C. Whitnell
Google
Having attended both the pleated bag workshop and the t-shirt bag workshop, I enjoyed both in different ways. For both workshops, I can say that to be able to go to a workshop and not feel frustrated or rushed while learning something new and being hands-on, it's a joy to find.
For the pleated bag workshop, my friend and I had such a fun time. I loved how personalised we could make our bags - we definitely needed the 20 min steaming time to choose all the accessory colours to match our bags 🤣
Our guide was so patient with us as well, making sure we had the time and space to personalise our colours and helping us check the colour match and length. The way she explained the process and each step was incredibly helpful, especially since it was my friend's first time using some of these tools. (She was unbelievably excited to use the heat gun on the heat shrink!) We never felt lost or out of our depth with her guidance 🙏
To top it off, the walkthrough of how to style the bag right before it goes into such clever packaging.. we walked out, planning on where/when we could show off our personalised bags - everyone thought our bags were made by an expert designer, and not ourselves! It was the perfect workshop for my friend who is new to crafting but is very fashion savvy.
For the t-shirt bag workshop, it was quite a different vibe (in a good way!) It felt more hands on: we were measuring to the templates, cutting up the shirts, ironing interfacing, pressing, and realigning. My friend (a more craft-y friend who regularly explores different art forms) and I really enjoyed learning how we might integrate this into our own practices.
Our guide made this hands-on workshop feel effortless. She gave us tips on how to make each step a little easier, helped us double-check our work before we cut or ironed, and answered my incessant questions patiently. As a frequent attendee of crafting classes, I was pleasantly surprised that this never felt too much or too little - it felt like all the steps were within our grasp, and the final task of sewing through all those layers (which I was so worried about beforehand) was handled by the experts to my great relief 🤣
The bag itself is such a statement piece, sparking conversation wherever I bring it, and I love that the team made sure to celebrate the shirt's past (acknowledging our emotional connection to it) as well as its new life. It shifted the narrative from "I'm cutting up my shirt 😭" to "I bringing it to life again 🥰".
Most of all, I'd like to give a huge kudos to the team who structured these workshops.
Any time there was a period of 'waiting', we were given the chance to create a personalised element for the bags - even the 'waiting' time was put to good use! At the same time, the workshops never felt rushed. Any time there was personalisation, they gave us enough time to be indecisive, breathe, and try things out before making a final decision.
And honestly, that was probably the part I raved about the most when I came home: each workshop was a wonderful respite from the hectic, hurried pace outside. Would definitely treat myself (and friends) to another workshop from them!
