Shall we begin? Ride in style.

 

After recently getting back on the saddle after a 6 month break I have found a renewed joy in all things cycling. Because of this, last weeks Maker Wednesday was of particular interest to me. The promise of a ‘pimp my bike’ scenario is always intriguing but to come home with a very stylish and useful handlebar pannier sent me in to quite the frenzy of crafty excitement!

The wonderful designer Kate Kennedy did not disappoint, with a great workshop that was really easy to follow and perfect for the time we had.

The big debate of the evening was ‘does this class as a pannier ‘ and I would say yes indeed, and with a great deal more scope than the regular back pannier in my humble opinion. My idea of pannier style wings may have been pushing it a touch but using the same idea from the workshop instructions for an artists tool wrap (one of the beautiful makes to come out of the session) was really inspired.

Now I always comment on the atmosphere of The Waiting Room but the more distant the memory of university gets the greater my understanding and love of group making becomes. The workshop was super relaxed, with just enough buzz to keep everybody motivated on a Wednesday night.

I loved how some had come with there own projects and the general creativity and interest level in the handmade and handcrafted really shone through.

Kate was lovely enough to take a few snaps of what we were all making, I would however be very grateful for any pictures of the finished panniers on your bike, or in fact any of your wonderful makes at the moment, email me at [email protected] so I can show them off online.

I learnt two things from the evening, firstly don’t tell people you recognize there face from Internet stalking them before you have introduced yourself as the blogger (lucky Kate had a good sense of humor)*awkward. Secondly I learnt to really appreciate being able to spend a few hours in great, enthusiastic and talented company of likeminded makers even if your own pannier resembled a sort of weird raffia road kill (not my finest work but in my defence hours of PowerPoint’s during the day do have the ability to numb the brain somewhat).

I met some really lovely textile enthusiasts on the night and am looking forward to hopefully bumping into some more of you fabric fanatics at Art Co @ level best art café presents textiles and at the Colchester Knitterati afternoon both coming up in September.