Nancy Shafee

Workshops and work for sale, under the name of flights of fantasy, in handmade felt, upcycled and recycled materials

Using my own vintage, upcycled/recycled silks and cottons or customers own fabrics, I make pretty coiled fabric baskets (sometimes called washing line baskets) - useful all over the home and wonderful for gifts - all my work is sold under the name of flights-of-fantasy. I often find myself making baskets from little girls dresses - rather than saving a pile of rarely-looked-at garments, you can remember each little dress your daughter used to wear. Ive made them for brides, too, with fabric from their dress and those of their bridesmaids. A wonderful memory and much more useful than a possibly outdated dress! You may prefer to come along to a workshop and learn how to make them yourself and I can teach up to four of you, due to space and electricity restrictions. I also teach wet-felting and needle felting, giving everyone a chance to work with an amazing array of ready-dyed wools. More experienced felters who have worked with me before can also dye their own finished flowers in some workshops. Classes currently cover making felt flowers, pretty felted seedpods with tendrils and leaves and pictures, hopefully passing on my love of colour and this fascinating craft. I dont schedule specific days for workshops. Sadly the listing restrictions here dont allow for me to list flexible dates - but just contact me to agree days that suit us both, whether for yourself alone or for up to nine of you. I sm always happy to be creating, however many of you there are! And if you are a large group I can come to you. Special workshops can be arranged for brides and friends to come along and make flowers which I will turn into an everlasting bouquet for you - an interesting and very different hen party idea (and yes, you can bring wine, cake, whatever!) Last, but not least, from May onwards I run poppy-making workshops. I have a licence with the Royal British Legion and all sales of my poppies and my poppy workshops raise funds for this wonderful charity. My workshops are all run from West Horsley in Surrey, but I can travel to your home or place of work, a school or somewhere you may meet with a group, whether you are all crafters or just interested to have a go. And dont forget, my days and dates are totally flexible - my only proviso is that I dont work on Sundays! I am a member of the International Feltmakers Association and Chairman of The Surrey Guild of Craftsmen where my work is on sale, and regularly exhibit at events like Farnhams Festival of Craft.