Following the announcement of the England Lockdown Exit Strategy, we are rescheduling our March and April classes. We apologise to all who have booked and will be in touch shortly with new dates.
Workshops will resume after 17 May, when the Rule of 6, social distancing and all other safety measures will be re-introduced.
If the new dates are not convenient or future classes are cancelled for Covid related reasons, we will provide a no-quibble refund.
Our Workshops
Heritage Workshops
Contemporary skills & their history.
Wednesdays
(10am – 4pm)
10% discount for x2 Heritage Workshops booked together. Enter HERITAGEFOR2 discount code at check-out.
£20 discount for all four North Country Quilt Embroidery Classes booked together. Enter 4SEASONS discount code at check-out.
NB only one discount code can be used at a time.
Saturday Skills
Classes to learn the basics & specialist skills.
Saturdays
(10am – 1pm)
Traditional Teddies
Beginner’s & Advanced mohair teddybear making, plus an optional accessories class later in the year.
Consecutive Weds
(2 classes each)
(10am – 1pm)
Classes are individually priced & include the tools to use in class and all materials, unless otherwise indicated. Each participant also receives a 10% off voucher to spend in the shop.
Terms & Conditions Apply (click here for details)
Access notice: there are two flights of stairs to the workroom in our medieval building at 32 Coppergate, York YO1 9NR. We sincerely apologise if this prevents anyone attending.
2021 Workshops & Classes
Workshop Gift Vouchers
Give the gift of a life-long skill with a Heritage Workshop or Saturday Skills Voucher.
Redeemable for any of our classes below.
Celtic Goldwork - Heritage Workshop
Examine beautiful Celtic designs and choose a simple motif to embroider. Learn how to use gold leather, couch gold thread and add sequins and gems to create your authentic craft piece.
Taught by textile artist Helen Barnes.
19 May 2021
Wed 10am – 4pm
Cost: £65
Knitting with Colours - Saturday Skills Class
Take your knitting from nice to wow! Master colour changing to tackle more complex patterns, while keeping the whole thing beautifully neat (front and back).
This class is taught by our colour knitting & fair isle specialist, Eleanor Caldwell.
Level: some knitting experience required
22 May 2021
Saturday
10am – 1pm
Cost: £45
Arts & Crafts Tapestry - Heritage Workshop
Look at the tradition of tapestry in the Arts and Crafts movement and the designs of William Morris. Work on a bird or flower motif using tent stitch and cross-stitch and perhaps make a start on a larger piece to work on as the nights begin to draw in. Taught by textile artist Helen Barnes.
26 May 2021
Wednesday
10am – 4pm
Cost: £65
Beginner's Crochet - Saturday Skills Class
Discover the basics of crochet under the inspiring guidance of Yorkshire designer/maker Steffi Glaves (www.steffiglaves.co.uk). Learn the basic stitches including chain, double and treble, arranging stitches to make granny squares to turn into colourful blankets or bunting, with appliqué crocheted flowers.
Level: For complete beginners
5 June 2021
Saturday
10am – 1pm
Cost: £40
Summer: Shells and Wild Flower Embroidery - North Country Quilting - Heritage Workshop
Explore the shell and flower motifs used in the North Country quilts and see how the motifs are combined into an overall wholecloth and strippy quilt.
Have fun making your own templates from traditional motifs as well as designing a few new ones from drawing shells from coastal beaches and flowers from the garden.
Learn new embroidery stitches to add to the hand quilting running stitch, working on 3 or 4 shell or flower motifs. These motifs can then be made into coasters or used in a quilt/cushion project you may have at home.
The motifs you have designed can then be used in your own quilting and embroidery work.
Taught by textile artist Helen Barnes.
9 June 2021
Wednesday
10am – 4pm
Cost: £65
Kumihimo Braiding - Saturday Skills Class
Kumihimo braiding is a really absorbing and addictive form of braiding using a wide range of coloured cords. Easy to grasp, mindful and lots of fun, it’s like French Knitting for adults. By the end of the session you should have at least one professional looking finished bracelet.
Taught by Kim Searle.
12 June 2021
Saturday
10am – 1pm
Cost: £40
Traditional Teddies for Beginners - Heritage Workshop
Meet (and make) Milo, this adorable, mischievous, traditional jointed teddy bear. Milo is 23cm high when standing, 17cm when sitting.
In these two half-day classes, learn teddy-making skills and the fascinating heritage of mohair bears from his designer, Jacqueline Schultz, owner of Jacqueline’s Bears.
Milo’s authentic appearance is thanks to his Steiff Schulte Ratinee 100% mohair ruffled coat as well as his movable cotter pin joints, his British-made glass eyes and his endearing features.
You don’t need any previous bear-making experience but we do recommend you have basic sewing skills.
16 & 23 June 2021
(2 half day classes)
Consecutive Wednesdays
10am – 1pm
Cost: £95 (incl two sessions and a Milo Kit RRP £35)
Loopy Rag Rugging- Saturday Skills Class
This is rag rigging with a modern twist* using colourful cording. Create an up-to-the minute cushion cover just for you or for Mother’s Day too.
Taught by Kim Searle.
*You also might like our traditional ‘shaggy’ rag rugging class on 7 August 2021.
19 June 2021
Saturday
10am – 1pm
Cost: £45
Discover the joy of knitting, starting with the basic skills. This class covers casting on, creating knit and purl stitches, garter and stocking stitch, how to increase and decrease and casting off. We will also explore how these techniques can be used to make scarves, hand warmers or hats and how to read basic patterns.
The class is taught by designer/maker Hermione Crowe.
Level: For absolute beginners or people in need of a refresher of the basics.
26 June 2021
Saturday
10am – 1pm
Cost: £40
Spring - Lover's Knot - North Country Quilting Heritage Workshop
Welcome in Spring by hand quilting a lover’s knot from the Northern Dales. Make your own lover’s knot template by folding and cutting a paper design and then choose a simple border to frame it.
Look at the popular use of the lover’s knot in whole cloth quilts and learn a little of its history.
Learn to hand quilt and use a variety of embroidery stitches to create your own original piece. Take it home to frame, make into a cushion or finish off with bias binding to make a mat.
Taught by textile artist Helen Barnes.
14 July 2021
Wed 10am – 4pm
Cost: £65
Feel like you have conquered the basics and looking to jazz up your knitting? Learn to add textures to your knitting with stitches such as Moss stitch, Seed stitch, Basketweave, Bobbles, Diagonal Ribs & Rice Stitch.
Creating textures can help make knitting more structured as well as aesthetically pleasing while practicing stitches will help improve your pattern reading skills, preparing you for bigger or more complex projects.
Taught by designer/maker Hermione Crowe.
Level: Participants should be confident in knitting, purling and casting on and off.
17 July 2021
Saturday
10am – 1pm
Cost: £40
Explore the wonderful world of micro crochet using the unique designs of Yorkshire designer/maker Steffi Glaves. Check out her miniature motifs and delicate jewellery at www.steffiglaves.co.uk.
Level: Experience required
31 July 2021
Saturday
10am – 1pm
Cost: £40
Brontë Needle Roll & Regency Embroidery - Heritage Workshop
Sew a needle roll just like Charlotte Brontë’s and study Regency embroidery patterns and designs. Learn a range of hand-stitches and personalise your roll with lace, ribbon and beads in the tradition of 19th century ladies.
Taught by textile artist Helen Barnes.
4 August 2021
Wednesday
10am – 4pm
Cost: £65
Traditional 'Shaggy' Rag Rugging - Saturday Skills Class
Learn traditional ‘shaggy’ rag rugging and make a gorgeous cushion cover using super-soft t-shirt fabrics. Learn how to cut your own fabric strips so you can continue your addictive new hobby at home.
Taught by Kim Searle
All materials supplied
You might also like our contemporary Loopy Rag Rugging class on 13 March 2021 – see separate listing for details below.
7 August 2021
Wednesday
10am – 1pm
Cost: £45
Needle Felting: Tansy Beetle Brooch - Saturday Skills Class
In this class you will learn how to make a Tansy beetle brooch using needle felting, wire-work, beading and sewing techniques.
Materials and tools provided: variety of wools, glass beads, glass eyes, silver plated wire, metallic thread, brooch back, cotton thread, round nose pliers, scissors, glue.
No previous experience required.
Taught by Fiona Gordon, textile and jewellery designer/needle felting artist aka The Felt Imp.
To view her amazing work visit: Instagram/thefeltimp.com
14 August 2021
Wednesday
10am – 1pm
Cost: £45
Viking Hand Appliqué - Heritage Workshop
Appliqué with felts, embellished with stitch and gold beads, taking inspiration from the amazing patterns and designs left in Britain by Viking craftsmen.
Turn your sample into a unique coin purse.
Taught by textile artist Helen Barnes.
18 August 2021
Wednesday
10am – 4 pm
Cost: £65
Macramé - Saturday Skills Class
Make your own macramé plant hangers from a variety of cords and recycled t-shirts.
It’s the perfect craft for anyone who’s window ledges are overflowing with plants!
You’ll learn all the macramé knots you’ll need to make a variety of different designs and you should leave with one finished piece and a few instruction sheets to make more at home.
18 September 2021
Sat 10am – 1pm
Cost: £45
Autumn: Design Inspirations - North Country Quilting - Heritage Workshop
Have fun making your own quilting templates to combine to make your own unique hanging, mat or cushion. For hand or machine embroidery.
The design process is broken up into small sections suitable for all abilities using a variety of techniques. We will create our motifs by folding and cutting paper, drawing out stencils using a compass and pencil , use old pennies to make feather chains and shells and work out how to create chains and twists (easier than it sounds )
Once you have your templates you can then put them together easily, using a central motif, a border and corner pieces.
We will look at some North Country quilts to see how motifs have been combined to create a wholecloth design in the past.
Take home a design to quilt and lots of ideas for further creations.
Taught by textile artist Helen Barnes.
22 September 2021
Wed 10am – 4 pm
Cost: £65
Knitting socks is a time honoured-tradition that makes for the pair-fect gift for others or a cosy treat for yourself.
These chunky socks are knitted in the round using double-pointed needles (DPNs) and will teach how to form a rib, turn a heel, pick up stitches, toe decreases and how to graft the toe seam together using Kitchener stitch.
Taught by knitting designer/maker Hermione Crowe.
Level: Participants should be confident in knitting, purling and casting on.
25 September 2021
Saturday
10am – 1pm
Cost: £45
Traditional Teddies Advanced Class - Heritage Workshop
In these two half-day classes you will be making Tilly, under the expert guidance of bear designer Jacqueline Shultz.
Tilly is 16cm when standing. Her authentic appearance is thanks to her Sparse, Distressed 100% mohair coat as well as her movable cotter pin joints, her British-made glass eyes and her endearing features.
To be successful making Tilly, having some previous bear-making/traditional toy making experience is recommend.
6 & 13 October 2021
(2 half day classes)
Consecutive Wednesdays
10am – 1pm
Cost: £95 (incl two sessions and a Tilly Kit RRP £35)
16th October 2021
Saturday
10am – 1pm
Cost: £40
By creating a delightful character from the Ricorumi Friends, learn all the techniques you will need to create an endless array of crochet and amigarumi projects.
The class is taught by Yorkshire designer/maker Steffi Glaves.
Level: Experience required
23 October 2021
Saturday
10am – 1pm
Cost: £45
Winter: Christmas Wreath - North Country Quilting - Heritage Workshop
Examine the extensive use of the feather wreath in the North Country Quilts and see how they can be drawn out with old pennies.
We will hand quilt the traditional wreath in Christmas colours then add a selection of Christmas motifs including robins, ivy, hearts and berries to create a bright colourful Christmas decoration.
While stitching find out a little about the people who quilted the designs and the history of these treasured textiles.
Taught by textile artist Helen Barnes.
17 November 2021
Wednesday
10am – 4 pm
Cost: £65
The class includes the pattern, yarn, needles, safety eyes and thread for the nose.
20th & 27th November 2021
Consecutive Saturdays
10am – 1pm
Cost: £60 (for two sessions incl materials)
2022 Workshops & Classes
Traditional Teddies Accessories Class - Waistcoats - Heritage Workshop
In these two half day classes you will be making a silk embroidered, embellished and fully lined Teddy Bear’s waistcoat.
You will also learn several embroidery stitches specific to making simple flower designs and motifs suitable for bear/toy clothing.
You will develop your skills on a waistcoat to fit Milo, standing at 26cm, or a bear of equivalent size. And if you have a 16cm Tilly bear from our Advanced class at home, we will supply you with enough material to make one for her too.
Dates to be confirmed
(2 half day classes)
Consecutive Wednesdays
10am – 1pm
Cost: £65 (incl two sessions and materials)
