Newsletter - January 2007

The New Year definitely came in with a vengeance, hopefully the high winds not causing too much damage to you all! However, spring must be just round the corner as Beverley spotted the first Wild Primrose today.

Now that the Christmas celebrations are over we all need something to look forward to over the next few months, so come and join us on one of on our events! ‘A rainy day shared with friends is much brighter'.

We are holding A Block A Month Patchwork course with Tutor Barbara Slee, (we have two available places – give us a ring if you would like one of them!). These are suitable for all skill levels and beginners are more than welcome. After completing 10 classes you should be the proud owner of a finished quilt. We have just received our first fabric order, so contact us if you would like more information. We can also supply other patchwork and quilting materials and tools and will be extending our range very soon, let us know if there is anything you are looking for.

For all of you Irene Coulthard enthusiasts, she will be coming in June to teach an outstandingly beautiful Calico Gardens Embroiderers' Bag (this will be completed in two more classes in August)

For the Beading Fans we have a great deal to offer from the Beginner to the more experienced:

Sat 24th& Sun 25th February – Knitted & Beaded Spectacle Case with Elaine Peel.
Sat 10th & Sun 11th March – Beaded Tassels for Beginners with Elaine Peel.

Due to popular demand we have invited Jill Devon to join us again in 2007 for another Beadwork Retreat at Muncaster Castle, Cumbria. The theme this year is A Botanical Extravaganza and will be held in June 2007. This will be a fabulous event and not to be missed, we have repeat bookings for this event so do not hesitate to let us know if you would like to join us! The last event was very popular and enjoyed by all, student's write-up and photos can be seen here.

As you open all the Beadwork Magazines, bead crochet appears to be very much in vogue at the moment. Chatting amongst your fellow beaders you will find it is either something you love or hate. The starting off being the thing which has to be mastered!!! The finished product however can be very beautiful and has a lovely tactile feel. To get you started we have materials and tools which will help including Big Eye needles which are a must for threading on beads and various sizes of crochet hooks. We now stock Gudebrod silk thread which is lovely to use for crocheting and we also stock Superlon bead cord which is great for crochet, micro macrame and also for stringing, both threads come in lots of lovely colours and we will be adding more colours to our stock very soon. If you have seen the new British beading magazine – Bead – you will have noticed the full page advert for Superlon – aren't all those colours tempting???

We thought the first issue of Bead was wonderful, with lots of information and some great projects. If you have missed out on the first issue we have a limited number of copies available, click here to order yours! Congratulations to editor Jean Power and we look forward to future issues.

There are still some vacancies on our April Needlecraft Retreat, it isn't too late to join us if you fancy an indulgent break before your summer holidays! This event promises to be full of inspiration and an ideal chance to learn about colour and design from one of our leading designers; there will be lots of time during the week to explore Muncaster, both in the outstanding 70 acres of gardens and also inside the Castle, with opportunities to study textiles which would not normally be on view to the public. A chance not to be missed if you love textiles, old needlework, stunning gardens (don't forget that the rhododendrons and azaleas should be in full bloom in April – a spectacular display if the weather is kind), wonderful people and a chance to learn new things.

Well, that's about it for this month,
best wishes to you all for the New Year,

Beverley & Edna