2393 Courses

Calling all artists! We're proud to announce that we're opening up a brand-new artist retreat, and we want YOU to be there. Our Artist Retreat is a week-long retreat that gives you the chance to immerse yourself in the art of your choice, from beginner to advanced. We'll give you expert tuition in the arts and crafts of your choice, so you can spend your week focused on learning and exploring your creativity. At Gifted Crafts, we believe that everyone is an artist. Whether you're a beginner or an expert, we promise you'll find something new to learn at our retreat. You'll be immersed in an unforgettable week of activities and hands-on learning in the arts and crafts of your choice—from pewter casting to bookbinding, from enamelling to printing, from drawing to felting, from painting to yarn craft. We've even got some surprises up our sleeves for artists who love photography and sketching. And don't forget about foiling, engraving, batik…We think you get the idea.

LEATHER CRAFT AND LEATHER SEWING TECHNIQUES: WHAT IS THIS COURSE ABOUT? This is a theoretical and practical introductory group tuition during which you will be taught common, essential leather crafting and sewing techniques and understand how working with leather differs from working with vegan leather or fabric.You will be taught how to correctly use hand tools, how to sew leather by hand and understand the most common finishing and construction techniques used in bag and accessory making. You will learn about different types of leather and understand how to select the correct type of material(s) for your project. You will receive an overview of the technical aspects of working with leather and constructing bags and accessories such as inking, burninshing, marking, cutting, gluing, reinforcing, skiving, debossing and more.You will learn how to saddle stitch, select the appropriate tools for this sewing technique, and produce your own samples of work to take home with you.You will receive relevant, useful and informative handouts as well as lists of leather and tool suppliers. At the end of the lesson, you will have the choice to create a simple hand-sewn leather item, such as a simple purse or card holder, to take home with you, or to practice more techniques.This is a professional course delivered by a prototype maker and manufacturer, with the aim of providing an overview and hands-on experience on more common leather working practices. At the end of the tuition you will have: – Gained an understanding of leather types, tanning methods, leather characteristics and the best uses for specific projects. – Gained confidence in using specific tools for preparing, marking, finishing, cutting leather and fastening fittings. – Understood and practiced leather craft techniques such as inking, beveling and burnishing techniques – Understood what it means to work with different leather types and thicknesses and have the ability to source and select the correct tools and materials for your projects. – Understood how to manipulate leather using tools, reinforcement, stabilisers and stiffeners in crucial areas of bags and accessories. – Gained confidence in sewing by hand and obtained the skills to realise some simple leather items independently. WHAT WILL BE TAUGHT?Below is a list of topics covered during the classes: LEATHER, VEGAN LEATHER AND HAND TOOLS: – Understanding leather: overviews on types of leather, tanning, finishings and best use– Vegan leathers: an overview on different types and features – Understanding how to choose the right materials for your project and the appropriate tools for those materials – Leather preparing, pattern placement and marking on leather – Cutting complex shapes using a variety of tools – Using leather punches – Understanding the use of skiving, beveling and creasing – Finishing leather edges: painting vs burnishing – Using various leather glues and tapes – Understand the use of reinforcements, fusings and stabilisers to back leather – Prototyping and manufacturing leather goods: mentions of different working methods, machines and tools HAND SEWING: – To understand the different options, characteristics, and proper application of the tools used in saddle stitching – To learn the basics of saddle stitching leather and understood the different the tools and materials used in the technique CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES: – To create a small, simple hand stitched leather item to take home with you INCLUDED IN THE COURSE: You will be provided with useful digital and paper handouts which contain:– A list of tools and materials used during the lesson(s), including a description of what they are and how they are used– A list of recommended suppliers for both leather and fittings (physically in London and online)– A glossary containing essential key words related to the topic of the lesson– A glossary containing information about leather types and characteristics WHAT ARE THE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS?This course is suitable for total beginners, beginners with some experience and intermediate.You should be able to use measurements and understand verbal and written English instructions.   ARE THERE ANY OTHER COSTS? IS THERE ANYTHING I NEED TO BRING?Materials are included.Feel free to bring a notepad, if you would like to take some notes, we will provide the rest. HOW LONG IS THIS TUITION?:This tuition will require up to 12 hours to complete. We aim to provide customised and high quality tuition services and by only allowing up to 6 students at a time, we are able to focus on each person needs and interests.As every student has a different level of ability and previous experience, this course might lead some students to complete the core aspects of the lesson in a shorter time frame than others.Students who complete the course early will be welcome to stay and use the studio facilities to exercise on the topics of the lesson.

Learn all the essentials of how to make luxurious, fragrant soaps, for home, gifts to wow your friends and family, or as an aspiring entrepreneur.

Welcome to the fascinating alchemy that is wet felting. Starting with wool fibres in a wide range of colours we will create a piece of felt which could be a picture or abstract

LEARN HOW TO SEW LEATHER USING INDUSTRIAL MACHINES FOR BAGS, ACCESSORIES, AND GARMENTS This is the third module of a series designed to provide thorough, professional training in leatherworking, sewing and accessory making. Each module has been carefully designed to equip individuals with key skills for starting a career in this sector, broadening their industry knowledge, or embarking on their own journey with solid foundational skills. During the class, you will learn how to correctly sew with the most common machines used in the leather industry and understand their differences. You will gain knowledge about threads, needles, feet, machine components, and useful sewing tricks. You will learn how to set the machine correctly to obtain suitable tension and successfully work with a variety of leather thicknesses and textures. Additionally, you will acquire skills to troubleshoot sewing issues and effectively handle challenges like sewing curves, working with multiple layers of leather, and managing stretchy, rough, or slippery surfaces. Moreover, you will receive valuable handouts, curated lists of leather and tool suppliers for future reference, and create personalised samples for your own use. By the end of the tuition, you will have: – Understood how to set and operate common leather industrial sewing machines, comprehended their differences and main features – Effectively threaded and operated a lock stitch walking foot machine, ensuring correct tension in your sewing – Utilised various tools, equipment and industry tricks proficiently in sewing – Identified thread types and needle sizes for different applications – Learned to sew leather accurately, distinguishing it from other materials, and mastered sewing thin versus thick leather – Sewn straight lines, curves, and parallel lines with confidence – Produced a variety of basic seams, seam finishes, constructions, continuous, and reinforced seams – Handled sewing multiple layers of leather -Successfully obtained fundamental knowledge to sew simple products independently Included in the course: You will receive useful paper handouts containing: – An illustrated guide providing essential information about types of sewing machines and their components. – A glossary containing information about needles, thread types and essential key words related to the topics of the lesson – A list of recommended suppliers for leather and fittings, both in London and online Find all modules here: https://the-london-leather-workshop.cademy.co.uk/

This is a practical 2-day group tuition during which you will receive an overview of basic leather craft and hand sewing skills and techniques and create your own hand-sewn leather bag to take home with you.The class will take place in our London workshop, where you will see how a leather craft studio is equipped and receive practical demonstrations of common leather and bag-making methods.You will be able to choose your project from a selection of different medium-sized bags. You will also be able to pick the leather type, color and hardware you prefer from our stock. All our leathers are beautiful, rescued Italian vegetable-tanned leather from leading tanneries and fashion brands.You will receive an introduction to leather types, including how to mark, cut, edge finish, and hand sew leather using saddle stitching, as well as apply simple fastening hardware. Relevant, useful, and informative handouts and lists of leather and tool suppliers will be provided.At the end of the tuition, you will have:– Gained an understanding of leather types and tanning methods– Been instructed on the use of common fastenings and closure techniques– Received an overview of the correct use of tools for preparing, marking, cutting and punching leather– Learned how to use, read and place patterns– Learned how to saddle stitch leather and understood the different tools and materials used in the technique– Understood and practiced leather craft techniques such as beveling and burnishing– Created your own hand-stitched leather bag to take home with you.   ABOUT THE FINAL PROJECT:The final bag you will create will be a small or medium-sized leather bag from a choice of designs. You will be presented with various shapes to choose from, both feminine and unisex, such as handbags, crossbody bags, bum bags, buckets, and more.   WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE ONE OF OUR COURSES:Our classes are different: we are renowned for personal attention to each and every student and importantly the students’ onward path in the industry is paramount to us. All of our courses focus on building useful, practical skills and providing essential information for our learners to be able to actually develop and use their own ability in continuing their journey.Each topic is explained in easy-to-follow steps, and all lessons are organised so that the techniques used can be replicated by students independently.We strongly encourage and support skill sharing and our main focus is to enable more people to access and flourish in our industry.   INCLUDED IN THE COURSE:You will be provided with useful handouts which contain:– A list of recommended suppliers for both leather and fittings (physically in London and online)– A glossary containing information about leather types and characteristics

Are you interested in enrolling on an Online (Distance) Learning Degree at Arts University Plymouth, but curious about how virtually attending an Arts University works? If so, join us online for our Free 3-Session Online Learning Taster Course. An introduction to our January-start degrees. This course has been designed to give you a taste of what it is like to study with us virtually, as well as giving you tailored support for your university application. You will get a virtual art university experience, and a chance to meet some of the lecturers for the subjects you are interested in studying.

An inspiring practical day learning textiles skills with textiles artist Sue Cooper.

Sewing with Knit Fabrics, making a jersey top with Lindsey

An introduction to forging Japanese kitchen knives.