Get crafty this winter and try your hand at everything from jewellery making to machine embroidery, with a whole host of weekend workshops at New Brewery Arts in Cirencester.
Welcoming everyone from absolute beginners to experienced crafters, all of its workshops are led by expert tutors - and provide a perfect way to keep the winter blues at bay by embracing your creativity and meeting new friends.
Drawing at New Brewery Arts
Whether you prefer portraiture, still life or experimental drawing, there's a workshop for you at New Brewery Arts. For those interested in learning techniques of observing scale and drawing in proportion, Alexandra Woods' workshop has it covered; while Jo Beal encourages participants to get experimental in her nature-inspired workshop, exploring the colours, textures and shapes of plants and flowers.
Drawing Proportions with Alexandra Woods takes place on Saturday 7 January 2023 and costs £95; while Experimental Drawing from Nature with Jo Beal takes place on Saturday 4 February 2023 and costs £90.
Ceramics at New Brewery Arts
Budding ceramicists can get fully immersed in the art with a full-day workshop at New Brewery Arts. Providing an introduction to throwing on a potter's wheel for complete beginners, participants will get step-by-step guidance as they go through the throwing process, from centring the clay, throwing bowls and cylinders, before being able to throw their own piece by the end of the day.
Introduction to Throwing with Miranda Wells takes place on Saturday 25 March 2023 and costs £95.
Silk painting, embroidery and quilting at New Brewery Arts
Combining painting and stitchery, this two-day weekend workshop gives participants a chance to create spectacular wall panels, cushions, pictures and decorative items using colour, stitching and embellishment to accent and enhance the incredible effects of painting on silk.
Silk Painting with Embroidery and Quilting with Mary Day takes place on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 January 2022 and costs £220, or £420 for the residential option including a two-night stay at the Barrel Store with meals included.
Punch needle at New Brewery Arts
Participants at this full-day workshop will get to grips with ancient rug making techniques to create a beautiful piece of art. Using a hollow needle threaded with yarn, they'll learn the flat stitch and loop stitch before using the needle to punch a quirky, abstract design onto special 'monks cloth'.
Punch Needle with Julie Hicks takes place on Saturday 11 March 2023 and costs £95, including a kit to take home.
Jewellery making at New Brewery Arts
Bristol-based silversmith Charlotte Duckworth, also known as The Silver Duck, helps participants create their own piece of silver jewellery from start to finish, with three workshops taking place this winter at New Brewery Arts. Participants will cut, shape, hammer and texture their piece, with the option to try out other techniques like doming, forming and soldering on jump rings, to achieve their desired design. While ethical jewellery designer, Hayley Kruger, shows participants how to transform quirky items like found objects and irregular gemstones into unique pieces of jewellery.
Charlotte Duckworth hosts Make Your Own Silver Ring on Saturday 28 January 2023, Make Your Own Silver Pendant on Saturday 4 February 2023 and Make Your Own Silver Bangle on Saturday 18 March 2023 with all three workshops costing £90 each; while Setting Found Objects with Hayley Kruger takes place on Saturday 11 March 2023 and costs £90.
Contemporary hand stitching at New Brewery Arts
Keen needleworkers can learn a variety of hand stitch techniques in this afternoon workshop, with the opportunity to try their hand at French knots, running stitch and herringbone stitch at their own pace. They'll also learn all about the history of samplers, before creating their own contemporary stitch sampler to take home.
Contemporary Hand Stitch Sampler with Anne Ward takes place on Saturday 21 January 2023 and costs £55.
Painting at New Brewery Arts
Artist Alexandra Woods hosts two painting workshops this winter, giving budding abstract artists a chance to collage their ideas and use acrylics to paint a canvas in a day; or take a deep dive into oil painting, using the colour wheel to understand primary colours before going on to mix secondary, tertiary and complementary colours, matching them to still life objects.
Paint a Canvas in a Day takes place on Saturday 4 February 2023; while Colour Mixing and Applying Oils takes place on Saturday 25 February 2023, with both workshops costing £90 each.
Make your own covered notebook at New Brewery Arts
Whether you're a writer, sketcher, scrapbooker or crafter, this workshop shows participants how to use mixed media, layering and stitching to make a notebook cover that's completely unique to them. Using calico as a background, they'll layer up handmade paper, magazine and lace before stitching a motif or making a packing tape transfer to finish off their design, before covering a small notebook to take home.
Mixed Media Covered Notebook with Sue Green takes place on Saturday 11 February 2023 and costs £90, including a notebook to cover.
Collaging at New Brewery Arts
Using recycled magazines and papers, participants to this fun afternoon workshop will create a contemporary collage featuring a motivational quote. With a focus on colours, shapes and textures to create interest, participants will rip, cut and layer their chosen materials to create a textured 2D collage, which they'll then frame to take home.
Motivational Quotes in Collage with Emma Roch takes place on Saturday 18 March 2023 and costs £45.
Soap making at New Brewery Arts
Craft your very own soap using the finest essential oils and natural ingredients in this workshop with Bristol-based Happy Holistics. Ideal for absolute beginners and keen aromatherapists alike, participants will be guided through the full process, from selecting ingredients and putting together recipes, to the alchemy of turning it all into their very own bar of soap.
Soap Making with Kelly Allan takes place on Saturday 11 February 2023 and costs £90.
Freehand machine embroidery at New Brewery Arts
Ideal for beginners, participants will learn how to create freehand embroidered images using a sewing machine in this three-hour workshop. From hooping fabric and setting up the sewing machine to learning how to draw with thread, it's a great way to get to grips with this fun craft - and you'll get a selection of samples to take away, too.
Beginners Freehand Machine Embroidery with Meg Harris takes place on Saturday 25 February and Saturday 25 March 2023 and costs £55.
Bag making at New Brewery Arts
In this full day workshop, learn how to sew a cotton and wax canvas shoulder bag, complete with lining and pockets, plus a small drawstring bag to keep inside. Participants will be provided with all the materials they'll need, ready cut from a choice of two fabrics; along with detailed instructions on how to construct their bags and expert guidance on using a sewing machine, edge stitching, sewing a zipper and boxing corners, for a professional-looking finish.
Bag Making for Beginners with Lauren Holloway takes place on Saturday 18 February 2023 and costs £90.
Indian block printing at New Brewery Arts
Try your hand at the traditional craft of Indian block printing at this workshop with Clare Walsh. Participants will learn all about the process, examining photos and samples of hand-printed fabrics, as well as watching a demonstration. Then they'll get to practice making their own prints on a variety of papers, to get to grips with design placement and pattern repeats, before printing a textile item to take home.
Indian Block Printing with Clare Walsh takes place on Saturday 11 March 2023 and costs £55.
Leatherworking at New Brewery Arts
Providing an introduction to leatherworking, this one-day workshop gives keen crafters all the skills they need to make a leather belt and a coin purse, covering everything from how to dye and prepare leather; how to hand stitch using the two needle saddlery method; how to set rivets; how to fit buckles and fastening; then finally, how to edge and finish the leather.
Introduction to Leatherworking with Ruth Pullan takes place on Saturday 25 February 2023 and costs £90.
