Shipwrights Cottage Handmade Soft Toy Workshop

A couple of months ago I attended my first ever handmade soft toy making class. This was held courtesy of the aptly named Fiona Hook at her lovely home Shipwright's Cottage.

Fiona has been into craft in many forms since a young age, learning her skills from her mother, who in turn learnt them from her mother. Much the same as I learnt my crafts. It's such an organic and natural way to learn, sitting alongside another woman, passing on knowledge like that, in such an ancient, instinctive manner.

The beautiful unicorn Fiona made for her daughter, upcycled from an old silk dress,
she also whittled the horn herself from some acacia.

And that is how Fiona describes her craft lessons, as 'ancient skills for modern living'. She defines her workshops as 'helping you feel connected to people and the earth'. The lesson I attended was how to make a toy horse, but she also teaches spinning, felting, basketry, sewing children's costumes and a number of cookery, preserving and gardening classes.

My chosen material cut out and facing right side to right side,
 ready to be hand stitched.

We started off with a lovely hot cup of fresh herbal tea in her back craft room, the herbs picked fresh from her garden. Fiona had a variety of pretty materials to choose from for the horse, all of which she had upcycled from various op shop clothing. She showed me a beautiful white silk unicorn that she had handmade from a white silk dress from an op shop as a gift for her daughter.


I love that stuff. If I could make all my craft completely sustainably I would be stoked. That's why I learnt to spin wool, so I can knit and crochet from my own wool. One day I would love to have some sheep and alpacas too, then I can even source my own fleece from my own happy woolly creatures. Dreams aside, Fiona also spins her own wool and uses the raw fleece, washed and scented lightly with lavender oil, to stuff her gorgeous toys with. That connection to the earth again.

Me, concentrating hard!

After choosing two kinds of the brightest material (of course!), one for the sides and another for the underside, Fiona went through the pattern with me. It is easy enough for a beginner, although I have some experience machine sewing and a bit of hand sewing knowledge, Fiona took me through the process slowly, explaining it simply. I improved as I went along and after only a few hours, and not that many swear words, I had the body pretty much together, ready for stuffing.

Each step required specific instructions, for example when stuffing the body you must shove the fleece in really hard with a crochet hook to ensure the legs, body, head and neck are firm and not floppy. This way the horse will stand up properly. Doing a course with an experienced crafter like Fiona provides personalised one on one attention and you can question and go over details that are easy to miss when you watch a lesson on You Tube.

The finished product.

I finished this little beauty later that day at home, just in time for a friend's daughters third birthday. The present was well received!









For more information on upcoming workshops check out Fiona's website: http://shipwrightscottage.wix.com/mysite