Did you see my stories last week? (I’ve popped them in ‘Highlights’ if you didn’t) I spent the day with Sophie, the very best floral fiddler, and a lovely group of ladies, learning the craft of Luxury Hand Tied bouquets.
Being a creative kind of person, I always thought I was kind of OK at arranging flowers in a vase. But being faced with a load of freshly cut flowers to give to someone and make them look amazing 🙀 I genuinely wouldn’t know where to start.
So imagine me, with a bouquet knowledge level of zero, walking in to a room and risking looking like a total plonker with my results. As you can imagine I was slightly nervous about entering that room!
First things first, Sophie, of brilliant floral creations Sophie’s Flower Co, set the tone with her warm, inclusive and wonderfully disarming persona; getting everyone talking and relaxing over a coffee before we started.
Also, Sophie keeps the groups intentionally small so she can closely tutor you throughout the session, but also to create a relaxed and friendly environment. There were four pupils in my class (including me) and we all wanted totally different outcomes from the masterclass. Some on a professional level and some, like me, just wanted to learn a new skill.
Sophie began by giving us info on floral suppliers and I was genuinely amazed at how many locally grown flowers she uses and who also supply to the general public. I was also amazed at the effect Brexit is already having on the floral industry with prices predicted to rise further next year. Home grown flowers is where it’s at, so this course was pretty well timed 😃
Spiralling is a floral art
Spira-what now?? Is that some kind of dance move?? 🙊🙈
Ok, firstly we learnt how to choose your flowers and prep the stems by removing any lumps and bumps with a small knife. Believe it or not, but this is a crucial stage that can throw off your whole bouquet if it isn’t done properly or thoroughly. Then we went in to the finer details of spiralling.
I love the stage setup analogy 😄
Sophie talked us through the fundamentals of the arranging technique and why certain elements were so important, demonstrated as she went. She also provided brilliant ways of structuring to create the perfect balance in the bouquets.
Ok, so I know I’ve mentioned it before, but I’m dyslexic and part of that means I find it hard to retain instructions. To give you an example, if I were to ask someone for directions and received the directions verbally, I would struggle to retain the information given to me after the second or third direction. This is why I ALWAYS write everything down 😄
But a big part of tackling that is having instructions given to me in a way that my brain understands and so can then retain.
The way Sophie explained and demonstrated everything made it all completely logical and when I went to put it in to practice, it actually worked!
This is my very first attempt. Can you tell I’m a bit proud?
Next we dismantled everything and had a play around with colours and textures with our next attempts.
A delicate blue and pink bouquet for me.
Next stop, a well earned break to refuel with the delicious menu from The Chequers at Woolsthorpe near Belvoir Castle. If you haven’t been yet, make a date over the Winter to experience the roaring fire and atmosphere.
And tah dah!
With full tummies we headed back to complete our creations and learn how to tie the bouquets correctly and then finish with a professional wrap.
How chuffing brilliant do these look?
I came away with a wealth of knowledge but also confidence in the skills I had learnt.
So what’s next
I had a totally blissful afternoon learning a skill that will stay with me for life…and I want more!!! I really like the look of the wreath making class and oh my daaaays, that Christmas Masterclass sounds amazing!!
27th October – Welcome to Autumn
Embrace the cashmere jumpers, feel the crispy leaves under foot and see warm breathe in the cool Autumn air.
We’ll take natures aspects of the season and bring them together in two fabulous ways.
Firstly, we will get snipping and arranging a door wreath to welcome visitors, using rosehips, berries and more to create a gorgeous decoration.
Then after a delicious lunch it’ll be luxury hand tied arrangements, learning a second skill of spiralling and then techniques on how to wrap with luxury, recyclable materials.
10th November – Dinner Party Creative
When your friends are coming over and you want to do more than throw some stems in a vase, we will help you create a fabulous show stopping piece, all materials and equipment provided.
Feel free to bring your own vessel to fill with blooms!
£75 includes a delicious lunch and glass of something lovely.
30th November – Budding Florists
3rd – 17th December – Luxury Wreath Making
We have plenty of opportunities throughout December to get those fingers fiddling and crafty! Luxury Wreath Making
Monday 3rd 7pm – The Chequers
Tuesday 4th 7pm – The Chequers
Thurs 6th 11am & 7pm – Cocos
Sat 8th 10am & 3pm – Cocos
£55 inc Mulled Wine & Mince Pies
Friday 7th – 11am – 31 Degrees Spa
Monday 10th – 11am – 31 Degrees Spa
Friday 14th – 11am – 31 Degrees Spa
Monday 17th – 11am – 31 Degrees Spa
£75 includes lunch and spa facilities for you and your friends. Indulge for a whole day!
11th December – Christmas Masterclass
The absolute ultimate in Festive Spirit! Complete your door wreath, a large scale display and table centre piece under close tuition with Sophie. What a lovely way to spend a stress free day, prepping for Christmas!
£175 per head includes glass of fizz, lunch, tuition and materials
You can book all of the above courses through the Sophie’s Flower Co website or give them a call on 01664 564861 and see which one would suit you best. They’d be brilliant Birthday or Christmas gifts!
