Drumroll please…

Now that we have found a new home, we are able to announce our plans for the Spring Programme for our Big Nights Out.

The majority of said nights will be taking place at the Red Squirrel pub on Lothian Road. Occasionally, however, we will adventure into other hidden and not-so-hidden corners of Edinburgh.

The programme won’t include EVERY detail at this stage, but we will update the blog every week with information on specific workshops, any changed locations and points of general crafty interest.

The day and time remain the same: every Monday night from 6pm-8pm.

A LITTLE NOTE!: Although certain weeks are programmed as Craft Drop-Ins and others have the option of taking part in more structured workshops, you are welcome to bring along anything you are working on any week. You don’t have to join in the workshop if it isn’t something you are interested in, or you are keen to get on with a project you have already started. Granny Greens is a very relaxed group – you can drop in and out at any point in the evening and you aren’t expected to turn up every week. If you haven’t been along before, feel free to pop in for a bit and see if it suits you – we are a friendly bunch!

Here’s the programme!
JANUARY

16th – Craft Drop-In – Bring along a crafty project you are working on, or one you are thinking of starting. The collective learning aspect of the group means that we ask advice from each other and are inspired to try new things through seeing what each other is working on. If you just want to come along for a drink and some banter, plenty of us do that from time to time too!

23rd – Crochet – Informal Workshop – Always wanted to attempt crochet but no idea where to start? Perhaps you are already have the basics but would like to expand your skills? Or maybe you would be up for teaching beginners how to crochet? Everyone is welcome, there will be some informal instruction and we will have some wool for you to use (bring your own hooks, if you can).

30th – Craft Drop-In (as above)

FEBRUARY

6th – ‘Book’ Group – Rather than an ‘actual’ book, this month we will be looking at the website, the99percent.com We will select certain articles towards the end of January and direct you to them from this blog. We will then discuss what people think of the articles and the website in general. Copies of ‘Status Anxiety’ for March’s book group will be available from this Monday onward.

13th – Cross-stitch – Informal Workshop – As with all of our informal workshops, this is about helping each other to learn new skills. Whether you are a keen cross-stitcher or have never tried it before, come along and have a go.

20th – Craft Drop-In (as above)

27th – Patchworking – Informal Workshop – Deborah will be showing us the basics of patchwork, with an eye to potentially developing this in next week’s workshop on sewing machine usage and quilting.

MARCH

5th – How to work your Sewing Machine / Quilting – Formal Workshop – Venue to be announced. There will be a small fee for this workshop.

12th – Craft Drop-In (as above)

19th – Book Group – ‘Status Anxiety’ by Alain de Botton – Copies of this book will be available to the group from Monday 6th February.

26th – Cinema trip – We will end the Spring term with a collective cinema trip, followed by chat and drinks in the cinema bar. Details to be announced closer to the time.

APRIL

2nd and 9th – SPRING BREAK!

16th – Craft Drop-In (and copies of ‘Revolutionary Road’, our May 21st Book Group book, will be available to borrow)

Keep checking the blog for detailed updates, plus follow us on twitter @greensnightout or join our Granny Green’s Big Night Out Facebook page

Happy weekend everyone!

This Monday (13th Feb) at Granny Green’s there will be the opportunity to take part in an introduction to cross-stitch workshop. We will bring along all of the materials for you to have a go with, and to sew a beginner’s starter project. We’ll have a variety of small, simple patterns, including a couple of heart-themed ones in case you fancy making a valentine! If you have something a bit more advanced in mind, however, or would like to try out a pattern you’ve been thinking about starting, feel free to bring that along too. If cross-stitch isn’t your thing, just bring whatever craft you fancy doing.

As normal, we will be in the Red Squirrel between 6pm and 8pm and you can come in at any point.

Look forward to seeing you all on Monday.

It’s workshop time again! Over the next couple of weeks, Deborah is going to lead us in two related workshops.

Patchwork Workshop

On Monday (27th Feb) we’ll be meeting at the Red Squirrel as usual (6pm-8pm) and learning how to do patchwork. If you’d like to take part in the workshop, please bring along the following:

– Two pieces of cotton or polycotton fabric in contrasting patterns, you’ll want the patterns to be quite small

If you’re going to buy the fabric in a shop this weekend then ask for the smallest they will do, this is usually about 10-15cm. If you’ve got a few scraps that you can use instead then just make sure you’ve got about 30cm x 30cm in total.

– Pair of scissors

– Needle and thread (preferably in a neutral or matching colour to your fabric)

– An old magazine (to be cut up!)

– A biro pen

If you are unable to get these things together, but would still like to take part in the workshop, we will have some spare materials, but there will be a small fee. We will no doubt have pairs of scissors that can be shared, but the more people who bring along materials, the easier it will be for us all!

As ever, if you don’t fancy patchwork, you are very welcome to bring along whatever other project you fancy doing and get on with that!

Sewing Machine Workshop

The wicked witch is thread!

The following week (Monday 5th March) we will be meeting in Room 1 at Central Hall, 2 West Tollcross, EH3 9BP (entrance across the road from Lava and Ignite nightclubs, near the Fire Station) for a sewing machine workshop. We will be meeting at the normal time, 6pm-8pm, but needed a venue where we could get out our sewing machines! Refreshments will be provided.

For this class, you will need to bring the following:

– Fabric in a contrasting or matching colour to your patchwork. You will need about half a metre and the fabric will need to be at least one and a half metres wide. This can be cotton/polycotton or  a thicker fabric like corduroy or a wool mix.

– Three buttons (approx 1 inch or 2.5cm wide) to close the cushion.

– Sewing cotton in a neutral or matching shade.

– One 16 inch cushion pad (don’t worry if you don’t get this in time, it’s not compulsory)

Again, if you are having trouble finding these, let us know, as we will bring along some materials too, but again there will be a small fee (cost price).

SHOUT-OUT! If anyone has a sewing machine that they wouldn’t mind being used for this workshop, please do let us know, as it would be greatly appreciated – the more sewing machines, the more people will be able to take part at the one time!

If you would like to book a place on the sewing machine workshop and / or you would be kind enough to lend your sewing machine for the evening, get in touch with Deborah (who will be running the workshops) at greensnightout@gmail.com

Also – the drop-in will be happening as normal this night, but will also take place at Central Hall as a one-off.

Over and out! Anneleen x

Hope that you have all had a great Easter and enjoyed the recent sun (snow and sleet) and haven’t missed GGs too much on our fortnight break!

We will be back at the Red Squirrel on Monday evening for a classic Granny Greens general craft drop-in. As with every Monday, drop in at any time between 6pm and 8pm and bring along a current project (or one you’d like some advice on starting) and join us for a drink and chat.

For any newbies, welcome! Everyone is invited and there’s no pressure to come every week (though we’d be delighted to see you if you’d like to become a regular!) and you can pop in at any point through the evening. Granny Greens is a free night out, with occasional cost-price fees to cover the costs of materials for workshops. We  have a programme of events which includes all sorts of crafting workshops, discussions on books and social media usage and occasional outings. Every week is also a drop-in however, so even if there is a workshop on you are very welcome to bring along your own thing – or just come along for the banter.

Without further ado, here’s the plan for the next couple of months:

APRIL

16th Craft drop-in

23rd Workshop – How To Make… a Springtastic fabric flower corsage

30th Craft drop-in

MAY

7th Craft drop-in

13th-20th Voluntary Arts Week – as last year, we’ll be participating in Voluntary Arts Scotland’s awareness week to highlight all that’s going on with voluntary arts groups in the area. This year the plan is to host window displays around the city showcasing what each group gets up to. Granny Green’s are going to have a window at Central Hall, Tollcross, and we’d love contributions of work from all of you to display in the window and show everybody the type of thing we get up to at Granny Greens. Chat to Deborah, Fiona, Andrea or Anneleen if you’d be up for taking part. We’d really love to get a good variety of different crafts and crafters involved so have a think about what you might like to contribute.

and on the 14th we are going to have a little opening to celebrate our exhibition – details to follow on that!

21st Book Group – discussion of Revolutionary Road (ask Fiona for your copy to read in advance)

28th Craft drop-in (& please return any copies of Revolutionary Road)

JUNE

4th A Bank Holiday week off, officially, though please feel free to meet up at the Red Squirrel if you want!

11th Bag-making workshop

18th Social Justice crafting opportunities discussion – we’ll be inviting people from various organisations and groups who use craft to campaign, raise awareness or give practical help to come and chat to us about what they do and how you can get involved.

25th End of term festivities

Looking forward to seeing you all on Monday!

Anneleen x