Tending the Threads

Natural Fibre Craft Workshops in the Heart of Teesdale

As the light wanes and the seasons turn, we will ‘gather in’ to explore fibre crafts through a series of connected workshops. Together we will explore the process of preparing the fragile fibres of plants and animals- from dandelion stems to sheep wool- and using the slow magic of spinning and cordage-making to create resilient thread that has multi-stranded creative and utilitarian uses. We will use the resulting threads in fibrecraft projects to create tactile pieces of decorative and useful art, both individually and as a collaborative project. 

The workshops will not only give you practical fibre skills, it will also spark your creative curiosity and appreciation of the natural world and the many fantastic fibres available to you in your own garden and local area. 

In the current cacophony of modern life, re-learning these ancestral skills can provide us with creative respite, restoration, and connection with other humans and our natural landscapes. 

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL SPACES ARE NOW FILLED. If you would like to be added to a waiting list in case of cancellations, please email me at: Lsmethurst@hotmail.co.uk.

Who are the workshops for?

The workshops are for adults and young people (16+) who wish to learn new skills and who have an interest in using their hands to create tactile, beautiful and useful pieces of natural, functional and decorative art. Beginners are more than welcome to attend.

What will we be doing? 

Over a series of five fortnightly 90 minute workshops, we will look at various fibre craft techniques* including: 

  • Cordage and braiding- ancient, prehistoric crafts such as braiding and cordage making with plant fibres such as nettle bast, daffodil leaves and dandelion stems; 
  • Drop spinning- The ancient and meditative craft of spinning fibres with a drop spindle to create your own yarn. 
  • Bookmark weaving- A simple project to introduce you to weaving. We will weave a bookmark using your own handspun yarn and other prepared fibres.  
  • Fibre foraging** and preparation- We will learn where and how to gather and prepare natural materials for cordage making and yarn spinning. 
  • Wild weaving- Using foraged materials, we will make a simple loom to weave decorative woven pieces with natural fibres and seasonal wild finds. 

Throughout the workshop series there will also be a collaborative weaving project which will reflect a woven conversation between the members of the group. Threaded into the workshops, we will also touch on the historical importance of fibre crafts in the local Teesdale area and beyond.

*Order and content of workshops may be subject to change based on the needs and interests of the group.

**Depending on group interest, we may venture outdoors in the Mickleton area to forage and find natural materials to weave into our creative projects. 

What is the aim? 

The aim of the workshops is for you to learn hands-based, practical fibre crafts that you can use in your own life, and on your own creative journey. The aim is also to explore these crafts in a community setting, in which these crafts would have been performed in days gone by. With this in mind, the hope is to weave an environment and a community of curious and connected crafters. 

What do I need to bring?

Bring yourself, and an openness and willingness to learn new skills. 

All materials and facilitation will be provided. There will be an opportunity for you to purchase a drop spindle if you wish (or pay a refundable deposit if you want to borrow a drop spindle for the duration of the workshop series). 

There will also be opportunities for you to bring in found fibres and materials of your own if you wish! 

Do I need any specific skills?

The workshops are designed with beginners in mind. You will need a basic level of manual dexterity as the crafts we will be learning all rely on being able to use our hands. If you have any questions about whether the workshops are suitable for you, please get in touch.

When and where will the workshops take place?

Workshops will take place on Tuesday evenings, fortnightly, at Mickleton Village Hall (DL12 0JY) from 6:00-7:30pm during September, October and December on the following dates: 

  • 22nd September
  • 6th October
  • 20th October
  • 3rd November
  • 17th November

Mickleton Village Hall is well located in the heart of Teesdale, and has ample parking and is fully accessible for wheelchair users. 

There will also be a community event at the end of November, celebrating Tending the Threads, where there will be a community showing of The Nettle Dress, a beautiful documentary film about the power and healing magic of slow fibre craft. At the community event there will also be an opportunity to share our crafts and the collaborative weaving piece with friends, family and the local community. Further information and a date will be confirmed nearer to the time. 

Who is facilitating the workshops?

I’m Lucy and I will be facilitating the workshops. I am a self-taught and intuitive creative practitioner and fibre artist. I have gathered and grown skills over a lifetime of being curious and also constantly needing my hands to be busy! I have spent many years stravaiging around the British Isles in my home-on-wheels while gathering creative skills, knowledge and experience. I see myself as a spinner of threads and a weaver of webs- I usually have multiple creative projects on the go at any one time! Please feel free to browse my website to find out more about me and my creative journey. 

Can I pick and choose which workshops I attend?

As the workshops are all connected, we will be building on skills each week, therefore the intention is for participants to attend all (or most of the workshops), therefore it is not possible to just attend one or two workshops. However, I may run one-off workshops in the future, so if you are interested in learning specific skills, please contact me. 

Booking a place or further information 

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL SPACES ARE NOW FILLED. If you would like to be added to a waiting list in case of cancellations, please email me at: Lsmethurst@hotmail.co.uk.

Thank you for reading, and I look forward to meeting you! 

Funders

Tending the Threads – Teesdale is funded by Northern Heartlands on behalf of Into the Light and is part of the Cultivate Commissions project for the year 2026-2027.

Cultivate Commissions has been set up to support creative practitioners to work with communities across County Durham, with the intention of strengthening local creativity and arts participation.