Fabric Baskets

£95​
​10:00 - 16:00
Tutor: Nancy Shafee
Refreshments included


​ABOUT THE COURSE

Upcycle pre-loved clothing or favourite fabrics to make beautiful coiled fabric baskets. A great way to keep some of your children’s favourite outfits they’ve outgrown or your partner’s favourite old shirts and turn the materials into a decorative basket of memories for your home. In the morning you will learn hand-stitching techniques to create the fabric coiling and in the afternoon you will start a second basket using a sewing machine or continue with hand stitching if you prefer. 

The results obtained with hand-stitching and machine stitching are very different and both will be covered in the course of the day.
In the morning, we will look at the fabrics everyone has brought and discuss their suitability. The tutor will advise on threads and needles and you will prepare some fabrics for your first handstitched sample. In the afternoon you are welcome to continue with hand-stitching if you do not feel confident with a sewing machine.  Otherwise, you will practice the stitch sizes suitable for a machine-stitched basket and start to make a second basket. You will be amazed how quickly a machine-stitched basket will grow!
The tutor will bring some additional fabrics to incorporate into your project if you would like them.

Maximum of 5 participants per course.

THE COURSE WILL GIVE YOU

  • Knowledge about the best fabrics for making baskets, suitable threads and needles
  • Skills in preparing fabrics and cords for stitching
  • Skills and experience in how to make a coiled fabric basket using both hand-stitching and machine sewing techniques, shaping handles and decorative additions
  • You will take home with you the fabric baskets you have started, with enough cord to finish them. Additional cord will be available to purchase.

THIS COURSE IS SUITABLE FOR

Beginners. Previous experience of sewing and using a sewing machine would be helpful.

WHAT TO BRING/WEAR

  • Your own sewing machine, capable of zig-zag stitch
  • Denim needles for your machine (more than one in case of breakage)
  • Strong needles for hand-sewing
  • Your own dress/shirt-weight fabrics 
  • Threads to match or team with your fabric choices and for hand-sewing this needs to be buttonhole thread or embroidery thread
  • Fabric scissors and small embroidery scissors or thread-snips
  • A notebook and pencil
  • Lunch is available from the on-site Beech Cafe, or you may choose to bring your own.

ABOUT THE TUTOR

Nancy Shafee is the current chairman of the Surrey Guild of Craftsmen. She has been making coiled baskets for about ten years. She started teaching when her tutor moved on to weaving and asked Nancy to take on her basket making workshops.
Nancy says ‘Making ‘memories baskets’ is a wonderful way to remember favourite clothing or events and certainly more useful than hoarding outgrown garments or collected fabrics!’
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www.flights-of-fantasy.com

Check Out Accommodation 

You can get ​20% discount at our ecolodge and main campsite when you stay with us during your course. Use the discount code: stay-with-us