Muddy spent a weekend putting our (lack of) sewing skills to the test at The Little School of Needlecraft. Here’s why this nurturing, creative gem should be on your radar.
Move over the Great British Sewing Bee! Since August 2024, The Little School of Needlecraft is THE place to get crafty and creative with a needle and thread in Norfolk. What started life on founder Jolanda Rocklin’s kitchen table (like all good sewing projects, let’s be honest), the venture has quickly grown and can now be found in a fully fledged studio space, with a timetable of day and weekend crafty classes for all ages and all levels of stitching experience. I’m talking everything from knitting, crochet and hand embroidery to textile art, fabric dyeing, dressmaking and sewing. You name it, Jolanda has a class for it, or one is in the works.
Based in North Creake, equidistant from Fakenham and Burnham Market and roughly 45 minutes from Norwich, The Little School of Needlecraft is a picture perfect slice of creative heaven. You feel miles away from life and responsibility here – everything is taken care of, allowing you to switch off, focus and unleash your creative side. I’ve never been to an artist’s retreat but in my dreams it would be something like The Little School of Needlecraft and what Jolanda has created here.
All the classes include delicious refreshments and homemade treats. The studio is kitted out with tea and coffee making facilities, with chilled water in the fridge, and don’t even get me started on lunch, which Jolanda cooks from scratch and serves in her dining room, family style. And that is exactly how you feel when you come for a class, part of the family.
And when it comes to the crafting, Jolanda really knows her stuff. A former language teacher, homeopath and lifelong crafter, she has the sort of experience, enthusiasm and blind passion that makes even the most nervous needle-crafters (me!) feel empowered and inspired to create. Throw in her Dutch matter of factness to “just get on with it” and you’ll surprise yourself with what you can achieve under her expert tutelage.
THE VIBE
A friendly, inclusive, safe space to be creative. The majority of classes are mixed ability and everyone is welcome, from complete beginners to professional seamstresses. The tables are positioned in a big rectangle in the centre of the room with all of Jolanda’s finished creations and works in progress dotted around (even hanging from the ceiling), offering endless inspiration.
Seasoned stitchers must feel like a kid in a sweetshop when they see all the different bits and pieces that Jolanda has in her crafts stash, ready to be used. From the essential pins, needles and thread, to the multicoloured selection of beads, wools, fabric trims and swatches, to the cool Japanese Sashiko stencils and Inktense blocks to paint with. Like the cool big sister who lets you raid her wardrobe, Jolanda allows you to respectfully use whatever you please during the workshops.
Though she says she’s not the hostess with the mostest, for me someone who shares like this, and also cooks such an amazing lunch for her students, certainly is. (She whipped up a batch of divine filo pastry savoury muffins for one of our group because she had loved them so much on a previous course!) And this is the kind of treatment you can expect each time you come.
THE WORKSHOP
I headed to The Little School of Needlecraft, denim in tow, for a weekend of embellishment and embroidery, part of Jolanda’s “Don’t ditch it, Stitch it” series, where you’re encouraged to give pre-loved clothing a new lease of life. There were four of us in this particular workshop, which is the max Jolanda will take when she is teaching solo; that way she can give us all enough love and attention. For larger classes she calls on talented tutors to help.
Full disclosure – I was nervous about my sewing expertise. Having told Jolanda I knew my way around a sewing machine, once confronted with the beast I felt a little out of my depth. But after a brief intro from Jolanda about the class, expectations and the kinds of things we could do, this overwhelm made way for: “Ooooh I can do that,” and “Ahhhh I want to give that a go.”
Jolanda constantly circles to see how you are getting on and to offer advice. Her infectious joy and enthusiasm moves your ideas on (and on and on), helping them morph into something pretty spectacular. I was particularly drawn to one of the flower books placed out for inspiration and began by thinking I’d sew fabric pieces onto my jacket to recreate these cute violas with beaded middles. With Jolanda’s help, this idea evolved into painting individual petals cut out from silk and stitching them onto my jacket, which was way more fun and looks quite lifelike, if I say so myself.
Once I had a plan of action, the rest of Saturday and all of Sunday flew by in a flurry of thread, needle pricks and running stitch. Though none of us managed to finish our projects entirely, we were confident we’d finish at home. A lot of the tools are available to buy from The Little School of Needlecraft should you need them, which is good if your home is a craft-less zone. Jolanda also hosts a few classes where you can bring your own sewing and needlecraft projects along to work on.
I do have to give an extra moment of appreciation for the lunch which, as one regular said, was reason enough to attend the class, and I agree. On Saturday we were treated to a nourishing minestrone soup with cheesy, garlicky, sourdough croutons, followed by banana and date muffins and pears poached in cardamon, star anise and rosewater, with lashings of cream. On Sunday it was chilli served with tacos and pineapple – don’t knock it till you’ve tried it – followed by fresh fruit for pud. Delicious. Jolanda tailors her menus to dietary requirements, allergies and so on.
WHAT ELSE?
Aside from weekends like this scheduled throughout the year, there are longer weekly blocks of classes coming in, for example, crochet or sewing. If you are unsure you want to commit, you can pop along for just a day (£95), and then convert this day class into a block of four should you wish to continue, and we are sure you will! (Price £300 for four, which works out at £75 per class). There are also taster classes to see what it’s all about which cost £25, as well as courses for children during the school holidays and for men – everyone is welcome at The Little School of Needlecraft. Jolanda even runs hen dos where you can embroider your own Team Bride jackets – how cool is that?
The school may have only been open since August but you can easily see how it snowballed from Jolanda’s kitchen table. She is constantly adding courses and workshops to the calendar and introducing talented guest tutors from all over the world whose experience and teaching creds include Lesange in Paris, Hand & Lock, Central Saint Martins and the Royal School of Needlework (if you know, you know). And her students, too, are prepared to travel long distances. Two of the ladies on my course had come down together from Leicester and what a lovely way to spend a weekend. There are a number of places to stay nearby including a glamping site just down the road.
THE MUDDY VERDICT
Jolanda’s enthusiasm has definitely coaxed out my inner seamstress. I have enjoyed working on my jacket in the evenings at home and have found it incredibly relaxing. I’ve even dusted off my sewing machine and tackled the pile of loose buttons, split seams and other sewing jobs that had been on the to-do list for far too long. I am already eyeing up which class to go to next and who to bring with me for a fabulous, fun, creative weekend.
Good for: Everyone! If you are new to needlework and want to learn a new needlecraft; if you are an old hand; or if your interest has lapsed and you want to get back into it. You may begin by only being interested in, say, crochet, but I guarantee you will leave with a hankering to try something else.
Not for: Anyone who is quite rigid in their ideas. I think all of us came in with an idea of what we might do and this changed at least three times.
The damage: Reasonable considering what is included in the weekend. The course I attended ran from 10am-4pm each day and cost £245 per person. Other classes start from £25 for a taster sesh, from £90 for a block of six and from £95 for a full day workshop which includes lunch. Jolanda is incredibly friendly if you’re unsure on anything or have questions just give her a call.
The Little School of Needlecraft, Normans Lane, North Creake, Norfolk, NR21 9LD. Tel: 07539 111586. Email: info@thelittleschoolofneedlecraft.co.uk
Words Claire Hool