LeisureCourses.net – short courses & residential study breaks in great locations

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An introduction to stained glass of all sorts of colours and textures. Make your own stained glass panel or mirror using traditional stained glass techniques.

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Come and enjoy a new and stimulating approach to floral design. New ideas- techniques and skills will be explored in a friendly and fun environment.

An introduction to letterpress printing.

Create some cut outs to celebrate Easter. Bunnies- eggs and flowers make for perfect papercutting images. Do bring along your own inspirational pictures to get your creative juices going!

Come and enjoy silk painting and choose to make a picture or cushion cover- or even a scarf using luminous silk dyes. Its easier than you think!

These workshops are for those who have completed City & Guilds courses in textile related subjects to diploma level (or equivalent), who are committed to further develop their own personal creativity within a design-led context. Learners are encouraged to work independently to explore experimental approaches and contextual issues.

A workshop offering the opportunity to construct a stringed musical instrument of your choice with advice and guidance from the tutor. Projects may include guitars, lutes, mandolines, dulcimers and ukuleles. The choice of materials and construction methods will be discussed and advice will be given to complete any unfinished instruments. Please note that costs may vary considerably and are at your discretion. Please note, this course takes place at Buckinghamshire New University High Wycombe campus.

A beginner’s course for painting flowers in watercolour.

Through demonstrations and practical participation, working on traditional linen twill fabric and using crewel wools, we will cover a wide range of stitches, including line stitches, filling stitches and detached stitches. We will use Trellis work and shading with the wools to create the traditional rich patterns that are associated with Jacobean and crewel work.

This course covers basic techniques for lacemakers who are new to this classic English lace. For experienced Honiton lace makers it is an opportunity to expand skills and understanding of this lace and gain inspiration and guidance on interpretation and design development. Whatever your level, enjoy the magic of lace making!

If you have ever wanted to try printmaking but feel a bit intimidated by its apparent complexity then this weekend course should appeal to you.

An introduction to paper marbling.

An introduction to linocut printmaking.

Mosaics Design and Construction Begins on 27 September 2015 at 7pm with dinner and ends on 01 October 2015 at 2:00 PM after Lunch The twist is you can come along any day or days and Priscilla will give you expert tuition and allow you to do your own thing. So if you want to little dabble into Mosaics give us a call here at Knuston and chat it through as to what you would like to do and we…

On this relaxing one day course, you will discover how to design and create a beautiful hard-backed
book with your own piece of batik on the cover. Y

An introduction to letterpress printing.

Discover the sewn craft of Soutache Braid on a weekend residential course in Bristol. Your course starts with Friday dinner at 7 pm and runs through to Sunday afternoon tea, but you can check in from 3 pm and take advantage of the hotel’s facilities before you meet your fellow students. Fees include an en suite double room for single occupancy, tuition, use of course room, full board and refreshments, along with free wifi, and access to the fully equipped…

On this experimental textile weekend you will be able to try out a range of different techniques as you design your own art cloth ready for you to make it into quilts, clothes, bags etc.

Spend a relaxing weekend making beautiful beaded jewellery with just beads and thread. Your tutor, Olive, has an ever growing selection of easy to follow patterns for you to use, with explanation diagrams as well as words.

Learn new techniques as you stitch Gail’s gorgeous designs: there will be lots of projects to choose from, to suit
all tastes, including three sumptuous kings, spectacular Rose Window wall quilts, doves, a poinsettia, a folded
patchwork star, Bethlehem rooftops at night, and an exotic Indian embroidered bird rope.

Produce basic joints including dovetails and framing joints, lengthening and widening joints. An intensive course suitable for confident beginners as well as those with a little (perhaps school day) experience.

Spend two days learning rope and wire work and wire splicing techniques. If your boat needs spliced rope or wire rigging our Instructor will show you how to make what's needed.

Get insight into and practical experience of the construction and repair of traditional clinker and carvel craft. Learn tool sharpening, scarfing, fitting planks, riveting and steaming.

For experienced learners and those new to lace making who are able to work the basic stitches and want to learn the mysteries of the European laces. These include Brugge Bloemwerk, Flanders, Binche Parijse, Valenciennes, Chantilly, Idrija and Tonder. Many are taught with the aid of colour-coded diagrams.

Discover the age-old art of chain maille for jewellery in this busy and exciting workshop and learn all the techniques, tips and tricks to continue designing and making jewellery beyond the course.

This course covers basic techniques for lacemakers who are new to this classic English lace. For experienced Honiton lace makers it is an opportunity to expand skills and understanding of this lace and gain inspiration and guidance on interpretation and design development. Whatever your level, enjoy the magic of lace making!

Design and make a small project such as a wall hanging, cushion or bag, taking inspiration from Japan or Japanese textiles. A variety of machine and hand stitched techniques will be demonstrated and discussed for you to choose from to begin work on your chosen project.

This is a practical course suitable for beginners and those who wish to improve their skills. Learn to make a stained glass panel using traditional tools and materials. Students work on their own project with individual guidance from the tutor. Prepared designs are available from the tutor or bring your own.

Hands-on courses for professionals, amateurs or purely for pleasure... Design, cut shapes, machine/hand sew and maintain traditional sails for anything from a small dinghy to a round-the-world yacht.

A five day melting pot of traditional and more modern techniques. Practical activities include tool sharpening, timber preparation, scarfing, gluing, removal and re-fitting of clinker planking, riveting and steam bending.

This course focuses on hand embroidery projects, using stitches such as stem stitch, french knots, long and short stitch, and incorporates a bit of silver work to the design. The silverwork can be using metal threads, such as pearl purl and jap, or simply silver stranded cotton and tiny silver sequins. Participants will be working on either their own design, or one supplied by the tutor. All stitchers are welcome.

Knitted textiles lend themselves fantastically to the home interior. Jane will teach you the basics of design and guide you through an array of techniques, such as fairisle, intarsia and beading, to help you design and start knitting your own cushion cover front. Aimed at knitters with a good understanding of the craft, participants need to be able to read a pattern and work basic stitches with confidence.

Explore the possibilities of combining water soluble fabric with machine embroidery, sheer fabrics, fancy threads and sequins, to create a sparkly lace and organza bag.

Developed in Ireland during the 19th century, Mountmellick embroidery is a white-on-white hand embroidery technique used in the past for household and bed linen. Worked on cotton sateen fabric in thick matte threads. The designs are usually floral, using raised, padded and knotted stitches. Very textured with a knitted fringe.

A workshop offering the opportunity to construct a stringed musical instrument of your choice with advice and guidance from the tutor. Projects may include guitars, lutes, mandolines, dulcimers and ukuleles. The choice of materials and construction methods will be discussed and advice will be given to complete any unfinished instruments. Please note that costs may vary considerably and are at your discretion. Please note, this course takes place at Buckinghamshire New University High Wycombe campus.

These courses take learners from complete beginners to the very advanced through a carefully planned series of projects covering traditional and modern carving styles such as foliage ornament and frame or architectural mouldings, figure and animal carving in the round, lettercutting and abstract sculpture. Design skills are also included. Learners can enrol on single courses as tasters or join several weekends to develop their skills and ideas. The courses run from Saturday 9.30am until Sunday 4.30pm and are held in…

Whether new to beading or more experienced, you will quickly be able to complete a first piece of jewellery before moving on to something more complex.

Blackwork embroidery became popular during the reign of King Henry VIII. Introduced into the Tudor court by Queen Catherine of Aragon, the traditional style is worked on linen using the weave as a basis to count stitches. A variety of different stitches will be taught using a range of different weighted threads. Butterflies were popular motifs to use as they represented a life cycle of natural beauty.

Come along and join our enthusiastic and flamboyant tutor and create three sumptuous designs for Easter from seasonal flowers, foliage and materials to enhance your home and delight your family and friends. During the day there will be demonstrations and lots of hints and tips. You will be provided with a list of items to bring which will cost you approximately £20.

Create a mosaic that’s specifically designed to go outside! You can make a mosaic sign or panel to adorn your garden, or mosaic a pot or other decorative object. This course is for students of any ability, beginners or experienced mosaicists. Course materials are available from the tutor; please see the course information sheet for details.

Create a mosaic that’s specifically designed to go outside! You can make a mosaic sign or panel to adorn your garden, or mosaic a pot or other decorative object. This course is for students of any ability, beginners or experienced mosaicists.Course materials are available from the tutor; please see the course information sheet for details.

An introduction to cased bookbinding.

An introduction to letterpress printing.

Intricate strawberry designs have embellished embroidered textiles all through history, particularly in the Elizabethan age. This course will cover many different ways of working raised strawberries, together with their flowers, to build an attractive piece of work that could be made up into a scissors holder or needlebook. This course will cover a variety of hand embroidery stitches, and is suitable for all abilities.

This course will extend the knowledge of experienced goldwork embroiderers working on their own projects. Explanations, demonstrations and individual advice will be given throughout, whilst students work at their own pace on pre-set designs or on their own design ideas.

This course will enable participants to explore tapestry weaving through interpretation of a personally selected image or idea. For those new to tapestry weaving or established weavers wanting to extend their skills, there will be opportunities to learn new techniques and insights into this exciting contemporary textile art.

Tatting is a very portable form of lace making, with just two basic stitches to learn, yet these can be used to produce a myriad of designs from formal to fun. Beginners will learn basic stitches to produce a simple motif, while competent tatters will extend their knowledge of the continually evolving tatting techniques.

Learn how to make a beaded cornflower, filler flowers and foliage to create a stunning corsage. The course will cover four French beading techniques, as well as teaching you how to assemble a corsage or use the flowers you have made in another arrangement. This course is suitable for all levels: no previous experience of beading is necessary.

This course is intended for all levels from the complete beginner to the more experienced and will take place in a studio that is well equipped for general bookbinding. Beginners will be introduced to the basic theory and techniques of bookbinding, while advanced students will be assisted in pursuing particular projects. All aspects of bookbinding are encouraged and there will also be an optional session on different styles of endpaper.

Come to Knuston and create your own Patchwork! Whether you already know what to do or whether you need to start from scratch does not matter I can get you going. You will go home with knowledge and enthusiasm to carry on sewing!

An introduction to letterpress printing.

German fine paper bookbinding.

A weekend residential course on 8 – 10 April 2016 on traditional embroidery in the heart of the Midlands.

A two-day course making beautiful lace in a quality hotel in the Midlands on 8 – 10 April 2016.

This is a practical course designed for bobbin lacemakers of all abilities. For those who have knowledge of basic bobbin stitches there is the opportunity to be introduced to the techniques of this classic English lace. Those experienced in Honiton lacemaking can expand their skills and understanding of this lace and gain inspiration and guidance on interpretations and design development. Whatever your level, come and enjoy the magic of lacemaking.

Come to Knuston and create your own Patchwork! Whether you already know what to do or whether you need to start from scratch does not matter I can get you going. You will go home with knowledge and enthusiasm to carry on sewing!

An inspiring and fun course aimed at those with experience in the technique who have grasped the basics and now want to develop and improve on their existing skills. Working from your own design motif or the tutors you will build a collection of samples in a variety of threads and stitches and learn how to combine the technique with appliqué fabrics.

Come to Knuston and create your own Patchwork! Whether you already know what to do or whether you need to start from scratch does not matter I can get you going. You will go home with knowledge and enthusiasm to carry on sewing!

Produce basic joints including dovetails and framing joints, lengthening and widening joints. An intensive course suitable for beginners as well as those with a little (perhaps school day) experience.

The course wil be structured to allow the following areas to be covered: Introduction to the course; History of Pyrography; Demonstration of techniques and practicing a variety of basic techniques working on Leather, Veneer and making a Greeting Card. You will get to work with Getting to know the equipment and materials and produce small items – Plaques, Coasters, Key Fobs etc. We will use decorative silhouettes Working on a Bread / Cheese board and decorating a small bowl.We will…

This two day woodcarving workshop is open to all experience levels. If you are a beginner you will introduced to woods and tools and be guided at your own pace through the stages of carving a simple relief project. Practiced carvers are equally welcome, with tuition on-hand, there will be the opportunity for you to develop your skills, carving in relief or in the round. A wealth of woodcarving reference material is available to guide and stimulate creative designs. *Materials…

Imagine lying in a flower meadow looking through the grasses and flowers at the insects and bugs that are crawling up the stems. Using embroidery stitches, padding and raising, free standing elements and wires, learn to make these fascinating creepy crawlies. You will be taught to use iridescent silk organza and needlelace for wings and stitches or padding for the bodies. Also learn how to make the stalks of the grasses and flowers in various techniques.

Geometric Bead work is a fascinating technique and one that is actually fairly easy to learn. Students will be working with Japanese Delica cylinder beads which sit together perfectly creating a firm foundation. A working knowledge of basic peyote stitch would be an advantage for this technique. Help with colour combinations will be given. All materials will be available to purchase from the tutor.

Imagine lying in a flower meadow looking through the grasses and flowers at the insects and bugs that are crawling up the stems. Using embroidery stitches, padding and raising, free standing elements and wires, learn to make these fascinating creepy crawlies. You will be taught to use iridescent silk organza and needlelace for wings and stitches or padding for the bodies. Also learn how to make the stalks of the grasses and flowers in various techniques.

Learn basic routing, wood bending and mitring by making a curved, dovetailed hardwood box. You should be practically minded with a little woodwork experience.

Using rags, old books and new ideas, make handmade paper with a literary theme. Authors like Wordsworth, Tennyson, Shakespeare, Ruskin, Dickens and Beatrix Potter (to name a few) will be our inspiration. Inventive and highly personalised papers will be created with flowers, cloth, rope, old books and lots of words and poetry!

The course covers all the techniques for this type of lace and is suitable for those who are new to Bucks Point as well as for those who are experienced in making this beautiful type of lace. During the weekend you could start a new project or work on / complete an on-going one, learn a new ground, or how to re-draft or design your next project. Geometric and floral techniques are included. Students benefit from individual tuition and group…

Students will learn the next steps on their personal ladder of achievement wherever it is, from beginner to very experienced, giving them more confidence with which to tackle new work. Through discussion of previous work and assessments of each student’s needs, individual programmes of work for the day will be established and a pattern provided. Old and new Lace will be displayed for discussion to add to our understanding of the techniques used.

An introduction to paper marbling.

The course covers all the techniques for this type of lace and is suitable for those who are new to Bucks Point as well as for those who are experienced in making this beautiful type of lace. During the weekend you could start a new project or work on / complete an on-going one, learn a new ground, or how to re-draft or design your next project. Geometric and floral techniques are included. Students benefit from individual tuition and group…

Students will learn the next steps on their personal ladder of achievement wherever it is, from beginner to very experienced, giving them more confidence with which to tackle new work. Through discussion of previous work and assessments of each student’s needs, individual programmes of work for the day will be established and a pattern provided. Old and new Lace will be displayed for discussion to add to our understanding of the techniques used.