Fabric Crafts

**Bookable via our website ➡️** [https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/clothes-making-altering-workshop-6-mornings-5/](https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/clothes-making-altering-workshop-6-mornings-5/) **⋆⋆⋆** Do you want to jump into making your own clothes but have never used a pattern? Do you wish to copy a beloved piece of clothing? Would you like to learn how to adjust your own pattern to fit just you? Learn how to take body measurements, read and alter a commercial pattern to fit, lay out and cut fabric and construct a finished garment to a high standard using one of our Janome 525s or Bernina 1008 series sewing machines. During the sessions of this small group of learners you will gain confidence and improve any sewing skills you already have. If you have never used a machine, we can guide you through making a simple garment from a purchased pattern. Bring your own pattern or use one of our small selection. If you have sewing experience but want to start creating your own patterns, you can learn how to create a bespoke piece of clothing. You can also bring a piece of clothing to alter or fix. We supply the basics and the calico you will use to make a ‘toile’ (an inexpensive mock up) to save you ruining your chosen final fabric. Along the way, talented tutor and seamstress will teach you lots of techniques and tips to ramp up your sewing passion. This is a perfect class if you have been teaching yourself so far, or if your last project was made a long time ago at school. **Suitable for:** Suitable for beginners, enjoyable for those with experience. A good level of English and basic math skills are useful. **Next start date:** Check our website for more dates: [https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/clothes-making-altering/](https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/clothes-making-altering/)

**Bookable via our website ➡️** [https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/intro-to-traditional-upholstery-evening-38/](https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/intro-to-traditional-upholstery-evening-38/) ⋆⋆⋆ **KEY PROJECT: TRADITIONALLY STITCHED AND SEWN EDGED FOOTSTOOL** *All of our upholstery classes are for absolute beginners. It doesn’t matter which one you choose to take first. Each technique that is offered is part of all the processes that every upholsterer has to learn.* 6-week workshop. Thursday nights. 6:30pm – 9pm. A perfect course for a beginner. Jumpstart your knowledge of traditional upholstery skills and methods. Over six Thursday evenings, experienced upholsterers will guide you through the wonderful world of upholstery and help you build a fabulous footstool using traditional methods. You can leave your project at the centre in between classes. Before the advent of foam in the middle of the twentieth century, the only way to make wooden seats more comfortable was to build up layers using available materials. Our small fabric footstool (above) is built from layers of woven webbing, hessian, vegetable fibre, animal hair and calico and is sewn with specialist needles and stitches. Although this method is more labour-intensive than the modern method of using foam, it is much longer lasting and preferred in more expensive pieces of furniture. This is the method used in many traditional chair seats, so once learned, you can apply this method to your own projects. We provide everything for the workshop, from the wood frame to the set of natural beech wood legs that are included for you to paint or stain as you wish. Choose from our selection of top fabrics, or bring your own. You will need about a metre of fabric and you will not need it until the final class. The use of all tools and materials is included. We also have a selection of specialist upholstery tools and all the materials that we use in our workshops for sale at the Goodlife Centre for you to continue your new hobby at home. Beginners welcome. This course is run on a Thursday evening over 6 consecutive weeks. 6:30pm – 9:00pm

**Bookable via our website ➡️** [https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/woodwork-step-up-low-wood-stool-6-evenings-5/](https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/woodwork-step-up-low-wood-stool-6-evenings-5/) ⋆⋆⋆ This lovely six-week evening course is another charming project from our cherished Edwardian instructional woodwork manual, ‘Carpentry for Beginners’. The projects in the book are perfect for learning basic woodwork skills and we have refined the instructions to incorporate a modern craft construction. This classic ‘child’s stool’ is a handy ‘hop up’ you can use if you have shelves you can’t reach at home and small ones can reach the sink by standing on it. It measures 40cm x 22cm x 26cm high. We use a redwood pine wood that releases a heady and uplifting scent when cut, chiseled, and planed. Even if you have never used any tools, our expert makers will teach you the processes you will need to take home a future heirloom along with a very special sense of satisfaction that comes with crafting by hand. Over six evenings you will learn how to measure and mark timber accurately, use a chisel and a vintage ‘Granny’s tooth’ hand router to cut out grooves to house the legs into the sides of the stool. By the time you have finished your useful step-up stool, you will have become familiar with many of the basic woodworking hand tools and increased your confidence to go on and do more general woodwork at home. This course takes place over six Thursday evenings, 6.30-9.00pm. All use of tools and materials included.

This is a smaller version of our usual StitchUp meetings, hosted in my studio in Bloomsbury. Made for a smaller group in a more quiet setting. Tea and water, biscuits will be provided. **Welcome to StitchUp** – a welcoming social group that embraces individuals of all skill levels, providing a shared space for crafting in a social setting. **Bring your current project**, whether it's knitting, quilting, embroidery, or any other textile craft. Work on your project or piece while having a chat with us. Some people knit, some people mend or just join the conversations. If you are starting new, I’m sure we can give you tips, but generally this is not a class or workshop and you will have to bring your own materials.

**Say goodbye to superficial digital swiping and overcrowded, unorganised mixers. Welcome to a better way to meet people in London.** We’re bringing together a vetted room of like-minded young professionals, creatives, and singles for an intentional after-work drinks social in the heart of Shoreditch. No awkward icebreakers, no pressure—just an atmosphere designed for genuine, real-life connections. Because we manually balance the room to guarantee a high-quality, 50/50 experience, **this event operates via the Rise IRL curation system.** Entry is exclusive to confirmed guest-list holders for the evening. ### 🎟️ How to Get Invited: 1. **RSVP on Meetup** to save this event to your calendar. 2. **Enter the Pool:** Download the **[Rise IRL](https://riseirl.com)** app and create your profile. 3. **Receive Your Invite:** Our system curates the guest list to ensure great group dynamics. If you are selected for this Shoreditch mixer, your official entry pass and exact secret venue details will be issued directly to you inside the app. *Please note: To maintain a balanced room, entry is strictly limited to ticket holders inside the app. Create your profile early to clear the curation process!*

**Bookable via our website ➡️** [https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/basic-drill-skills-165/](https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/basic-drill-skills-165/) **⋆⋆⋆** Would you like to put shelves and curtains up … that stay up? You are not alone! In this fast-paced evening workshop, we share the ‘know-how’ of a corded and cordless drill. We’ll show you why the power tool is your friend and give you the confidence to master it in just one evening. Identify what any wall is made of and learn how to select the correct combination of drill bit, wall fixing and screw to ensure that your shelves can hold your heavy items and flat-screen TVs, curtains and blinds stay up. Learn to drill into tile and brick without creating a shallow, wide hole and a cloud of dust! Leave with the skills, confidence and know-how to go home and hang those pictures and shelves that have sat on your floor for months, waiting to reach their full potential. All tools and materials supplied. Beginners welcome.

**Bookable via our website ➡️** [https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/basic-drill-skills-162/](https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/basic-drill-skills-162/) **⋆⋆⋆** Would you like to put shelves and curtains up … that stay up? You are not alone! In this fast-paced weekday morning workshop we share the ‘know-how’ of a corded and cordless drill. We’ll show you why the power tool is your friend and give you the confidence to master it in just one session. Identify what any wall is made of and learn how to select the correct combination of drill bit, wall fixing and screw to ensure that your shelves can hold your heavy items, curtains and blinds stay up. Learn to drill into tile and brick without creating a shallow, wide hole and a cloud of dust! Leave with the skills, confidence and know-how to go home and hang those pictures and shelves that have sat on your floor for months, waiting to reach their full potential. All personal protection, tools and materials are included. Suitable for absolute beginners. Enjoyable for everyone.

**Bookable via our website ➡️** [https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/make-a-roman-blind-95](https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/make-a-roman-blind-95) ⋆⋆⋆ Suitable for beginners. Enjoyable for everyone. One-day workshop. 10am – 5pm. Drawn to the look of fashionable roman blinds but not sure how to make them yourself? Then this one day workshop is for you. From measuring the window to fixing it to the wall, experienced tutor, Ian McQueen will guide you through the tools and techniques for making bespoke and accurately fitting blinds for any room in your house. During the day, you will master the art of producing a fabulous window treatment. You will make a sample blind using a 75cm x 1-metre drop piece of fabric. We keep our workshops very small for this discipline as you will need room to spread out when you are measuring and sewing so we aren’t able to make larger samples. You can take your professional handiwork home with pride. You will learn what to buy when shopping for cords and rings and how to select a suitable fabric to bring perfection and privacy to your decor. The Goodlife Centre has a varied selection of quality fabrics for you to use.

**Bookable via our website ➡️** [https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/intro-to-altering-clothes-12/](https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/intro-to-altering-clothes-12/) ⋆⋆⋆ Learn to refashion your fashion and save it from landfill. A one-day weekend workshop learning to re-love your wardrobe. Frustrated by all those simple alterations you have to take to the dry cleaner to fix? Taking up hems? Repairing a jacket lining? No, you will soon be able to tackle those jobs yourself – even if you have never used a sewing machine. Do you have a favourite shirt with a rip in it? Do you have a skirt that doesn’t quite fit anymore? In an age that encourages us to buy less clutter, learning how to keep clothes going for longer can mean more than just a tiny spot of darning. Spend the day learning to give your clothing a new lease of life and personalising them with your individual style. Bring your outgrown but loved clothes to this beginner-friendly day workshop and re-create them into something special again. Maybe things look a bit dated and could be converted to a new style or you just want to know how to turn charity shop finds into well-fitting couture. As everyone will undoubtedly bring something different to work on, you will learn and be inspired from each other’s projects too and therefore be able to go home and refashion even more items to give them a new lease of life. Expert clothesmaker Deborah Andrews will guide this small class through the day working on your individual projects. We have easy-to-use sewing machines for everyone as well as a small selection of scrap fabrics you can use as embellishments or patches. Bring any old or new materials you want to use too. **About Deborah** Deborah graduated from Camberwell College of Arts with a BA Hons in Illustration. Over the years she has developed her own practice of drawing and illustration to combine machine embroidery with digital imagery and a bit of old-school pen and paper for good measure. Her clients include The Guardian Newspapers, The Barbican, Latitude Festival, Danny Boyle’s Shuffle Festival, Vital Arts and The Big Draw. She has been teaching drawing, fashion & clothes making, and creative textiles for over 20 years. [www.deborahandrews.co.uk](http://www.deborahandrews.co.uk/)

**Bookable via our website ➡️** [https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/hand-caning-furniture-96/](https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/hand-caning-furniture-96/) **⋆⋆⋆** **Also known as Hand, Strand or Hole-to-Hole Caning.** KEY PROJECT: HAND CANED WOOD FRAME. Suitable for beginners. Enjoyable for all. One-day weekend workshop. 10am – 5pm. Ever seen a great chair in a junk shop but noticed that the caning that spans the seat is sadly coming away at the edges? Sometimes a chair that had been caned has had an unsightly slab of plywood tacked onto the broken seat. This is an opportunity to increase your upholstery know-how and bring a ‘once pretty’ seat up to scratch. Now you will be able to snap up a bargain and re-cane the seat yourself. The task is not as daunting as you think and can be done easily in a domestic setting with no specialist equipment- unless a washing-up bowl and some golf tees could be defined as such. This is a very old traditional craft, sometimes known as hand, strand or hole-to-hole caning. Specialist split cane is woven from side to side and fixed in place. During the one-day workshop, upholstery expert Netty Erw will inspire confidence while guiding you through the stages of intertwining the fine split canes. At the end of the day, you will have completed a square panel of traditional caning to take home with pride. The skills learnt during the day will enable you to embark on your own project at home. Netty has learned her skills from her clever aunt Rachael South, who in turn learned from her grandfather. We are thrilled to share in this generation's cascade of talent. All use of tools and materials supplied. We have a cane to buy after the course if you want to get started as soon as you get home. Beginners welcome. No previous experience in upholstery is required. If your chair is wobbly or scuffed – or even repainted, you can come to our ‘[Intro to Furniture Restoration](https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/furniture-restoration-wood-revival/)‘ day course and learn how to make it look loved and valued again.

**\*FREE FOR MEMBERS, JOIN WHEN YOU ARRIVE!\*** Come and join us at the **Living Room Club Glengal Groove** on Fridays between 1 p.m. and 3 pm to upcycle second-hand clothes. We gather for creative transformation and upcycling of second-hand clothing items and materials to sell in our cafe. The income from this project supports our Homeless Project in Soho. For further information, please contact Neide on 07585560345

This hands-on textile jewellery making workshop in London is an introduction to the pearl-setting technique, through the creation of a finished multi-strand textile bracelet!No previous embroidery or jewellery-making experience is required. This workshop is suitable for complete beginners, textile enthusiasts, fashion students, and anyone interested in handmade accessories with a historical reference.**What to expect:** * Make your own bracelet using beads, cotton cords, and hand-stitching. * The design is inspired by historical textile jewellery and medieval accessories, but the final piece is made to be worn now -- with summer dresses, linen, denim, or holiday outfits. * You’ll choose from a selection of materials provided on the day and complete your bracelet during the workshop. * Learn fun new jewellery making skills in a relaxed, supportive environment. By the end of the workshop, you'll leave wearing your very own handcrafted bracelet and the skills to explore textile jewellery-making further.

**Join us for an afternoon of community art and craft time!** Whether you are looking to carve out dedicated creative time, wanting to get a lingering project across the finish line, or just looking to chat with fellow local makers—this is the space for you. 🧵 **What to Bring** Bring any art or craft project you are currently working on, as long as it is portable and quiet. Think: * **Yarn & Thread:** Knitting, crochet, embroidery, cross-stitch, hand-sewing, mending. * **Paper & Sketching:** Sketchbooks, adult coloring books, watercolors, bullet journaling. * **Digital:** Tablets, iPad drawing, laptop writing/design. * *Please note: Because we are meeting in a shared public space, no power tools, sewing machines, or high-odor materials (like strong solvents or spray glues), please!* **📍 Where to Find Us** * We will be meeting at **Columbus Metropolitan Library - Hilltop Branch** in **Meeting Room 4**. Room is reserved under **CBUS Maker Meetup.** **⏱️ Timeline** * **1:00 PM:** Arrive, grab a seat, get settled, and do a quick round of introductions so we can see what everyone is working on. * **1:15 PM - 3:00 PM:** Open maker time! Chat, craft, relax, and swap creative ideas. **⚠️ A Note on RSVPs** The RSVP count for this event is strictly limited to 10 spots. If your plans change and you can no longer attend, please update your RSVP to "Not Going" as soon as possible so someone on the waitlist can grab your spot. Please try to give at least 48 hours' notice if you need to cancel, allowing folks on the waitlist time to check their schedule. *** **We can't wait to meet you and see what you're making! All skill levels welcome.**

5:45-7:45 in Conference Room B, Library lower level. Bring your yarn projects, meet new friends. If you plan to attend, please RSVP yes. If you can’t attend, please change your RSVP to no. This helps anyone who is waitlisted and it allows me to have an accurate count of attendees as our space is quite limited. Plenty of parking in the lot, in the overflow lot across the street, and on the street. See you there!

We meet to learn and practice American Sign Language and to grow our familiarity with Deaf culture. Facilitated by hearing folks (with a connection to a professional interpreter) using Deaf-created content. People of all ASL skill levels are welcome! As we learn, we hope to connect more with the Deaf community in Central Ohio. Join us as you're able! Come regularly or just once - whatever you're looking for! Each meetup will explore different topics related to ASL/Deaf culture, and will feature time to practice conversation with one another. Just bring yourself and a willingness to learn!

We will once again be teaching origami to the public at the Greater Columbus Arts Festival this coming weekend (Fri June 12th-Sun June 14th). We have a 10’x20’ tent and usually teach several hundred adults and children. ***Come join us if you are local*** \- reply to this email and let us know your availability\. **We are teaching SIMPLE, beginner models, so your skill level is not an issue.** Festival hours are: Fri 11 AM-9 PM, Sat 10 AM to 9 PM, Sun 10 AM to 5 PM, then we pack up. You are not expected to be there all day - whatever hours you want to teach are fine. We (Monica and I) will be there pretty much all hours as we are required to have the tent manned. If you want to assist with set up that is Thursday the 11th Noon to 2:30 We are in booth W728, which is on Washington Ave , between Rich and Main street bridges. This is the west side of the river in downtown. See [this map](https://www.columbusartsfestival.org/visit/festival-map) . we are in the pink “Cbus Arts & Organizations” section, at the Rich street end. Parking is available in several areas there on the west side. For more info on the festival go to [www.columbusartsfestival.org/](https://www.columbusartsfestival.org/) This is one of the best arts festivals in the country - live music on four stages, hundreds of artists, great food...it really is a good time.

**\*\*\* We've Moved! Bold Penguin - 6555 Longshore St, Dublin, OH 43017 \*\*\*** Ryan Carroll **Local AI in Rails: Fast, Cheap, and Predictable** Rails apps usually reach for external AI services when they need “intelligence,” but that approach can bring latency, cost, and unpredictability along for the ride. This talk shows a different path: running a Japanese sentiment model directly inside a Rails app, using ONNX Runtime, background jobs, and real-time updates to keep the user experience fast and responsive. Using a small app called **Sentiment Omikuji** as the case study, the talk walks through how the model was trained in Python, exported to ONNX, and loaded into Ruby for local inference. It also covers how Japanese text is tokenized, how the sentiment output drives a fortune generator, and why the app uses Solid Queue to keep model work off the request path. Along the way, the talk explores the tradeoffs of local inference versus API-based LLMs, and why classic machine learning can still be the right tool for focused problems. Attendees will leave with a practical architecture they can adapt in their own Rails applications, plus a clearer picture of when local AI makes sense, how to keep it predictable, and what it takes to make it feel good in a real app. **AGENDA:** * See updates to parking below * Doors open at 5:30, feel free to come and hang out before! * Official start of the meeting is at 6:30pm * After the meeting is done, we will go hang out at a nearby space in Bridge Park! If you can, please sign up via meetup by noon the day of the meeting so we can have an estimate headcount for food :) We always order extra, so feel free to join us even if you don't get signed up! Thank you to Bold Penguin for providing the food and location! **Parking & Arrival:** **Parking:** Parking in Bridge Park is free. The closest lots are the Mooney Garage and the Hotel/Endres Garage. **Entry:** The doors to the office are to the right of PINS. The street level door and elevators lock at 6pm. If you arrive after that, someone should be there to let you in, else call the number posted. Take the elevator to the 2nd floor. Once you exit the elevator, turn right. \*\*\* We are a bunch of professionals, students, and geeks who are excited about Ruby programming language ([http://ruby-lang.org/](http://ruby-lang.org/)) and Rails framework ([http://rubyonrails.com/](http://rubyonrails.com/)) and the joy they have brought back to web development. Our main goal is to share the love of the Ruby and Rails ecosystems with anyone that is interested. We cater to everyone, whether a non-programmer through advanced Rubyists. * We give lectures on programming topics * We freely provide decades worth of experience * For full details of this month's meeting please visit [http://columbusrb.com](http://columbusrb.com)

**$45 chose your own design**

Grab a drink or some food and get to know each other. This is our first event and we can take it slow. I’d love to meet everyone and hear if there’s anything you like to get out of the group. Looking forward to meeting you all!