As seen in The Observer's "10 of the Best Creative Breaks" 20/10/19

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Blog
Sunflowers as far as the eye can see

Well, the sunflowers were worth waiting for… Only a week or so ago, they were just a foot high, then they appeared to shoot up overnight…

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Textiles studio complete!

The Textiles studio is finally finished apart from some unpacking and cleaning of windows! The attached greenhouse means I get to look out onto fields at…

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Photo…

It’s our first wedding anniversary today, so my friend took a photo! I’ve been told people like to know who they’ll be staying with, so though…

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Les Jardins du Chaigne

Yesterday we had a lovely visit to Les Jardins du Chaigne at Touzac which is about 20 minutes away… How I wish I could paint because…

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Mosaics

The leather samples I requested in readiness for my bag making have arrived… They’re beautifully presented and are gorgeous colours, like soft-to-the-touch mosaics… It will be…

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The studio

So, the construction of the studio is well under way and the completion date is July – the other half of the extension, the gite open…

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Discover a new hobby while on holiday in Italy...

Hello... I'm Bronwen Shepherd and I run sewing holidays and workshops in my lovely studio in the beautiful countryside of Umbria, close to Lake Trasimeno. The front of the house looks out into Tuscany - Monte Cetona and Lake Chiusi, and the back of the house - beyond the olive grove - looks out over the rolling countryside of Umbria. I've got a Textiles degree and a PGCE (post graduate teaching qualification) in Textiles, for teaching age 11 to 18 years - I've got 13 years teaching experience in UK schools, as a teacher and latterly as Head of Department, teaching mainly A level Textiles. I've also got 4 years experience of running textile classes and residential holidays/retreats in France. I gave up my teaching career especially to do that - we moved to France, renovated the house, built a textile studio, and started the business there. In 2020, we moved to Umbria, to the Trasimeno area, where I had bought a holiday home in 2007, and I'm re-establishing my creative business here. Apart from teaching, I have 12 years experience as a designer/maker of Christening wear, something which I intend to start doing again, but I also have a few other creative ideas...