There’s never been a better time to learn to sew! Sewing machines are becoming increasingly affordable, while clothes, accessories and homewares are getting more and more expensive.

Brush up your skills, or learn new ones with Carousel Sewing School, based in and around Glasgow. Their programme of lessons for October and November looks like this:

DRESSMAKING (Beginner) (Skirt)
4-week block – Cost £ 95
Saturday mornings 10am – 1pm on
29th Oct, 5th Nov, 19th Nov and 26th Nov

Contact carouselcreatives@gmail.com for more information on location, availability and future sessions, including a half day crash course to get you up and running!

There’s something for everyone at Albert Drive Studios this autumn.

Mixed Media Drawing Class Tuesday 25th October – 13th December 2011

Mixed Media Drawing Course for all abilities

During the course we will be exploring various drawing techniques, using a variety of media and in the main we will be drawing from organic forms.

The classes are held in the relaxed setting Attic Billard Room of the studios.
The course runs from Tuesday, 25th October until 13th December, 2 – 4pm
Fee £90 and includes most materials and tea/coffee.

To book your place contact Hilary on 07805 346 314.

Come Dine with Us at Albert Drive Studios

Here at Albert Drive Studios we are excited to be launching Come Dine with Us, a private dining experience hosted by Hilary and Eta, enthusiastic well seasoned cooks.
The first dinner on Saturday 12 November 2011 will reflect the season and consists of a welcome aperitif, followed by three home-cooked courses and includes wine with your meal.

The menu will be:

Uncle Bobby’s spiced apple and parsnip soup served with soda muffins
Marmalade glazed cooked ham with pumpkin, chestnut and cranberry risotto served with a side of autumn coleslaw
Gingerbread and custard and
Brandy snaps and orange cream

Cost £20 per person
Places are limited to 12 diners

Be the first to join the Come Dine with Us experience –
Note your interest to Hilary on 07805 346 314 or albertdrivestudios@googlemail.com

Life Drawing Day At Albert Drive Studios -Saturday 22nd October-10am – 4:00 pm

Life Drawing Day
At Albert Drive Studios

Saturday 22nd October

10am – 4:00 pm
(Soup Lunch included)

Only £35

Book your place on a fun full-day of figure drawing at the studios.

Whether you’re a beginner with no experience of life drawing, a dab hand just wanting a refresher or a student preparing a portfolio, there’s nothing better than the experience of working from life for improving your drawing skills.

To book a place (subject to availability) please email lifedrawingglasgow@gmail.com

Our very own mafia member, The Life Craft, has moved to new premises in DeCourcy’s arcade. For a full schedule of activities, check the website or become a friend on Facebook.

GCM Members Much Too Fun have launched a Christmas pop up shop in The Hidden Lanes!

Along with other members of Glasgow’s Hidden Lane community there will be a wonderful array of gifts and goodies for you to buy such as Finch and Fouracre tenement kits, Isle of Skye hand poured candles, Obscure Couture jewellery, hand bound leather journals, Wonky Woolie knitwear, a selection of prints from local creatives and lots more.

The shop will be based in Unit 24a of  The Hidden Lane and open every weekday 12noon – 6pm and on Saturdays 12noon – 4pm.

Find out more over on Facebook.

Where and when?
This Sunday, the 14th of November, from 11.30 til 4.30, we’ll be rocking it Christmas-style at the wonderful Inver Cottage.  Pretty much all of your festive shopping can be taken care of in one fell swoop with a range of sellers offering jewellery, clothing, stationery, accessories and more.

Inver Cottage is well-known for its amazing food and beautiful surroundings, so dress warmly and make a day of it! You can find out more about Inver Cottage on their website: http://www.invercottage.com/

Who’ll be there?
Frayed at the Edges, The Rainbow Effect, Carrot Coriander, Asking for Trouble, Rosie’s Retro Styling and Glitterysah with be joined by two of Inver’s local suppliers, selling scarves and festive wreaths.

So come on down and choose handmade not high street this Christmas!

Mafia member Lucy from LucyJacksonDesigns will be on hand on the 7th, 14th and 28th of  November to show you how to design and make you own badges or bracelets. Pop along at 2pm on any of those dates and for £3 (materials supplied) you can either make something for yourself or as a Christmas present.

Or what about

If your children are interested in learning new crafty skills or improving them then Iona from Iheart… has an exciting 6 week course for them at The Life Craft. Starting this Friday at 4pm and running for 6 weeks she will guide them through the disciplines of sewing, knitting and cross stitch with a lot of fun thrown in.

Sadly this series of classes is strictly for children but I’m sure you’ll benefit from their makes too when they bring them home.

For more information please look at http://www.thelifecraft.co.uk/blog/ or why not pop in and have a chat with Vonnie and the team.

Mafia member Julie Robertson of Frayedattheedges is going to be at Christmas Shopping Night in Shawlands Primary School on Friday 29th October.

Join her and other local sellers from7.30pm for an evening of shopping and fun. See Christmas Shopping Night Poster for more details.

Ace West End shop Welcome Home has some great creative classes and workshops taking place this Autumn.

Email hello@welcomehomestore.co.uk or call 0141 334 9598 to book your place for any of the following…

+ STITCH IT! – BASIC CREATIVE SEWING CLASSES +

Have you always wondered how to use that dusty sewing machine standing on your desk? Would you like to feel free to create, losing the fear of making mistakes? Do you love fashion and the magic of creating something in your own taste? If the answers are all YES then come join us at STITCH IT!!! Join us for a 3 week course of creative sewing classes with fashion business owners Jennie Lööf (www.jennieloof.com) and Silvia Pellegrino (www.chouchoucouture.com).

1st lesson – Saturday 30th October 2-5pm:
2nd lesson – Saturday 6th November 2-5pm:
3rd lesson – Saturday 13th November 2-5pm:

The course costs just £25 per 3 hour session.

+ LIFE DRAWING CLASSES +

Life Drawing classes are coming back to Welcome Home, a new 6 week block starts on Thursday 11th November 7-9pm and the last class will be Thursday 16th December 7-9pm. The cost of the 6 week block is £50, there are easels, drawing boards, charcoal, pencils and rubbers provided but you will need to bring your own sketchbooks, paper and any other materials you wish to use.

There will be a different model each week with varied poses and durations. It is a small, relaxed class suitable for both the beginner and more experienced artist alike.

Welcome Home, 19 Keith Street, Glasgow, G11 6QQ

With the help of two experienced felt making tutors who have come up to Glasgow especially for the day from Yorkshire you will not only learn about felt making techniques but also go home with a bag, scarf or even a wall hanging made using your own design.

Where: Langside Halls, Shawlands

When: Saturday 30th October

Time: 11:30 – 17:00

Cost: £45 (inc all materials and lunch)

Places are extremely limited so do get in touch with Rosie via the email glasgowfeltmaking@hotmail.com or through the  Glasgow Felt Making facebook page http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/group.php?gid=146900721992999&v=app_2344061033

If you are looking for something fun to do during the October Week why not try making badges.

Lucy of Lucy Jackson Designs will be at Mugdock Country Park on Tuesday 12th October between 2-4pm to show you how. Prices range between £1-1.50 depending on the size of badge.

More details at the Mugdock Country Park website.

Great news for independent magazine lovers! GmbH will open this week at The Modern Institute in Glasgow, as an outlet for a wide range of magazines, journals and periodicals sourced from across the world. Focusing on bespoke publishing, art, fashion, design, film and music as well as covering lifestyle, culture and affairs.

They’ll be stocking hundreds of hard to find publications including Adbusters, Anorak, Aperture, Architecture Review, Art Forum, Art Monthly, Blueprint, Creative Review, Dazed & Confused, Dot Dot Dot, Fire & Knives, Frieze, I-D, Illustrated Ape, It’s Nice That, Karen, Little White Lies, LManzine, Nobrow, Nylon, Pop, The Wire, Wallpaper, Wired and Wonderland with more titles added every month.

There’s a preview evening on Friday 8th October from 4pm-9pm and then the shop opens officially on Saturday 9th October at 12pm.

GmbH x The Modern Institute, 14–20 Osborne Street, Glasgow G1 5QN
Find out more at Facebook.

Ricefield, Glasgow’s Chinese Arts & Cultural Centre have recently moved into the Trongate 103 building and have a fantastic programme of night classes and weekend courses planned for the Autumn.

Courses include:

• Writing Smoke- Long Fiction
• Chinese Book Arts
• China on Film: An Introduction to Chinese Language Cinema
• Chinese Seal Carving
• Techniques in Chinese Printmaking

Weekend classes start at £40 and evening classes at £110 for 10 weeks with the first classes beginning next week. For more information, or to book your place, please visit www.ricefield.org.uk.