Twice I year I try to do an online retreat called “Making Zen”, which consists of more than 30 tutors giving workshops over the course of five days. It is the most marvellous way to learn new skills in a low risk environment. The best news is that it’s completely free, with each day’s videos lasting for twenty four hours, so planning has to be precise. However, there is a VIP package available and then all the classes last forever and there are tutor bonus classes/giveaways as well.

I’ve been busy making from this year’s retreat and thought I’d do a quick roundup for posterity, the whole shebang is in the top photo.

My first make was a chicken scratch embroidery needlebook with Blair Stocker. I didn’t know what chicken scratch was but now I am smitten and realise that I have a tray cloth that my mother chicken scratched in the house somewhere. I used to find it all the time and now I want to look at it, it’s gone into hiding!

This is my first one, which I assembled with machine stitching. The needle part is a piece of old blanket and the rest is scraps. The ribbon says “runaway pony”, so I have no idea where that came from!

I immediately made another one and this time hand stitched it all. It is so much nicer! this one might be going into a box for a granddaughter to get when she’s older – I think ahead!

One of the classes I was really looking forward to was Liz Haywood’s zero waste Humpty Dumpty and I was not disappointed. Such a simple but clever pattern. I used some old jeans and the flower on his bottom was from another class – Betz White’s doodle darning/needle felting. I stuffed him with cotton wadding I got free at Remida.

I stuffed the arms with scraps of wadding which I cut up really small. It makes really good stuffing if squish isn’t required.

I knew I needed another one fairly quickly and I wanted it for a fundraiser so did another denim one. Not sure it’s good enough but it’s still cute. I had this idea of needle felting a bee on his nose and making him cross-eyed as he looked at it. The back of his head is cut from a pocket shadow and I had needle felted a heart on his collar, and in spite of being careful it was upside down. I cut it out and he now has it on his bottom, covering up a little hole.

He’s laying on some tray dyeing I did, which is a nice segue into another class Tray Dyeing with Liz Kettle. This was a fun activity – like ice dyeing without the faff.

Of course I forgot to take any photos the first time but had a second round so managed a couple:

I used whatever containers I had, including old Hummus containers and an unused tupperware. Basically, fold, scrunch, shibori, or twist the fabric and lay it in the container. Squirt over the liquid dye (I used Procion dyes) and wait a few hours. It’s fun!

I found that I needed blue shibori thread so dyed some white crochet cotton. I made it into a skein using the niddy noddy I made out of a tongue depressor and pop sticks! It gives the perfect sized skein.

The fabric is quite lovely and if a piece came out with too much white, I just had another go at it. I used three colours: blue, red and yellow, which gave me purple, orange and green too. Hard to see in this piece but I was a bit mesmerised by the patterns.

I’ve never really attempted sashiko, it always looked like I’d have to be too precise, but I rather loved Kate Ward’s Mindful Mountain pincushion and I’m quite delighted by the clever construction and the lovely sashiko stitch.

The construction is really interesting and creates this lovely shape at the sides. Again it’s completely handsewn. My white lines are proving difficult to get rid of, they are supposed to be removable with heat, but that’s not proving to be the case.

I made this prior to dyeing my thread blue so I used some old thread I harvested when I unpicked some jeans. The gold topstitching thread will make good sashiko thread too.

The pincushion is supposed to be filled with ground walnut shells and I happen to have been saving and crushing them so I was all prepared. I didn’t take a progress shot, of course, but this is how it looked at the end. I have a few pincushions worth of shells! The shells keep the needles and pins clean and shiny. I used to keep them in a jar but couldn’t control the flow, hence the plastic bag.

I remembered that there had been a Kate Ward class in November, 2024 which was a sashiko cat drink coaster, so I found it. It uses a rice flower stitch for the tummy which is really nice to do. I made this sample, which was immediately taken by the husband – he didn’t mind the non-existent ears and wonky whiskers and all the other flaws.

I then made a few more – all out of denim, are you sensing a theme?

I got much better at it, and used my tray dyed fabric for the backs, some of which I quilted.

I decided that the coasters would have better thermal qualities if they had padded interfacing, so I ironed some on. Piecing did happen and now I can’t pick which ones are pieced.

I made the scrap puzzle pouch by Selina Ben. This is based on an old Chinese puzzle pouch construction, which has been simplified. It is a clever little box, held together with worm knots, which are such fun to do. It can be left open or the ribbons make it into a little bag. I had fun with the scraps, making this one in the car (so it’s a tad wonky)

I have another, bigger, one of these ready to stitch together.

Karen Turner gave us a class on zero waste stitching, which should have been hand stitched but I had already created a piece made from scraps which I covered with a tea dyed silk chiffon scarf and then played with the quilting stitches on my machine. I think this will go on a tote.

I also did the Jean Strauser Mini landscapes in fabric and thread and created a very dodgy landscape. This will also “enhance” a tote I think!

The VIP pass comes with tutor gifts and Liz Haywood’s was a zero waste pocket zine which is so clever, even the booklet has a really clever construction. I was so anxious to play with mine that smudged the ink, but it’s still quite usable.. I’m excited to try this on my next pinafore dress.

I don’t think I’m even halfway through the classes yet, so there will be more posts but I’ll try and keep them shorter. As you’ve arrived at this point I thought you’d like to see what happens when you take little ones to a caravan show. They immediately make themselves comfortable in all the beds, including climbing into the sleeping bags which are there for display purposes! I’m pleased to say that they didn’t avail themselves of the bathroom facilities!