SARAH PAYNE - Saturday 09 September 2023

"Of course I'm going to go down the traditional route with one of the most traditional and iconic shapes; the Hexagon! Not only are we going to create little hexagons, but we're going to learn 'quilt as you go' with your hexagons. We're going to use scrap bits of fabric and put them together and these hexagons can be made into a coaster or a bed coverlet! You can go as big as you want to go by simply adding and adding as you go! As we're using scraps we're going to be looking at colour, how we put it together, how we can enhance and combine colours. Then we'll be using a backing, a wadding and a top fabric together to create the quilt as you go hexagons. It's a great method, one I think you will enjoy but also benefit from when going forward in your quilting journey..."

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GARY MILLS - Saturday 09 September 2023​

"I'm going to potentially push you outside your comfort zone, and thats a good thing!! I'm going to be teaching you some free motion embroidery along with applique and some hand painting! I have already got several templates based on Exmoor animals (you can buy them with an instructional 20 minute video on the CraftyMonkies website), and specially for this retreat I'm going to create a new image! A new animal! We're going to transfer it onto cloth, applique some fabric, (bonded applique) then free motion across that and then add in some hand painting. Lot's of great fun techniques and a lovely project to create. You might be a beginner or very experienced, it doesn't matter, this class suits everyone!"

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​NICHOLAS BALL - Sunday 10 September 2023​

"I thought this year I would take a deep dive into my inspiration I use behind improv quilting. For those of you who have read my book or taken a class with me, I take inspiration from amongst other things; plants, flowers, veg and  fish! I then create pieces based on these items. I thought it would be fun to ask you to bring something that you may never have associated with a quilt, look at maybe two or 3 basic improvised techniques (like inserts or slabs) and go through the process of making a small unit best representing the object you have chosen. It's about looking at an object and learning how to represent it, but also a chance to learn some new techniques and spark some joy in your work!"

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SARAH HIBBERT - Sunday 10 September 2023

"A lot of people ask how I put fabrics together, how do I choose colour and textures that work? So I thought I could play around with this in class with you! So we're going to a do a 'sarah'dipity! We're going to start by cutting up fabrics in a certain size like 6x4 or 8x6. We then put them through the throat of the machine and we pull out two pieces and build up blocks. You don't know what size you are going to put together, its pot luck, but this is where the beauty lays! I'll then be asking people to swop pieces with you in class. It's about getting you used to using different types of fabric, textures and colours, but it's about playing and experimenting and you'll learn so much along the way. You will also take away a piece/block made out of your friends fabrics who you have met on the day, a great way to remember them and cherish the experience forever! What you do with the block is up to you!"