Lace Making Holidays

2-night course

Friday
Check in is from 4pm where you will be welcomed by our staff. You are then invited to enjoy tea and coffee in the lounge where you can relax after your journey.
At 6pm there is a welcome talk from the Gartmore House staff and a meet and greet session with the course tutors where they discuss what you will be doing over the coming days. This is also a great opportunity to meet your fellow guests.
Dinner is served at 6:30pm in the downstairs dining room.

Saturday
Tuition runs from 10am to 4pm. Enjoy a mid-morning and mid-afternoon tea and coffee break with homemaking so you can relax and have a natter with your fellow guests about everything you’ve been up to so far.
All meals are served in the dining room.
Evening tea and coffee is available in the lounge at 9pm.

Sunday
Rooms need to be vacated by 10am. Spend the rest of the day indulging in your art or craft and enjoying tea, coffee and home baking mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Depart at 4pm.

5-night course:

Sunday
Check in is from 4pm where you will be welcomed by our staff. You are then invited to enjoy tea and coffee in the lounge where you can relax after your journey.
Come 6pm everyone will gather in the lounge for the Welcome Talk and Meet & Greet. This will give you the chance to get to know your fellow guests and tutor before the start of the course.
Dinner is served at 6:30pm in the downstairs dining room.

Monday to Thursday*
Throughout the week, tuition runs from 10am to 4pm with regular breaks for tea and coffee so you can relax and have a natter with your fellow guests about everything you’ve been up to so far.
All your meals are served in the dining room.
Evening tea and coffee is available in the lounge at 9pm.

*Wednesday
After a few days of working hard on your craft, you may like to take a break and head out for an afternoon to explore the local area. Choose from a range of trips to satisfy any cultural craving – from Deanston distillery, a boat trip on Loch Katrine or Doune Castle. All excursions are provided for an additional cost and are included at checkout. For more information see here. However, should you wish to continue your craft your tutor will be on hand from 10am-4pm Monday to Thursday to provide tuition.

Friday
Check out by 10am

What’s Included

• Specialist tuition from Jean Leader
• Full board catering
• En-suite accommodation
• Complimentary afternoon trip to Loch Katrine (5-night course only)
• Complimentary transfers from Stirling train station are available on the arrival and departure days (pick-up from the station at 15:30, departs Gartmore House at 10:00 for 5 and 6-night breaks, and 16:00 for 2-night breaks).

Your tutor will contact you before the course to advise you what you need to bring.

A bobbin lace starter kit will be provided for beginners, which can be purchased at the end of the course, should you wish to continue with lace making. The typical bobbin lace starter kit is available from your tutor for around £15. It includes 20 bobbins, pillow and cover cloth, pricker and pricking card, thread, pins, and some instructions (the bobbins are second-hand so the price can vary a bit).

Tatting – if you would like to try tatting then your tutor can supply shuttle, thread and instructions – all you would need to bring are scissors. Needle lace – if you would like to try needle lace then your tutor can also supply everything that you would need – pattern, fabric backing, plastic film, needles and thread. Again you would need to bring scissors.

Anyone who wanted to try either tatting or needle lace would need to let us beforehand so that your tutor can have the kits prepared. The price would be around £5 per kit (payable direct to your tutor).

Tutor Jean Leader

Your tutor is Jean Leader, who is based in Glasgow, Scotland. Lace has been an integral part of Jean’s life for over thirty years. Jean has always been interested in textiles — knitting, crochet, embroidery, sewing and, later, weaving and spinning — and one day stumbled upon a book about bobbin lacemaking, so decided to try that too!

Jean not only makes lace, she also designs, teaches and writes books (and has even created an iPhone app) on the subject. She has also served on the committees of national and international lace organizations — as chairman of The Lace Guild and Jean is currently President of the International Organization of Lace (I.O.L.I.). In recognition of her work for lace and lacemaking Jean received the 2015 Marsh Heritage Crafts Volunteer Award.

You can find out more about Jean by visiting her website.

Reviews from previous lace making guests:

• ‘We had a lovely time and were happy to have discovered your offerings!’ Margaret, Lace Making Holiday
• ‘I am extremely impressed with the quality of service and care given to the guests at Gartmore House. The place is warm and comfortable, the food is excellent and the staff are wonderful. I have visited before and will do so again. Thank you for facilitating what has been a wonderful break for me.’ Lace Making Holiday Guest
• ‘I thoroughly enjoyed the lace making course – Jean was an excellent and knowledgeable teacher. Thank you!’ Lisa, Lace Making Holiday