Page 13 - Athelstan Argus - May 2022

CRAFTY COLLEAGUES

There are several members of staff across our 5 schools who are
incredibly talented at making beautiful things.

Laura Davies, Assistant Headteacher at Chipping Sodbury
School makes stunning bags.
I (predominantly) make instrument case covers for flutes but this
has expanded into many different cases/uses over the years. I
can make cases for pretty much any requirement and use
oilcloth fabric.
I started making the cases soon after I had my daughter. I found
myself as a musician who wasn't able to go out playing in gigs
any more so wanted something I could do from home. I made
my first case in my teens for my own case and decided to try
this again. They became popular very quickly, particularly as
“My cases have sold all over each one is made to bespoke requirements. I have always
the world” loved sewing and took Textiles GCSE (a loooooong time ago)
but have made clothes across the years and find it a very
relaxing hobby! I get very attached to every creation. My customers are always very happy and
love to update me when their case arrives. Sewing is really relaxing and I love to be making
things other people love. My customers love that they can create their own design, I had a
request for a Spongebob case recently! I can make anything work and make sure they are happy
with the final design. I send updates as the case is being constructed and send a finished picture
before sending. I only make a couple of cases in each fabric, pretty much every case is a one off.

Charlotte Morris, History teacher at Malmesbury School has many creative talents.
She organises an annual scarecrow trail around
her neighbourhood, this is last year’s entry!

Charlotte has also made memory cushions out of her dad’s
shirts for his grandkids, a tissue
paper window display for her
childrens’ PTA winter Windowland
(last December) and she has set up
a cottage industry with daughter,
Hattie (age 10) making pin badges
to raise money for Ukraine. She
says “it was more Hattie than me! I
just got hot FIMO out of the oven!”

Kerry Beet, Head Of Year 9 and Teacher of Religious Studies at Bradon Forest School is
an expert at crochet.

“I crochet because it is relaxing, I use it as a form of
meditation, and I read somewhere that it is good for your
mental health and preventing memory loss.
I like making things for people from baby blankets and
sloths to Christmas decorations. I've made blankets that
take months and toys that take a few hours!
I have a small group of Year 11's that I crochet with one
lunchtime a week, as they also need de-stressing and
calming - particularly at this time of year. We're making
bees for Miss Cole.
I make things purely for pleasure, and I give away 90%
of the things I make. During lockdown I made pairs of
hearts for the hospital, I 'yarn bombed' mum’s house
because I hadn't seen her for ages and I belong to a
Facebook group called Random Acts of Crochet
“I like making things for people” Kindness where we leave small gifts for people to find.”