Home Is In The North

Can you see us?

Last weekend we had the pleasure of running our Tailor Made Lampshade workshop from the fantastic 'Home Is In The North' event at Halle St Peter's in Ancoats.

 
Among the chic stalls and stunning architecture our students created some one of a kind Lampshades and got to peruse the fantastic home wares on offer as well as scoff some cake! We especially loved Lomas & Lomas for their unique prints and patterns and Beth Johnson Ceramics for the beautiful shapes and colours of her porcelain.  

 The atmosphere was lovely and as you can see we had some gorgeous results and

very happy crafters. It's a fantastic event and we can't wait until next time!

New Course - Sew Your Own Foxy Faux Fur Jacket

Fake fur is officially ACE and fashionable too! I know because I read it in The Guardian last week, so I've picked out some faux fur humdingers for you to laugh at / drool over / take out a loan for (in some cases!).

This is Armani. It is sold out. Because it is AWESOME.

£225 will buy you this dusky pink marshmallow of a coat from Unreal Fur

OOF! The go-to brand for silly yet chic fur fakery is Shrimps. This Bailey jacket will set you back a cool £450.

Or spend £70 and come to Ministry of Craft and MAKE YOUR OWN foxy faux fur coat in one weekend with our fabulous tailoring tutor, Margaret Postings.

You can bring along your own fake fur fabric and leave with this Chanel-inspired cropped jacket (see above: that's me that is!). So whether it be Monsters Inc. style blue fluff, or very tasteful imitation shaggy sheepskin, you'll leave knowing you're right on trend this party season in a jacket that's one of a kind.

Our Sew Your Own Foxy Faux Fur Jacket course runs across both Saturday 29th & Sunday 30th November. For booking and further details click here.

New Course - Sew Your Own Lounge Pants or Pyjama Trousers (suitable for beginners!)

I don't have to tell you that Christmas is a mere month(ish) away and that you'd better start thinking about cracking on with those handmade gifts. Even if you are complete beginner on a sewing machine WE CAN HELP! Join us on Sunday 16 November and let Alison (dressmaking tutor extraordinaire) take the stress out of your first make: PJ BOTTOMS!

Perfect in Christmas-themed cottons or timeless plaid-pattered flannel, dress your nearest and dearest this year in handmade lounge pants. Let me give you some context and inspiration:

You'll leave our course with a pair of PJ bottoms like this, but in your chosen fabric (we used Cath Kidston cotton). £42.50 for 4 hours of expert and very patient tuition.

These cute gray marl and polka dot stars are available from The White Company for £38

You can get these brushed cotton tartan PJ bottoms for boys at PJ Pan from Not On the High Street for £48

And my favourite, but the most expensive, are these satin lounge pants from Pazuki, priced at £209

All of the above would undoubtedly make great gifts, but if you want to avoid a mass produced Christmas, or if you'd like to save money and give something personal and handmade, then our SEW YOUR OWN PJ BOTTOMS course could be the very thing to get you started. Come along, and get Christmas all sewn up!

New Course - Clear Cut: Beginners Paper Cutting

Since Rob Ryan won our hearts with his romantic, intricate creations we've been swooning over the art of paper cutting. Check out some serious eye candy here and whet your appetite with a quick run down of our favourite inspirational artists:

Rob Ryan, Grandaddy of modern paper cutting and star crossed lovers. His work moves me to tears!

Manchester-based Helen Musselwhite is surely the undisputed Queen of paper cuttery. Take a look at her website and be COMPLETELY STUNNED!

We came across the work of Helen Rees recently, at the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair. Her work often reflects the Welsh landscape where she lives but she also does portraits!

The newest addition to our team of craftacular tutors is Jess Panesar who makes bespoke, personalised paper cuts to order. Check out her work!

Now you can literally take a leaf out of Jess's book: grab a scalpel and a slice of the action! We're thrilled to be launching our first paper cutting course - CLEAR CUT: BEGINNERS PAPER CUTTING - on Sunday 30 November. It's a snip at £32.50, so there's no reason not to delve into this wonderful art form. For booking and further details click here.

{Personalised paper cut, just for us, by Jess Panesar}

We've also got tonnes of papery goodness over on our Pinterest boards. So after you've dipped your toe in the water under Jess's expert tuition, you can start making your original hand cut Christmas cards or personalised art works. There's so much inspiration our there, plus templates and free tutorials to keep your hand sure and steady.

We look forward to seeing your creations!