The beauty of the Rye Harbour Nature Reserve was the inspiration for a craft session at the Discovery Centre on Wednesday September 17 led by Anne Yates and Amanda Martin.
Sheila Fellows-Turnball was one of the participants and explains why she had such a lovely time.
Why do you come to these craft sessions? And are you arty? Why do I do it, especially given my total lack of artistic or creative ability? I am one of those people who cannot translate what I can see with my eyes into something beautiful in art form, the link just doesn’t seem to be there. However, I am very good at doing what I’m told, following instructions and reading a pattern, coupled with an attitude of “Well, if someone else can make that, I must be able to create a passable facsimile of it as well.”
Were you at a school that encouraged the art side of education?
We didn’t have domestic science or needlework classes at my school. They wanted “their girls” to become academics. Funnily enough, that didn’t happen either! This, coupled with a timetable that allowed only art or music, not both, meant that I am now the queen of “Beat the intro” and can identify the majority of 70s and 80s pop songs after a couple of bars, but can’t draw to save my life.
Did you get inspiration and encouragement from your family?
My mum, my nana and my granny all knitted, made all our clothes, embroidered and crocheted beautifully. They had assiduously “made do and mended” throughout the wars, recycled old clothes into new and generally knew how to make beautiful things from very little. The basic principles and skills were passed on to the next generation, along with the idea that we really shouldn’t be buying handmade things if we could have a stab at making them ourselves.
So now I try all the crafts, attend any workshop I see advertised, and am still searching for that one craft where I enter the room and it becomes immediately apparent that I am the most naturally talented person there. One day – one day! – this may happen. It hasn’t yet, but I still turn up, learn the basics of any craft offered, become completely overawed by all the incredible skill displayed by my fellow participants, but always come away having had a marvellous time with some lovely people. The thing about courses and workshops is that the people, no matter how skilled they already are, are without fail incredibly supportive and encouraging towards people like me. They don’t judge. I have lost count of the times I have had someone offer a quiet “Can I help?” when I’ve been stuck.
And some of these courses and workshops are not expensive. I have learned not to let a lack of confidence in my own ability prevent me from having a go. No one laughs (except me, sometimes).
Image Credits: Kt bruce .