Blues
Wednesday 14th July 2021, 6:30-8:30pm
This workshop provides a wonderful opportunity to experiment with boro-style hand stitching, using a multitude of indigo and other blue fabrics from around the world. Using a wide range of woven fabrics and a simple palette of thread shades, Lindsay Roberts, AKA The Border Tart, will teach participants how to stitch a sampler sized piece, which participants may finish off at home as a framed work, padded table mat or feature panel in a larger item. All materials will be provided but participants are welcome to bring their own needles, embroidery threads, scissors and fabric scraps if they wish. No prior experience required.
£25 per person, adults only, 8 people max, booking essential
Mosaic Pendant
Saturday 17th July 2021, 1-3pm
The aim of this workshop with BAMM artist Marion Ross is to provide the materials, guidance and advice on how to create a mosaic pendant. A wide variety of coloured glass tile, beads, including Italian millefiori, and porcelain tile will be available to choose from. And of course as a selection of different shapes, sizes and colours of bases. All other tools and materials are provided. Everyone will go home with their very own personal piece that they have designed and made.
£25 per person, adults only, 8 people max, booking essential
Needle Felted Creatures
Sunday 18th July 2021, 1:30-4pm
Led by Borders-based fibre artist Christie Wilson, AKA Nutmeg & Cece, this workshop is suitable for absolute beginners to the art of needle felting. All materials are provided: felting pad, two needles and wool. There will be a variety of natural fibres, including some from resident alpacas and sheep At Birkhill House as well as wool blended especially for this workshop, to choose from.
£26 per person, adults only, 6 people max, booking essential
Outdoor Creative Writing Workshop with Elisabeth Kelly
Tuesday 20th July 2021, 10:30am-12:30pm
To celebrate the launch of her debut pamphlet Carbon (Hedgehog Poetry Press, 2021) and her Slim pamphlet Mind Mathematics (HybridDreich 2021), Elisabeth is running workshops to look at how paying attention to our world can help us be creative and focus on expressing ourselves through creative writing.
The workshop will talk you through Elisabeth’s experience of reconnecting with our natural world and creative writing. She will lead you through a number of exercises that will stimulate your creative side. You will explore poetry as a source of expression, and create a poem to take home if you would like.
This will be a relaxed session, you will never be under any pressure to share or contribute, but likewise we will create a safe non-judgmental space to share writing and provide feedback.
Donation only, 8 people max, booking essential
Bookbinding: Layered Cross Stitch
Wednesday 21st July 2021, 6-9pm
Create an A6 journal with Cassandra Barron of Bookbinding with Cass with a leather or vegan leather cover and a mix of plain & patterned papers, all bound together with an eye-catching decorative exposed stitch. These 48 page books make for great sketchbooks, journals and notebooks – a fun personal project or a gift for someone special!
All materials provided, including plain and decorative paper, bookbinding tools, thread and leather.
£55 per person, adults only, 8 people max, booking essential
Oil Painting
Sunday 25th July 2021, 1-4pm
Learn to paint in the style of Frans Hals, one of the Netherlands’ famed “Golden Age” painters. Under the tutorage of Selkirk-based artist Joy Parker, with a live model present, you will learn the stages of painting a life-sized portrait in just a few hours, using inspiration from this master portrait artist. Participants will be using canvas boards to work on, with water mixable oils. This class is suitable for beginners. Equally, it would be a good exercise for people building up portfolios.
£45 per person, adults only, 8 people max, booking essential
Portrait of an Alpaca: Outdoor Mosaics
Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th August 2021 July 2021, 10am-4pm each day
Make a mosaic portrait of an alpaca for your garden!
After spending time with the alpacas At Birkhill House, polymath artist Joy Parker was inspired to create a mosaic of Jessie, the matriarch of the herd. Inspired by the process, she devised a workshop based specifically around the tranquil grounds of Birkhill in order to create garden mosaics based on our majestic camelid friends.
This is a two-day course in which you will have the opportunity to meet and sketch alpacas in the beautiful surroundings of Birkhill House. Joy will lead you through your sketching and then show you how to make a substrate in a shape of your choice. After completing your substrate, you will select your tiles and begin your portrait, spending the second day entirely on your mosaic.
£140 per person, adults only, 8 people max, booking essential
Previous events
Origami flowers
Origami Christmas Tree Ornaments
Papercutting
Zoom crafting
Wet Felting
Lino cutting
Origami heart bunting
Bookbinding
Upcycle extravaganza!