The Quiet Workshop

Is it still spring? It’s been such a busy start to the season that we suddenly seem to be in summer already. Thank you to everyone who has come on courses already; just as it starts to calm down we move into show season.

We’ve been invited back to the Festival of Upholstery and St.Alban’s Upholstery School to teach expanded workshops at both: at the festival we’ll be teaching a three day weaving course which will cover our standard square weave, L nail weaving and the envelope weave. Participants will be putting together a stool from a kit and will take home their final project. We’re really looking forward to it; we had a great time there last year.

We’ll be teaching another Danish cord workshop at St.Albans in September and then a dedicated envelope weave course in January. At these workshops you bring your own chair to weave so start looking out for one now!

Our vice screw kits have had a good reception and we’re almost out but we’ll be restocking over the summer.

Course Dates 2026

The dates for all of our courses for the rest of 2026 are available on our website. They link through to Craft Courses for booking.

So that we don’t disappoint anyone we always run courses that have bookings; on the rare occasions that just one person books on a particular date then that course will run. Whilst this makes no financial sense whatsoever we feel that if people make plans in advance they should be confident that they’re not going to be disappointed.

If you’d like a course for a small group and our dates don’t suit you please get in touch. If we haven’t had a booking at a time that does suit you we’re always happy to move things around.

Shows – 2026

Our show season started with a lovely four day exhibition at Hatfield House for Living Crafts. It was great to meet so many people who are interested in traditional crafts.

• 13-14th June Cambridge Town and Country Fair, Parker’s Piece, Cambridge
• 4-5th, 11-12th, 18-19th & 25-26th July Cambridge Open Studios – right here in Great Wilbraham
• 8-9th August Cambridge Country Show, Stow Cum Quy
• 12-13th September The Wonder of Wood Fair, Burwash Manor, Cambridge
• 30th-31st October London International Woodworking Festival, LDE UTC, Royal Docks, London

If you think there’s a craft show within an hour’s drive of Cambridge that we should attend please drop us a line. We’re always grateful for new opportunities.

Danish Modern kit

If you want to learn L nail weaving or just want to build an elegant and comfortable stool at home we’re launching a new kit.

The kit will contain all the materials needed. You just provide a few basic tools and a couple of clamps. We’re working on a video to talk you through putting the stool together and weaving the seat. When it’s ready we’ll make it available in our shop.

Fresh Bakes

Lunch and refreshments are included on all our courses. Three times a day we down tools and decamp to the conservatory to eat Bryony’s lovely bakes and talk about chairs (and anything else). We think these breaks are really important to give you an opportunity to go back to the workshop well-fed and refreshed, ready for more chair-making!

Freshly baked Shoo Fly Buns – a new course favourite

Open Studios – steam bending demonstrations

We’re opening the workshops to the public every weekend in July as part of Cambridge Open Studios.

We often get asked at shows how we bend timber for the backs of our chairs so we’re going to do a steam bending demonstration at 12 noon on the 18th July. If it’s not raining this will be outdoors.

As always, if you’re interested in coming on a course and you want to find out more please give us a ring (07778 397328) or drop us an email. You can book all of our courses through the links on our website. If our dates aren’t perfect for you or you want to book for a group give us a call; we can usually work something out. Don’t forget course fees include all materials, lunch and refreshments each day.

Enjoy your time in the workshop.

StJohn & Bryony