Craft Focus - Feb/Mar 2020 (Issue 77)

103 TRIED AND TESTED TALKING POINT Steve Barton, CEO of justhands-on.tv, explains how workshops and events can promote local craft communities Weekend retreats offer a window into everything that’s wonderful about crafting: individual creativity and the chance to be part of a warm, embracing community. There is an opportunity to focus on what you love, or as one student recently put it, ‘get away from the day-to-day and enjoy a little sewing me-time’. All too often, there is another load of laundry, a meal to prepare or a school run, so a weekend retreat is time for you. There is also a chance to meet like-minded people, share laughter and friendship and swap hints and tips. It is wonderful to see how a love of crafting can bring people from all walks of life together. Local shops often provide this all-important meeting place. With a weekend retreat, you get to enjoy that community feeling for two full days. Attendees can enjoy a little pampering, a special meal, tea and biscuits in the afternoon and a night away in a lovely hotel. There will be an expert tutor to inspire you to create and guide you through each step, so you go away feeling that you’ve had a wonderfully productive weekend. Each tutor is able to anticipate what you might find challenging and will help you through it, sharing a tip or two along the way. blocks, with students invited to make value and colour decisions before learning a free motion technique. At Denham Grove in May, guests can join Jamie Malden from Colouricious, where they will learn to print stunning fabrics using hand carved Indian wooden blocks. Later in the year there will also be a Bargello weekend at The Hog’s Back Hotel & Spa in Buckinghamshire, where crafters will have an opportunity to learn the intricacies of this stunning technique. Dates and details can be found online at justhands-on.tv WHAT’S ON TV? justhands-on. tv provides online classes for quilting, knitting, embroidery and textile art, presented by some of the country’s most accomplished craft tutors. Courses cover everything from beginner techniques through to advanced patterns. The company also supports sewing communities by providing a marketplace for local shops to sell a wide range of stitching products, and hosts regular retreats, where students can learn from the group’s expert teachers.