I have dared to try moving my website without really knowing what I’m doing, so now it’s really out of date. Bear with me as I update things, slowly 🙃 So far I’ve updated the workshops. For recent news see my instagram feed.
I’ve been writing a book with co-author Charlotte Abrahams, that will be out this autumn, published by Quickthorn.
Recent years have seen a decline in craft and creative education in schools and a shift from practical to theoretical learning models in higher education. Young people are leaving school with no idea that craft-based careers are even possible, and graduates of craft-based degree courses are entering the workplace with so few hand skills that their employers must train them from scratch.
The book includes the personal stories of ten people who have discovered that working with their hands has improved their quality of life. Through the three sections of the book, we look at how physical labouring became separated from academic study, how we became divorced from the materials that surround us and the important role that the crafts and creativity play in education, not just for the lower streams, but for everyone. In short, how making is a skill for life.
I have a lot of workshops coming up. Find more details about booking and content plus booking links on the workshop page
I’ve been a little quiet recently. Did I mention that I started my own publishing company Quickthorn Ltd? It’s just yours truly trying to navigate the whole thing, so it would be really helpful if you followed @quickthornbooks on the various media channels. I’m committed do doing everything I can to manage our carbon footprint, from the solar panels that heat my office to printing in the UK. Did you know most books are printed in the Far East? The heaviest cost is the transportation of all those pallets around the world. Ours are printed down the road in Exeter or recently in South Wales, so not that far to come. I hope you’ll find something you are tempted by or that is useful to you.
There are some exciting books, Finding Quiet Strength: emotional intelligence, embodied awareness, is already out, published in July 22. The next book published in October is When Words are Not Enough: creative responses to grief, not a comedy but a beautiful and hopeful book.
Launching this November is Celia Pym’s first book, On Mending: Stories of damage and repair. Beautiful photography and moving tales of some of the interesting people Celia has met on her mending travels.
There are more exciting crafty titles to come so sign up to the newsletter for offers, events and updates (not too often).
If you’re thinking about learning some new things in 2022, or gifting a workshop for Christmas, this is perfect. I’ll be teaching crochet in Gloucestershire and in Sussex as well as the usual darning evenings too. There’s a special darning day coming up at Prema Arts in Uley, (home of the lovely Uley ales) in February. Have a look at the workshop page for more details.
