Welcome to Portsdown U3A Craft Group
The Craft group resumed its monthly meetings in February 2018, after a short break, with a really good turnout of 18 members. This was a bubbly meeting in which the groups’ socializing was continued with individual crafts taking place. During the planning of the current year’s activities some ladies volunteered their expertise to lead a session, with others volunteering to be a helper.
We are now six months in to the resumption of the Craft group. We have a core number of members who regularly attend the meetings and others who join us when they can. We have been taught and guided through crafts, which are either refreshing members memories, whereas others are getting to grips with a new craft. There are varying degrees of success with any topic: in the main most, if not all, can feel they have started to master a new craft element.
The Craft group meets in Cosham Baptist Church on the 1st Wednesday of the month between 2 – 4pm in the Front Hall which is situated on the ground floor. The room and building is accessible to all. Future activities will include a variety of different crafts, such as, table decorations, calligraphy and card making with either group members or guest crafters leading the sessions. There are currently spaces available in the group and we would welcome new members irrespective of ability. There is small individual charge, from the members, each meeting so the room rent is covered.
If you feel you would be able to lead a session but not necessarily have the time to commit each month please contact the group leader in the usual way. You would be most welcome.
Please use the following contact if interested in becoming a member or you are willing to lead a session and someone will be in touch.
Group Leader: Linda Hugo-Vieten
Email: contact@portsdownu3a.org.uk
The programme for 2019 is as follows:
| Month | Activity | Session Leader |
|---|---|---|
| 5 February | Book Folding – Hedgehog | Chris H |
| 6 March | Needlecraft – Pin Cushion | Cheryl |
| 3 April | Brush Calligraphy | Amy |
| 1 May | Bead Work – Bracelet | Sue B |
| 5 June | Star Making | Lavinia |
| 3 July | Personalised Notebook | Chris H |
| August | No Meeting this Month | |
| 4 September | Card Making – Iris Folding | Joyce |
| 2 October | Card Making – Pop-Up Cards | Chris H |
| 6 November | Paper Folding – Christmas Tree | Sue D |
| 4 December | Christmas Bauble Decoration | Sue D |
CRAFT
In March it was ‘Prick and Stitch’ overseen by Val. It is a stitching method to make hand-made stitched greetings cards and invitations for all occasions. People who receive hand stitched greetings cards are usually amazed and delighted that someone has made it especially for them. Many have been so pleased that they frame the picture. The ladies created some stunning work.
Sue was the guest crafter in April bringing her expertise on bead making to the group. The ladies found this a challenging activity as the beads were very small. The focus was either earrings or a decorative piece for a necklace. Well done Janice for completing a very attractive necklace.
May was a time for Iris folding. A new venture for some of us. Iris folding is a simple paper-folding technique that originated in Holland. Colour-coordinated strips of folded paper are taped into place over a pattern, creating a spiralling design that resembles the iris of an eye or camera. Originally, Dutch ‘crafters’ would cut their strips from envelopes with patterned interiors, but now it is common to use lightweight papers such as wrapping and origami paper to create iris-folded designs.
The ladies thoroughly enjoyed this activity with everyone present producing an end result that they could be proud of. Thank you Joyce for leading this session.
In June Pam kindly lead a session on ‘sculptured cake decoration’. Shaped and sculpted decorations such as flowers, shapes and figures are very popular for celebration cakes as you all know. So at this meeting we were all introduced to making a ‘Rose’ with a malleable fondant icing. This was far more difficult than it first appeared although some ladies got to grips with the process pretty quickly. Although for some this wasn’t our forte but we can still make good tea and coffee!!!! Thanks Pam. Here is a picture of a successful ‘Rose’.
In July we were steered in ‘Tea Bag Folding’ by Chris. For those, like me, who didn’t know what ‘tea bag folding’ is, here goes.
The name “Tea Bag Folding” refers to the folding of tea bag wrappers, not the tea bags themselves. Tea bag folding may have originated in Holland by a lady named Tiny van der Plaas. She needed a birthday card for her sister but didn’t have any decorative paper. She fiddled with tea bag wrappers and was inspired to use them in her card.”
Tea bag folding continues to be a popular method for making cards and decorations, so today we will be focussing on producing decorations which will be used as part of creating special cards at November’s meeting. There was a quiet, purposeful atmosphere with Chris ensuring every person was moving forward at a pace they could cope with. There was a successful outcome for all. Thanks Chris.
Some of our Other Work
CURRENT CHARITABLE ACTIVITY
The group is involved, at this present time, with a charitable project which is knitting blanket squares for the Veterans Outreach Support programme. The ladies have risen to this opportunity to assist those who are less fortunate than themselves. The quantity and quality of the knitting that is given at each meeting is remarkable. The squares are handed over to Pam, a member of the craft group, and she forwards the group’s efforts to the people concerned.
A lady in the charity’s organisation does a remarkable job sewing them all together as you can see from the image.
PREVIOUS PROJECTS
We sent 36 hats, 5 pairs of gloves, 1 Balaclava and 2 mufflers to “The Mission to Seafarers”.
To commemorate World War I we made a poppy wall hanging which is now hanging in the World War I exhibition in Fort Widley
The topic for the July meeting was rather unusual. Charles Haskell, the director of the WW1 exhibition, who some of us met when we presented the Poppy wall hanging to him, asked if we could make some barbed wire
SEPTEMBER 2018 NEWSLETTER
CRAFT
We are now six months in to the resumption of the Craft group. We have a core number of members who regularly attend the meetings and others who join us when they can. We have been taught and guided through crafts, which are either refreshing members memories, whereas others are getting to grips with a new craft. There are varying degrees of success with any topic: in the main most, if not all, can feel they have started to master a new craft element.
In June Pam kindly lead a session on ‘sculptured cake decoration’. Shaped and sculpted decorations such as flowers, shapes and figures are very popular for celebration cakes as you all know. So at this meeting we were all introduced to making a ‘Rose’ with a malleable fondant icing. This was far more difficult than it first appeared although some ladies got to grips with the process pretty quickly. Although for some this wasn’t our forte but we can still make good tea and coffee!!!! Thanks Pam. Here is a picture of a successful ‘Rose’.
In July we were steered in ‘Tea Bag Folding’ by Chris. For those, like me, who didn’t know what ‘tea bag folding’ is, here goes.
The name “Tea Bag Folding” refers to the folding of tea bag wrappers, not the tea bags themselves. Tea bag folding may have originated in Holland by a lady named Tiny van der Plaas. She needed a birthday card for her sister but didn’t have any decorative paper. She fiddled with tea bag wrappers and was inspired to use them in her card.”
Tea bag folding continues to be a popular method for making cards and decorations, so today we will be focussing on producing decorations which will be used as part of creating special cards at November’s meeting. There was a quiet, purposeful atmosphere with Chris ensuring every person was moving forward at a pace they could cope with. There was a successful outcome for all. Thanks Chris.
Charitable Activity
The group is also involved, at this present time, with a charitable project which is knitting blanket squares for the Veterans Outreach Support programme. The ladies have risen to this opportunity to assist those who are less fortunate than themselves. The quantity and quality of the knitting that is given at each meeting is remarkable. The squares are handed over to Pam to forward to the people concerned. A lady in the charity’s organisation does a remarkable job sewing them all together as you can see from the image.
General Information
The Craft group meets in Cosham Baptist Church on the 1st Wednesday of the month between 2 – 4 pm in the Front Hall which is situated on the ground floor. The room and building is accessible to all. Future activities will include a variety of different crafts, such as, table decorations, calligraphy and card making with either group members or guest crafters leading the sessions. There are currently spaces available in the group and we would welcome new members irrespective of ability.
If you feel you would be able to lead a session but not necessarily have the time to commit each month please contact the group leader in the usual way. You would be most welcome.
Please use the following contact if interested and someone will be in touch.
Group Leader: LindaH-V
Email: contact@portsdownu3a.org.uk
The programme for the remainder of the year is as follows:
| Month | Activity | Session Leader |
|---|---|---|
| September | Brush Calligraphy | Amy |
| October | Card decoration | Val |
| November | Card making | Amy |
| December | Christmas decoration (floristry) | Sue M |
MAY 2018 NEWSLETTER
CRAFT – by Linda
The Craft group resumed its monthly meetings in February 2018, after a short break, with a really good turnout of 18 members. This was a bubbly meeting in which the groups’ socializing was continued with individual crafts taking place. During the planning of the current year’s activities some ladies volunteered their expertise to lead a session, with others volunteering to be a helper.
In March it was ‘Prick and Stitch’ overseen by Val. It is a stitching method to make hand-made stitched greetings cards and invitations for all occasions. People who receive hand stitched greetings cards are usually amazed and delighted that someone has made it especially for them. Many have been so pleased that they frame the picture. The ladies created some stunning work.
Sue was the guest crafter in April bringing her expertise on bead making to the group. The ladies found this a challenging activity as the beads were very small. The focus was either earrings or a decorative piece for a necklace. Well done Janice for completing a very attractive necklace.
May was a time for Iris folding. A new venture for some of us. Iris folding is a simple paper-folding technique that originated in Holland. Colour-coordinated strips of folded paper are taped into place over a pattern, creating a spiralling design that resembles the iris of an eye or camera. Originally, Dutch ‘crafters’ would cut their strips from envelopes with patterned interiors, but now it is common to use lightweight papers such as wrapping and origami paper to create iris-folded designs. The ladies thoroughly enjoyed this activity with everyone present producing an end result that they could be proud of. Thank you Joyce for leading this session.
CHARITABLE ACTIVITY – by Linda
The group is also involved, at this present time, with a charitable project which is knitting blanket squares for the Veterans Outreach Support programme. The Ladies have risen to this opportunity to assist those who are less fortunate than themselves. The quantity and quality of the knitting that is handed over to Pam at each meeting, to forward to the people concerned, is remarkable.
The Craft group meets In Cosham Baptist Church on the 1st Wednesday of the month between 2-4pm in the Front Hall on the ground floor. The room and building is accessible to all. Future activities will include a variety of different crafts, such as, table decorations, calligraphy and card making with either group members or guest crafters leading the sessions. There are currently spaces available in the group and we would welcome new crafters irrespective of ability.
