Well-woven heritage
Zoe Macdonald from Old School Crafts hosts fleece to fibre days, where you can learn to prepare and spin your own wool. Interview by Kate Chapman.
“Everything we do, whether it’s spinning, weaving or bookbinding, is slow and traditional – it’s all done the old-fashioned way,” says Zoe Macdonald, who after 25 years as a teacher leads small hands-on workshops, encouraging others to try heritage crafts.
Zoe and husband David Allsop launched Old School Crafts in Minting, near Horncastle, in 2018, from the Victorian school building which forms part of their home. Since then they have been dedicated to preserving and sharing traditional skills.
Former headteacher David offers a range of bookbinding workshops, while Zoe hosts fleece to fibre days, where people learn to prepare and spin their own wool. They’re also considering developing some two-day retreats, where attendees can step away from the noise of everyday life and sink into the rhythm of making.
“We live quite an old-fashioned lifestyle, we do everything by hand, and do most of it ourselves,” says, Zoe who taught religious studies in secondary school before swapping the classroom for spinning wheels, wool and a slower pace of life.
“At the start of this new year a lot of people made resolutions to be more analogue, less digital – there’s a real growth in slow living. We find it’s great for peace of mind, we might not be as well off financially, but we’re richer in other ways.
“We’re a heritage craft cornucopia, everything we make is unique, there won’t be another piece that’s identical. There’s a part of us in everything we create, we spend so much time looking at and working on everything, to make it the best we can.”
Sharing skills
Zoe’s love for wool and fibre work began after she spent a few winter evenings teaching herself to crochet. She progressed to weaving and jewellery making, while David learned the art of bookbinding after picking up some old equipment which was for sale.
He now offers a book repair and conservation service and runs Introduction to Bookbinding sessions where attendees can make their own bespoke 50-page hardback notebook.
There are also options for more intermediate workshops and others to make a leather journal, slipcase or clamshell cases for special books.
“We went to an auction, and I bought myself a spinning wheel on a whim – mainly because it was going cheap. It looked interesting but I didn’t know how to use it!” recalls Zoe, who grew up in Leicestershire.
“I bought it home and started figuring out how it worked and also went for a lesson with someone who knew how to spin. I just kept practising and it became a hobby.
“As I gradually amassed more and more hand spun yarn, learning to weave on a rigid heddle loom was the natural next step.
“Then people would come up to me and say, ‘I’ve got a fleece from a sheep, would you like it?’ and things developed from there.
At this point it was all still a hobby, although I had a small business selling a few craft-type things for a while like photographs and canal art painting at little markets, while the bookbinding workshops began in around 2018.”
Creative experience
In 2019 Zoe was diagnosed and treated for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma – cancer of the lymphatic system – which made the couple reassess their lives and what they wanted from them.
“Such a life-changing experience led to something of a re-evaluation, so craft stopped being a side project and became the centre of all things,” she says. “Something like that makes you realise how life is short – it was a real wake-up call.
“David left teaching a year before me. We’d found education was going in a different direction to the path it had been on when we started out.”
Some years before, the couple had also moved into their current home, a Victorian cottage complete with an old school building.
They considered several uses for the extra space – including a recording studio and a brewery – before settling on something they knew and enjoyed, creating their own classroom to teach heritage skills to others.
Covid caused further delays to their plans, but in 2021 they finally opened their doors properly.
“Our workshops are small, relaxed and practical,” says Zoe, who also makes silver jewellery set with gemstones. “Everyone learns by doing, with guidance at every step, and they go home with something useful, plus the confidence to continue at their own pace.
We find larger groups tend to take away from the experience and make it less special – we like people to come along, have a nice day doing something creative and enjoy a tasty lunch in peaceful surroundings.”
Zoe says sessions are advertised on their website, but they’re also open to small groups approaching them to make bookings if none of the listed dates are suitable. They also host other crafters occasionally and take on repair work which involves mending and breathing new life into people’s cherished books.
“It’s lovely work. All sorts of things come in – family bibles, wartime diaries, Grandma’s treasured cookery book which has been passed down, it’s really heart-warming,” adds Zoe. “We also get to do that nice Repair Shop moment where people come and collect it, which is great, to see their reactions.”
The couple sell their own crafts, including scarves, other garments, jewellery and notebooks online and are regular attendees at markets and events around the county including the regular Lincoln Makers’ Markets in Castle Square and St Paul’s in the Bail.
“It’s lovely getting to meet people. When they come to these events they get to see what we’re making. We have pictures on the website but at events, people can come up and experience them – they can feel the wool in a scarf. At 90 per cent of the fairs, I’m there with my spinning wheel which also garners a bit of interest, and I’ve also demonstrated in the heritage craft tents at events like Woodhall Spa Country Show.
“David and I work as a partnership – it’s nice. We offer a range of services and processes for people interested in taking a bit of time out, and slowing down, who want to think about how things are made, rather than rushing out to buy cheap, mass-produced items.
“All the crafts we practice are viable, they’re not on the endangered list, but we need to keep them going with people and pass them on to the younger generation, so they’re not lost.”
To find out more about Old School Crafts or to book a workshop visit oldschoolcrafts.co.uk
Photographs: Clare Coe Photography / Zoe Macdonald / Old School Crafts
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