Classes & workshops

If you'd like to learn Hardanger in a group or a one-on-one tutorial, or brush up your skills concentrating on fillings or speciality stitches, why not try a class or workshop?

Classes

Under the name of Ilke Cochrane (which is how the world at large knows her) Mabel occasionally teaches day classes and five-week courses at the Percival Guildhouse in Rugby, details of which will be posted here well in advance. Enrolment is handled by the Guildhouse, but you are very welcome to contact us for more information.

Next course:

Hardanger Embroidery – Next steps

Wednesdays 1.30-3.30pm – September/October 2013

Hardanger is a Norwegian needlework technique characterised by satin stitch and cutwork. It is a very elegant form of embroidery which depends as much on careful counting as on needle skills! Once you've learnt the basics, the possible variations are endless. This course picks up where the Beginners & Refreshers course left off, and adds new and unusual stitches to your repertoire, as well as introducing the use of beads in Hardanger.

A pack containing all the materials for the course (except hoop & scissors) is available from the tutor at £9.00 (6" embroidery hoop separately available at £2.75). Please indicate whether you will require a pack and/or hoop when enrolling at the Percival Guildhouse.

For more information download the course leaflet.

Enrolment for this course is not yet open

Workshops

Treat yourself (or encourage others to treat you) to an individual or group workshop in a relaxing, encouraging environment – Mabel's home. Sustained by coffee or tea and the occasional biscuit, you spend several hours learning new skills or brushing up on existing ones.

All workshops provide:

We offer workshops at three levels – Beginner, Improver and Experienced – which are flexible in length according to your preference. You can choose to have a lot of intensive tuition and practice in 2 hours, after which you work most of the projects at home; or to have 6 hours (morning and afternoon with a break for lunch) at a more leisurely pace, finishing most of the projects on the day with Mabel at hand to help when you need it; or anything in between. The three standard workshops cover Hardanger in general, but you can also request a personalised workshop which concentrates on a particular area such as filling stitches, worked bars or decorative surface stitches, or in which you and Mabel design a chart together.

So how does it work?

Contact us by or telephone to decide on the level that is suitable for you, the length of the workshop, and available dates. If you are interested in a personalised workshop, please give us as much information as possible about the skills or activities you would like to include. We will then email you an outline of the workshop and a price; when you are happy with both, we'll send you a PayPal invoice. After that, all you need to do is turn up on the day, and enjoy your stitching treat!

Below are the prices per hour for one-on-one tuition and for groups, and for the material packs for each of the three levels. Prices for material packs for personalised workshops on request. Please note that tea, coffee and biscuits are included in the price, but lunch is not. You are welcome to bring a picnic and have it at the house (or in the garden if the weather is good), or there are several places to have lunch in the village.

Tuition (per person per hour)
1 person £15.00
2 people £10.00
3-4 people £7.50
5-6 people £5.00
 
Material & Equipment packs (not including scissors)
Beginner £9.00
Improver £11.00
Experienced £13.00

Mabel's house is a non-smoking environment. It does, however, contain a pet: Alfie, our friendly ginger tom. If for whatever reason you are uncomfortable having a cat around, do tell us – he is quite happy to spend a morning or afternoon out of doors!