Bee Crafty

Bee Crafty, a fantastic new craft shop and training centre opened in the Huntingdonshire village of Ellington (just off the A14/A1 - directions available) in August of 2011.

This new, inventive and creative centre is the joint brainchild of the well-known actress and disability rights campaigner Julie Fernandez (played Brenda in the BBC award winning series The Office and Eldorado's Nessa Lockhead) and award winning jewellery designer and teacher Sarah Payne (finalist for the prestigious Fire Mountain Gems and Beads 2009 - beading category). 

Julie and Sarah are avid crafters themselves, initially starting with cross stitch at a young age and gradually building up to patchwork quilting, jewellery making, knitting and mixed media textile art.

The craft shop and training centre, has attracted plenty of regional and national interest with its quality range of craft products, friendly advice, classes and training sessions. 

There are regular classes run by local teachers Ann Stacey, Gina Ferrari and Margaret Rowan, as well as leading internationally known teachers including Jill Adamson, Jennie Rayment, and the ‘Bag Lady' Helen Coverley, among others.  Bee Crafty runs regular beading, knitting and embroidery classes, plus workshops and training sessions in quilting and patchwork - teaching both traditional and modern techniques.

During school holidays Bee Crafty run very successful two hour taster crafting sessions for 5 to 16-year-olds where, for £10, they could make a fully kitted item. It's all part of the centre's aim to attract younger members of the community into crafting so that every age range visits and helps build a great crafting environment.

Bee Crafty aims to make all its visitors and guests very welcome and caters for enthusiasts of craft making while accommodating their budgets! Bee Crafty do everything they can to encourage new crafters, even to the extent that they hire out sewing machines to get people started. 

Being fully wheelchair accessible, the shop caters for all crafters.  "We get disabled people coming to our shop as we are fully accessible and offer a great service to our disabled customers, both in customer service and in helping them when they need it, so we like to think we're providing a very important service to them at Bee Crafty," says Julie. "In the past some crafts have had a negative connotation, however, more and more disabled people are getting into crafting for its fun and therapeutic positive effects.  She adds: "Quite a few studies have shown that crafting helps to lower the blood pressure, aids dexterity, helps to relieve stress and is a great way to bring people together as equals.

The Bee Crafty shop stock a stunning range of wools and knitting patterns (from the respected company King Cole) and other wools for textile artists who wish to use knitting and crochet in a non-traditional way.  Beading has become an increasingly popular way for people to create their own jewellery designs and unique pieces of wearable art in their own time and to their own budget.  Bee Crafty stock a beautiful range with mass appeal of mixed beads from researched sources including Mill Hill, Delica's, Rocailles and Findings.  They stock a wide range of beautiful fabrics for those keen quilters and a stunning range of hand dyed threads from South Africa.

Bee Crafty is also the home of The Granary Quilters; a new and exciting quilting group headed up by Jill Adamson an experienced quilter and renowned for her twisted Bargello quilts.  Dates for this group are available on request. 

Bee Crafty run a Magazine Swap - Visitors are able to rummage through the used magazine box and take what they fancy free of charge!  The only rules are - for each magazine you take out, you must leave one behind, and any magazine you leave must be complete!   So take part and just think of all those new ideas you could get. 

Bee Crafty is a centre for people to indulge and enjoy either the shop, the classes or to bring their own craft projects in with them and enjoy the relaxed, fun atmosphere of a group.

Julie Fernandez and Sarah Payne look forward to welcoming you to the Bee Crafty centre!

For a full list of all the classes Click here.

Bee Crafty

Suite 5
The Granary
Brook Farm
Ellington
Huntingdon
PE28 0AE

Telephone 01480 891746

Email Info@beeingcrafty.co.uk

www.beeingcrafty.co.uk