Beechwood Crafts reviews

Gayle reviewed: Spinning lessons one to one

"I had an hour’s face-to face lesson with Cath yesterday and loved it. Cath is a brilliant teacher and has a lovely calm, patient nature. She told me more than just the basics and I left with my first skein of spun wool (small but perfectly formed). She has certainly aroused my interest in spinning and I was on a high for the rest of the day. Thank you Cath and hope to see you again to further improve my skills."

Ursula reviewed: Spinning lessons one to one

"I had an hour's one-to-one lesson as an introduction to spinning on a wheel. The lesson more than met my requirements. Cath is a patient and responsive teacher who was generous with her time. She is very supportive and really enthused me to continue my spinning journey in earnest."

Jude reviewed: Beginning spinning

"My second course with Cath and, again, I thought her teaching was excellent. The day was well organised and we had plenty of opportunity to practise spinning as well as learning more about setting up the wheels etc. We also had the opportunity to try the different wheels that Cath has in her workroom (very useful if you are considering buying a wheel). I would certainly recommend this course."

Beechwood Crafts responded:

"Thank you Jude, It has been a pleasure to help you on your spinning journey. best wishes Cath "

Liz reviewed: Beginning spinning

"An excellent introduction to this traditional craft. Welcoming and relaxed environment. Have I bought a wheel as a result? No but would seriously consider it if I wasn’t able to get out and about as much."

Beechwood Crafts responded:

"Thank you Liz, It was lovely to have you on the course. bet wishes Cath "

ANNIE reviewed: Beginning spinning

"A very interesting course in a small group with a supportive atmosphere. There is a lot to learn and we all gained a lot of skills with Caths guidance. I was pleased to bring home some lovely yarn and hope to develop my skills further in future"

Beechwood Crafts responded:

"Thank you Annie, it was lovely to meet you and see your skills developing so well. Your yarn was beautiful. best wishes Cath "

Jude White reviewed: Spinning lessons one to one

"I would highly recommend Cath as a spinning tutor. My lesson was well organised, highly informative and, even though I’m a complete novice, I left feeling I had made real progress. Cath’s approach is patient, friendly and her enthusiasm is infectious. I’m looking forward to my next lesson very much. Thanks Cath for a brilliant hour. "

Beechwood Crafts responded:

"Thanks Jude, It was a real pleasure to share my enthusiasm with you. You spun a beautiful skein. I am looking forward to seeing you again best wishes Cath "

Nicki Roberts reviewed: Art Yarns

"Cathy delivered an excellent course, she put me at ease and made the day fun and exciting. I learned many new skills from spinning art yarn and have taken the knowledge on board to practise at home. Highly recommended."

Beechwood Crafts responded:

"Thank you Nikki, It was great to share my enthusiasm for art yarns with you. Thanks for coming. best wishes Cath"

Shirley Owen reviewed: Art Yarns

"Art Yarn Course. What a wonderful day. Cath made us very welcome and we enjoyed the whole experience. Cath shared her wealth of knowledge on Art Yarn and we learnt different techniques. It was clear that much preparation had gone into getting ready for the day. We achieved a lot learning from Cath and spinning different art yarn techniques. Cath demonstrates and describes very clearly. I would highly recommend this course. The location was easy to find and the craft room was very light and comfortable. A brilliant day and there was cake too? Looking forward to having a copy of Cath’s book when published."

Beechwood Crafts responded:

"Thank you Shirley, It was lovely to meet you and such fun to share my love of colour and spinning. best wishes Cath"

Alison Hammond reviewed: Needle felt hares

"Lovely day creating a felt hare. Relaxing, creative, new skills, laughter and good company. What not to like?"

Chris Gould reviewed: Beginning spinning

"A small class meant Cath could give each of us the time and attention we needed."

Beechwood Crafts responded:

"Lovely to meet you Chris. best wishes Cath"

Maureen Lightfoot reviewed: Beginning spinning on zoom

"Had a really informative lesson with Cath even down to washing the wool! Cath is a person with lots of patience and really needed t with me ?. I will be booking further lessons in the future. Kind Regards Maureen"

Beechwood Crafts responded:

"Thank you Maureen, it was lovely to meet you. You had some beautiful fleece and were spinning nicely once we’d adjusted things. I look forward to seeing you again Best wishes Cath"

Susan reviewed: Beginning spinning on zoom

"If you ever wondered about learning to spin but thought the lockdown had broughtvall that to a halt. Then go ahead and do it on zoom with Cathy. She is patient and knowledgable and explains not just how but why things work (and why they sometimes don’t) and very encouraging. Iam now practising what I learnt in the session. Thank you Cathy."

Beechwood Crafts responded:

"Thank you Susan. It was lovely to meet you and help you on your spinning journey best wishes Cath"

Verity reviewed: Beginning spinning on zoom

"What a lovely way to spend a morning ! I learnt so much and will be back for more soon!"

Beechwood Crafts responded:

"Thank you Verity It was lovely to meet you I’ll look forward to seeing you again soon Best wishes Cath"

Cat Rovira reviewed: Beginning spinning on zoom

"Cath taught me with huge patience, competence and knowledge."

Beechwood Crafts responded:

"Thanks Cat, It was a pleasure to meet you and see the progress you made in such a short time. bet wishes Cath"

Hazel reviewed: Needle felt hares

"This was a brilliant workshop. Considering the challenges with social distancing etc, Cath has provided a space in which crafters can feel safe and relaxed. All precautions are taken. Maxine is a wonderful tutor who gave very clear visual and verbal instruction and was readily open to questions during the course of the day. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this workshop and venue."

Beechwood Crafts responded:

"Thank you Hazel It was a pleasure to have you on the course Best wishes Cath"

Penny Renn reviewed: Spinning silk 1 day

"Cath's preparation for this two day course was exemplary. We were housed in a safe and comfortable environment which must have taken a good deal of time and effort to prepare. During the course Cath shared her knowledge and skill with us in preparing and spinning a large variety of silks and luxury fibres. The pace was satisfyingly brisk covering a wide range of information and techniques that I look forward to putting into practice at home. One unexpected and pleasing outcome of the course was that each of us came away with a large selection of samples of the fibres we were introduced to. A most enjoyable and stimulating two days. Thank you Cath"

Beechwood Crafts responded:

"Thank you Penny It was lovely to have you on the course Best wishes Cath"

Averil Newsam reviewed: Spinning silk 1 day

"Three students and Cath Snape, our tutor worked in a spacious perfectly ventilated garden marquee. We had face visors for moments when we were closer than 2 metres so it was all very well planned. We covered silk spinning on day one, from degumming cocoons to making and spinning from silk hankies and blending mulberry silk with other fibres. All really useful practice for understanding how to manage the long, slippy staple of silk compared with shorter fibres. Day two was also useful for me - we were combing or carding luxury fibres from Cashmere to mohair and angora as well as alpaca in order to blend with other fibres. It really helped me to establish the rules about fibre preparation in relation to staple length, then what technique to use for spinning the fibre. We still had time for refreshments and lunch break, comparing our interests and experiences within our own Guilds of York and Durham."

Beechwood Crafts responded:

"thanks Averil, it was lovely to see you and have your enthusiasm contributing to the course. best wishes Cath"

Alex Glen reviewed: Two day -Fundamentals of leatherwork

"This was a fun 2 day course with an enthusiastic and knowledgeable tutor covering foundation skills for working with leather. Paul discussed different types of leather and how they are processed and different cuts and types of leather and how to select a suitable leather for your project. The different tools for working with leather, from basic to more advanced were explained. Pattern making, cutting, edging, stitching, riveting, dying, tooling and finishing were all covered with plenty of hands on practice of the techniques. An excellent introduction to leather working in a relaxed friendly group giving with plentiful supplies of tea and cake to keep us going. A good starting point for a new adventure."

Beechwood Crafts responded:

"Thanks Alex It was good to see you on the course Cath"

Dave Worrall reviewed: Two day -Fundamentals of leatherwork

"My partner and I did the course in early 2020, and as we're both into live action roleplay (LARP) we took the course thinking that it might be useful as we have leather bags and armour pieces. Happily we weren't disappointed with the course. Paul's course teaches you the fundamentals that you'll need to get into leather crafting. You won't learn everything, but what Paul does give you is the experiences that he's gained being bushcrafter, leatherworker and craftsman. He even gives a list of suppliers that he uses so you don't have to hunt everything down on the internet. The other nice thing about the course is that you're not just writing things down or following a list of instructions. Paul introduces you to some of the tools that you'll use, basic tools such as knives and hammers and then traditional leather crafting tools such as leather punches, stitch groovers and edge bevellers, you'll learn how to saddle stitch and dye your leather. We found it quite inspiring, and within a few weeks we'd took the plunge and started making bags, belts and leather armour pieces. If you have any interest in learning leather craft then I'd happily recommend it."

Beechwood Crafts responded:

"Thanks Dave It was good to have you on the course. I love seeing the great leatherwork you have done since Best wishes Cath"

Rod Glen reviewed: Two day -Fundamentals of leatherwork

"As the description says, this is not a make a handbag in a day course. The course covers the why's and wherefore's of the basics of leathercrafting. You learn what types of leather there are, what they are good for and (importantly) what they are NOT good for. Paul takes you through the techniques used and provides excellent guidance as you try them out. He draws heavily from his experiences as a self-taught craftsman. When he steers you away from doing something, you know it's because he's tried it and it all went wobbly! He gives excellent advice on what tools and materials a beginner should start with and suggestions on where to buy them. The course doesn't cover much in the way of tooling and embossing, and this is a good thing. There is only so much that can be fitted into 2 days and the students actually learn it. I am looking forward to a more advanced course where these subjects can be covered. (HINT)"

Beechwood Crafts responded:

"Thanks Rod, Once life has settled a little more, we will run the advanced course don't worry. best wishes Cath"

Naomi reviewed: Beginning spinning

"A very enjoyable day with a great teacher. Cath was patient and quickly showed me how to set up the wheel properly. It was great to actually start spinning and trying out the different fibres and wheels. The class was very small and she tailored the day to what would help us the most. Looking forward to using my wheel more and booking onto another course with Cath."

Beechwood Crafts responded:

"Thank you Naomi, It was a pleasure to have you on the course. Lovely to see your spinning develop so quickly. I look forward to seeing you again best wishes Cath"

Kate Wood reviewed: Beginning spinning

"This class was absolutely brilliant. It was a small class, and Cath adapted what we did to cover our individual needs. Lots of personal attention and friendly instruction, plenty of help sorting out my wheel (greatly appreciated, thank you!) and a friendly atmosphere made the day fly by. It's really been helpful in working out some of my problems as a beginning spinner, but the adaptive style means more advanced spinners could find it helpful too. Thanks so much!"

Beechwood Crafts responded:

"Thanks Kate It was lovely to have you on the course and see you fly once your wheel was adjusted. Best wishes Cath"

Louise Rudderforth reviewed: Next steps in spinning

"I have just attended the next steps in spinning course with Beechwood Crafts. This is my second class with them. Cath the tutor was very welcoming and the relaxing setting put me at ease. She is enthusiastic and encouraging and has taught me to spin and now is helping to improve my technique and learn more about this craft. The days are always well thought out, with Cath contacting you beforehand to ascertain if there is anything you would like to focus upon. Her extensive knowledge in all things spinning comes across. I would highly recommend these courses...I have already booked another."

Beechwood Crafts responded:

"Thank you Louise, It has been a pleasure to teach you and to see how well you are developing your skills. I look forward to seeing you again soon"

RONA RIMES reviewed: Needle felt fairies and mermaids

"A most enjoyable and instructive day. We were made to feel welcome from the start and were supplied with hot drinks (and cake). The room we used was comfortable and light and our tutor, Maxine explained the craft very well and helped us individually . The day was well planned and all the materials were supplied. Maxine and Cath are tremendously talented and creative and I felt privileged to be taught by them."

Beechwood Crafts responded:

"HI Rona, Thanks for the review It was lovely to have you with us. Your fairy and mermaid were both beautiful. best wishes Cath"

Wendy Wilkinson reviewed: Wet felt flowers

"I thoroughly enjoyed the course because everything was prepared and provided for. Cath had infinite patience and knowledge as she demonstrated two techniques of felting flowers. We had the opportunity to make both and I was really pleased with my flowers. The workshop was lovely overlooking the garden.Thank you, Cath I look forward to my next course with you."

Beechwood Crafts responded:

"Thank you Wendy. It was great to have you on the course. I look forward to seeing you again. Cath"