27/09/2026
** Craft Club Seniors** (long post)
This month marks five years of Craft Club and also my 50th birthday, as part of my birthday celebrations I wanted to do something with the children.
Craft Club has become such a huge part of my life over those five years, when I look at the children now compared with the little children who first walked through my door it makes me feel old.
We still have three of our OGs (as they call themselves) Ava, Phoebe and Alice -Phoebe was the very first child through the Craft Club door five years ago and they’re still here threatening never to leave!
I’ve watched them grow up alongside Craft Club and develop into these brilliant, funny, interesting and completely individual characters.
Over the years the thing I’m probably proudest of is what a genuinely lovely bonded group they’ve become. They’re all very different, but they’ve become friends with their own Craft Club WhatsApp. Rosanne, joined us around nine months ago and just slotted straight into this already established group, which I think says a lot about the group and how brave Roseanne was to join us.
I wanted Craft Club to do something different for this session.
With help from mums Julie and Katie, the children had 1hr 15 minutes to make fleece smiles to give away to complete strangers. They made 39, this odd number doesn’t unsettle this typical Virgo at all 🤥 👏 (Forgot to take a picture)
We headed to the beach, the girls started handing out smiles to people we met along the way and in the shops; it was lovely to watch people’s reactions.
They approached complete strangers, explaining that they had made the smiles at Craft Club and that they wanted them to have one.
One of the girls got a hug. One gentleman’s whole face absolutely lit up with the biggest smile and a lady who told the girls that her mum had just died. Lots of little children were given them too.
After that we had a group photo on the beach. We have a group picture hanging in my craft shed which we change every year, the children love looking at it and seeing how much they’ve changed.
We then played the ‘Little Miss game’.
I’d designed and drew an individual Little Miss character for each of the children based around their personality, inside each card I’d written them their own personal letter. (I am not an artist at all, I just enjoy drawing)
They had 4 rounds to try to work out which Little Miss belonged to which child. First they were given clues on each round up to a 3 second picture reveal.
They had 4 opportunities to change their minds and work out who was who.
It was really good fun, and once the game was finished they all got their Little Miss card and their letter to take home.
(I later marked these at home - Scarlett was the winner!!)
The children then had a picnic, sitting together on the beach, chatting and laughing.
We also had the very first Golden Button handed out yesterday! I introduced the Golden Button a couple of months ago. I’ve waited until a moment felt right before giving one out; yesterday that moment belonged to Ava. Her enthusiasm and speed making the smiles was phenomenal, but it was watching her confidently approach complete strangers, even walking into shops to hand them out. I thought “She’s getting my first Golden Button.” There’ll be more handed out in time, but I’m pleased Ava received the very first one. ❤️
Then it was annual awards.
The awards are not about competition, a bit of fun and a way to celebrate each of the children for the different things they bring to Craft Club. They love the awards, what I love is how pleased and supportive they are of each other.
We have two main sewing awards: my Sewer of the Year and the children’s Sewers’ Sewer of the Year, which is voted for by the children.
The Sewers’ Sewer went to Kahlan. I always think this is a special award because it isn’t just about sewing. Being chosen by your peers says something about the place youhave within a group.
The reasons the children gave for choosing her were lovely, one in particular stood out. One girl said to me that she never thought she and Kahlan would be friends because they are really different people. “But we are,” she said and talked about how lovely, funny and interesting Kahlan is. 🥰
Kahlan has an extraordinary ability to bring people together. It’s a skill you don’t see very often even in adults. She will start a conversation, ask someone a direct question, draw them in and then somehow get the whole group involved. She engages with people and is interested in them.
She’s also incredibly kind and generous, she did not expect to win an award, which made seeing her receive one even lovelier.
My Sewer of the Year was Scarlett, it was a pretty easy decision for me this year because I think she has had an exceptional year.
As a group we’ve concentrated on neatness this year, and Scarletts sewing has come on enormously and made exceptional projects.
What I also love is that Scarlett always wants to put a little bit of herself into what she makes. She’ll say, “Can I add this?” or “Can I do this?”. Sometimes she’ll take a project home, add something else and bring it back to show me. Other times she’ll just decide to create something completely new on her own at home.
As well as having such a brilliant sewing year, Scarlett is a wonderfully quirky, funny character to have around. She comes to most sessions and, after 4 years of coming to Craft Club, she still looks forward to it. She has been brilliant this year and thoroughly deserved her award.
We then had birthday cake 🎂
What a fabulous memory for us all.
