Elka reviews

18 Jan 23'

Lucy Tipper reviewed: An Introduction to Natural Dyeing with Starter Kit. A self-paced online course.

"Oh my goodness I loved this course. Although I have some experience working with natural pigments this course was awesome. So much information and technique packed into the content but at a pace that was so manageable. Natural Dyeing is a total art form and the tutor explained everything clearly and in a way that left me confident to experiment with different colour sources, fabrics and methods. I highly recommend, taking this journey into natural dyeing. "

Elka responded:

" Thank you so much Lucy for the wonderful review! I'm really hoping I can make it to one of your amazing courses this year Xx"

18 Jan 23'

Lucy reviewed: Frame loom weaving: A comprehensive guide to becoming a weaver - a self-paced online course PLUS kit

"I have thoroughly enjoyed this weaving course. It was well laid out and explained. I loved how I could switch between video learning and written intructions for when you need a second way to explain a technique. Ellie is super clear and present each element at a pace that suited my brain. I was a total beginner at the start of this course and I have been left feeling capable of working on my own projects independently. Highly recommended, I loved it. Xx"

Elka responded:

" Thank you so much Lucy! I shall thoroughly look forward to following your weaving journey Xx"

3 May 22'

Aurora reviewed: 6 Hour Introduction to Natural Dyeing, Mere, Wiltshire

"I thoroughly enjoyed this course and it was fascinating to learn the process of natural dyeing. Claudia is a great instructor, knowledgeable and happy to answer any questions. The hands-on experience was invaluable and helps students feel confident enough to try dyeing at home. Lovely studio, location and great to meet other like-minded people!"

Elka responded:

" Thank you so much for the lovely review Aurora. It was great to meet you and to have you on the workshop. Best wishes, Claudia."

1 May 22'

Moyna reviewed: 6 Hour Introduction to Natural Dyeing, Mere, Wiltshire

"I spent a wonderful day yesterday in the middle of the Hampshire countryside with a lovely small group of fellow dyers. Claudia shares her knowledge and experience freely, with ease, fun and enthusiasm. She obviously loves her subject. Her tuition is spot on - easy to follow with lots of examples and encouragement to be hands on. The practical experience was well set out and we each produced a different dye bath - it was fascinating to see the colours develop. I learnt so much - I came away with exactly what I wanted from the day - enough knowledge to encourage me to carry on at home, but not too much technical information that could put you off 'flying solo'. Good straightforward information booklet to take home and lots of contacts and suppliers to stock up. I loved it and would recommend this day to everyone."

Elka responded:

" Thank you so much Moyna for taking the time to leave a review, it's so helpful to gain feedback. Thank you also for your contribution to the workshop, it was lovely to meet you. Best wishes, Claudia."

28 Nov 21'

Elizabeth Robson reviewed: Frame Loom Weaving Starter Kit

"My frame loom is great colours are lovely I’m looking forward to starting it in new year as I just moved house"

Elka responded:

" Hi Elizabeth, Thank you for the lovely review! I'm so glad you're happy with your kit. Congratulations on your new home, and happy weaving! Best wishes, Ellie"

27 Jun 21'

Sarah White reviewed: 6 Hour Introduction to Natural Dyeing, Mere, Wiltshire

"A very pleasant, calm relaxed day with lots of enthusiasm Looking forward to giving it a go Thank you Claudia and fellow classmates for a lovely day"

Elka responded:

" Thank you for the lovely review Sarah, it was great to meet you. Best wishes, Claudia"

22 Jun 21'

Karole Lange reviewed: 6 Hour Introduction to Natural Dyeing, Mere, Wiltshire

"Coming to your workshop - an oasis of calm and because it was so well organized each moment was creative. I learnt such a lot about natural dyes and your knowledge about the subject was exemplary. You created a comfortable and friendly atmosphere and we benefitted greatly by there just being three of us. It was a real treat. Thank you"

Elka responded:

" Thank you so much for the lovely review Karole, and thank you for coming. It was a pleasure to meet you. Best wishes, Claudia"

9 Jun 21'

Fiona reviewed: 6 Hour Introduction to Frame Loom Weaving, ELKA studio, Upper Slackstead, Hampshire

"What a fantastic day. A chance to learn, a chance to chill, and a much needed chance to forget the stresses of the last 18 months. Ellie is an amazing teacher, so knowledgeable and patient, and supportive of our varying choices, experience and ideas. And yet very laid back and inclusive. I shall be going back soon!"

Elka responded:

" Thank you so much for the lovely review Fiona. It was a pleasure to meet you and i'm so glad you enjoyed the day!"

7 Jun 21'

Janet Hammerton reviewed: 2 day introduction to table loom weaving at the Elka studio, Upper Slackstead

"What a lovely way to spend the weekend with like minded ladies doing what we all enjoy, Ellie’s new premises are very welcoming and she has made it look so attractive, she was such a help guiding us all through each stage of our work. I went home very pleased with my sample piece of weaving and would recommend anyone to treat theirselves to one of Ellie’s weaving workshops."

Elka responded:

" Thank you so much for the lovely review Janet. It was a pleasure to spend the weekend with you! Very best wishes, Ellie X"

7 Jun 21'

Emma Beardsley reviewed: 3 Hour Introduction to Frame Loom Weaving at the Elka Studio, Upper Slackstead

"I've never done a workshop like this before, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Ellie was fantastic.....really friendly and welcoming and explained everything as we went along, making it easy to understand and do the weaving. I was so pleased with my finished piece....the three hours went quickly! If you're thinking about having a go at weaving, and you've never done it before...do this workshop....it's brilliant!"

Elka responded:

" Thank you so much for the lovely review Emma! It was an absolute pleasure to meet you :)"

7 Jun 21'

Jane Gentry reviewed: 6 Hour Introduction to Natural Dyeing, Mere, Wiltshire

"Thoroughly enjoyed the day! Lovely environment so friendly and welcoming. I learnt so much and it was so great to be introduced to a subject that I had previously very little knowledge about, but going forward will certainly be pursuing. Thank you Claudia for a very memorable day!"

Elka responded:

" Hi Jane, Thank you so much for the lovely review. I'm so glad you enjoyed the day and felt like you learnt a lot! It was great to meet you. Best wishes, Claudia"

5 Mar 21'

Heather B reviewed: Frame loom weaving: A comprehensive guide to becoming a weaver - a self-paced online course PLUS kit

"This is an excellent course. The videos are clear and instructions easy to follow. The kit provided is of good quality and adequate for the beginner to learn the basic techniques. Highly enjoyable."

Elka responded:

" Hi Heather, Thank you so much for the review, I’m delighted that you’re enjoying the course! Very best wishes, Ellie"

17 Apr 20'

Lynn reviewed: Branch Weaving

"We loved doing this! My kids are 10, 8 and 4 and it’s great how you can adapt the difficulty according to their abilities. My disabled daughter loved choosing colours and weaving in grasses and yarn too. We displayed the finished branches together as a « weaving tree » on the wall and were really delighted with how it worked out. Highly recommend !"

Elka responded:

" Hi Lynn, thank you so much for the lovely review, i'm so glad you've enjoyed it! I'm just about to put a few more up on here. Very best wishes, Ellie"

15 Mar 20'

Polly Triggol reviewed: Introduction to natural dyeing, Crispin Hall, Street, Somerset

"The teacher's preparation was wonderful, everything supplied for our natural dyeing day . So much information was imparted both by sampling the various dyes in practice, understandable verbal explanations, and written sheets to take home. Also provided a folder to keep all our samples in ."

Elka responded:

" Thank you so much for the lovely review Polly, we're so glad that you enjoyed the day!"

15 Mar 20'

Rachel reviewed: Branch Weaving

"Absolutely amazing course which I highly recommend!!! Ellie is such a lovely tutor!! She is so welcoming and lovely from the moment you get there til even after you've left the course and beyond! She welcomes you in with open arms, and is so excited to share with you her wealth of knowledge! She is able to fit in so much to teach you within the 2 days! I even left with a brand new loom as was so eager to continue with what she had taught me. And when I ran out of a certain colour of thread that I was using in the workshop... she sent some to my house so that I could finish what I was working on! She has now moved into a larger bigger studio which I can't wait to go and visit soon and she welcomes you back anytime you would like to be able to help with any further queries you have, or stuff you may have forgotten on the course, as was so much to take in. So definitely get booking on!!"

Elka responded:

" Thank you so much Rachel! I'm so glad you enjoyed the workshop and I can't wait for you to see the new studio :) X"

14 Mar 20'

Marie reviewed: Branch Weaving

"Fantastic course if you're a bubbly personality of similar age with family stories to share. Terrible if you're over 60 with a disability, hearing problems and a little bit word shy. If that is the case, be prepared to sit waiting for nothing to happen and wasting your money."

Elka responded:

" I am sorry that you felt you couldn’t complete the workshop. It would have been useful to know in advance of your disability and hearing problem, then I might have suggested private tutoring as a better option for you. I have taken this on board however and will now ensure people fill out a form before attending the workshop. I tried to explain that people work at very different speeds and later on in the workshop you might find something far easier than others. If you hadn’t walked out when you did and your aggressive, rude behaviour had continued I would have asked you to leave as it was disrupting the group and making everyone feel very uncomfortable. I make no apologies for my bubbly personality, or for mentioning my daughter. The focus of the day was weaving. Everyone has to wait for a few minutes as I can’t do two things at once, but as the group is only three people it’s never for more than a few minutes. I hope you will take my comments on board as I have yours."

19 Feb 20'

Liz reviewed: Woven Heart Baskets

"Would highly recommend this course.Ellie is a very knowledgeable & enthusiastic tutor and made us all feel very welcome. The materials supplied were very good and the information sheets were very helpful enabling us to complete the project at home if we hadn't finished. It was a very enjoyable time and I left inspired to do other weaving projects in the future."

Elka responded:

" Hi Liz, Thank you so much for the lovely review. I'm so glad you enjoyed the workshop! Very best wishes, Ellie"

13 Feb 20'

Janice reviewed: 3 Hour Introduction to Frame Loom Weaving at the Elka Studio, Upper Slackstead

"Great workshop! What a wonderful way to spend a miserable cold, wet evening! Three hours just flew by and I felt I learnt so much, not just about weaving techniques but about the yarns and fibres we used, I was amazed at the variety and quality of materials she provided for us to use and am really keen to start sourcing some plant fibres myself! Ellie gave us confidence to start making something worthwhile within minutes of arriving and each person achieved an awful lot in the time, her encouragement and support and friendly, caring personality meant we felt able to ask her for assistance and help whilst really getting on and 'having a go' ourselves. I loved every piece of weaving art created and I can see myself enjoying my new hobby for a long time to come and stealing some ideas from my fellow weavers!"

Elka responded:

" Thank you so much for the lovely review Janice! It was a pleasure to meet you and I'm so glad you enjoyed the workshop. Happy weaving!"

13 Feb 20'

Samantha Gale reviewed: 3 Hour Introduction to Frame Loom Weaving at the Elka Studio, Upper Slackstead

"This course has sparked a new hobby for me, and those are rare. Ellie was clearly very knowledgeable and passionate but explained everything in a clear and easy to understand way. She even spent ten minutes cutting thread for my tassles so I wouldn't be short on weaving time. It was the perfect balance of guidance and letting me go at it, and I enjoyed it immensely. I would recommend this course to absolutely anyone interested."

Elka responded:

" Thank you so much for the lovey review Samantha. I'm so happy that you enjoyed the workshop, your piece was absolutely fantastic! Happy weaving :)"

10 Feb 20'

Cate Fletcher reviewed: Woven Heart Baskets

"This was given to me as a birthday gift and I persuaded a friend to accompany me. We had a delightful evening. Ellie was a talented weaver and also a good communicator as we learned from scratch and produced a piece of work to take home. I appreciated her attitude to recycling and use of organic materials, some of which her mother had naturally dyed. I would definitely recommend this as a good introduction to weaving."

Elka responded:

" Hi Cate, thank you so much for the lovely review. It was a pleasure to meet you. I'm so glad you enjoyed the workshop. Very best wishes, Ellie"

10 Feb 20'

Julia Raffo reviewed: Woven Heart Baskets

"Ellie is a great teacher, well prepared and clear in her instructions yet relaxed and able to respond to individual needs. We came away with enough knowledge to carry on with our weaving and some even finished their first wall hanging piece. She also gave us a worksheet and resources for future weaving. It was an excellent morning and well worth the effort to go on Sunday!"

Elka responded:

" Hi Julia, Thank you for the lovely review. I'm so glad you enjoyed the workshop! Best wishes, Ellie"

9 Feb 20'

Maxine reviewed: Woven Heart Baskets

"Loved the course! It was fun and informative and I came away with a piece I want to finish and carry on with some new ideas."

Elka responded:

" Hi Maxine, I'm so glad you enjoyed the workshop! Thank you for the review. Best wishes, Ellie"

26 Jan 20'

Jean Mosley reviewed: 6 Hour Introduction to Natural Dyeing, Mere, Wiltshire

"We had an absolutely fabulous day dyeing with Claudia. I think our enthusiasm bubbled over at times (Claudia had to struggle to control us ?) and by the end of the day, we had a wonderful sample book and the information for future experiments with natural dyes. You will probably discover us foraging in the local woods! A great course in a beautiful location and we were thoroughly spoiled by Margaret with her breakfast treats and very yummy lunch. If you are curious about what can be achieved with dyes sourced from the wild, then I recommend this course heartily."

Elka responded:

" HI Jean, thank you so much for the lovely review, it was a pleasure to meet you. I'm so glad you enjoyed the day! Very best wishes, Claudia"

25 Jan 20'

Emma reviewed: 6 Hour Introduction to Natural Dyeing, Mere, Wiltshire

"Highly informative, well resourced and a really well taught course on natural dying. Really recommend. Also some pretty amazing food and venue was in a wonderful location."

Elka responded:

" Hi Emma, thank you so much for the lovely review. It was a pleasure to meet you and i'm so glad you had a good day. Very best wishes, Claudia"

25 Jan 20'

Rachel Edwards reviewed: 6 Hour Introduction to Natural Dyeing, Mere, Wiltshire

"A great venue with lovely food and an excellent introduction to natural dyeing. An enjoyable and inspirational day which I would highly recommend."

Elka responded:

" Thank you so much for the lovely review Rachel. I'm so glad you enjoyed the day. Very best wishes, Claudia"