Upcoming Events

Find us at fairs, festivals and markets near you or come to one of our workshops: 
2025

Felted Sheepskin Seat pad workshop – this workshop will be held on 10th May and again on 19th July (Wild Plant Laboratory)
Botanical and Block Printing  – 11th May (Wild Plant Laboratory)
Introduction to Native Sheep Husbandry – 7th June (The Outside)
Introduction to Natural Dyeing and Wool Processing – this workshop will be held on 8th June and again on 2nd August (and possibly one more date in the Autumn) (The Outside)
Natural Dyeing Course (8 days long in total) – 14th and 15th June, 5th and 6th July, 13th and 14th September and 11th and 12th October (The Outside)
Growing and Hand Processing Flax and other fibre plants – 28th June (The Outside)
Mordanting Linen and other Plant Fibres – 29th June (The Outside)

Felted Sheepskin Seat pad workshop – this workshop will be held on 10th May and again on 19th July (Wild Plant Laboratory)
Join us for a day of creative learning at the beautiful Hardwick Estate. During the workshop you will make your own felted seat pad to take home with you. These felted sheepskins are made with blade shorn sheep fleece- the sheep are all still merrily grazing in the field.
The day will begin with a visit to the flock. Here you will have the opportunity to meet the sheep and fill up on flock therapy! They are exceptionally friendly and come running from the far reaches of the fields when called by Romilly or Flow, who look after the flock and manage the conservation grazing of sheep across the Estate. The flock are a mix of Shetlands, Shetland cross Gotland and a few Boreray crosses, they are organically managed and graze in harmony with the land.
After we have met the sheep, we will look at creating a sit pad. You will be given a choice of fleece, with advice on what to do and how to create the best shape. Once everyone has chosen their fleece we will move on to the felting process. Please be aware that felting is a physical process and does require effort and movement. We will be using an olive oil based soap and warm water during felting. You can get a little damp so it is advisable to bring a waterproof apron or jacket (that you can easily move in)- We are using raw fleece, so the water does get dirty- please don’t wear your finest hiking jacket!
At the end of the process we will wash the sit pad. You will then need to transport it home wet. Please bring a bag or bucket suitable for this, so you don’t end up with a puddle in your car.
Any finishing that is needed will need to be done at home, as your sit pad must be completely dry. I will explain this at the end of the workshop so you know what to do.

Botanical and Block Printing  – 11th May (Wild Plant Laboratory)

Introduction to Native Sheep Husbandry – 7th June (The Outside)

Introduction to Natural Dyeing and Wool Processing – this workshop will be held on 8th June and again on 2nd August (and possibly one more date in the Autumn) (The Outside)

Growing and Hand Processing Flax and other fibre plants – 28th June (The Outside)

Mordanting Linen and other Plant Fibres – 29th June (The Outside)