We had such a great turn out to our visible mending class in Term 1 … and some requests for a regular opportunity to get together and chat and stitch … and learn new skills.

In response to this community interest, Serene (who ran the session last time) has offered to come along on the 1st Saturday of the month to run our new Visible Mending Club from 10-11.30am. You can bring along your clothes or pillows or towels or blankets that need mending … and tap into Serene’s skills and expertise to mend and perhaps even transform your beloved item(s) with beautiful stitching!

The slow art of visible mending is super rewarding and is a perfect way to relax. And these regular sessions will be a great way to get to know others in the neighbourhood who also enjoy the slow arts. The cost is $15 per session.

If you are keen to come along you can book in here.

The dates are:

• Saturday 6 August

• Saturday 3 September

• Saturday 1 October

• Saturday 5 November

If you are a local with young children you might like to come along and join the other families who hang out in our front garden on Wednesday mornings. Come hail or shine, Playtime in the Garden is running in the front yard near the cubby and under the pergola. Pop in anytime from 10am-12pm and catch up with other families in a Covid-safe way.

Please note this is an outside program - but our toilets and kitchen are of course available if you need them.

And … if you’d like to borrow some toys to take home for the week you can join our Toy Library which is open inside. You can borrow up to 4 toys at a time. So handy! And neighbourhoodly …

We had a lovely night last Friday for our opening. Around 60 locals came along which was fabulous, and more popped in over the weekend.

25 artists were part of the event, and we thank Sharyn Madder, Beatrice Magalotti and Wendy Roach for hanging the exhibition.

We’d also like to thank Yarra City Arts for the seed funding to get this regular event in our calendar up and running and also thank the Community Bank on Queens Parade for funding the gallery equipment install.

We have so many talented artists in our community. If you are keen to see more local art in real life or join us for another fun community event (being the opening night) keep an eye out for the Alphington Open Studios Weekend coming up on the last weekend in November!

Our Women in the Shed program run by Maylei is a short course that introduces you to all the tools typically found in a home garage - through a series of practical projects. Jump online and join in this award winning and wonderfully empowering program.

We have two spots left for Term 3 and usually it is fully booked. So if it is something you have always wanted to do then here is your chance.

Click on this link and enrol now.

Term 3 begins on Thursday July 28th at 10am - 2pm.

Term 4 begins on Thursday October 20th at 10am-2pm.

The course runs for 6 weeks and costs $90 with Learn Local funding supporting the program.

Wouldn’t it be great to know how to make your own clothes using your own body measurements? To make the style and fit that suits you.

Loretta can help turn this idea into reality.

Her pattern making course runs over 6 weeks from 12:30 - 2:30pm on Tuesday afternoons beginning on the 26th of July. The cost for the course is $180 plus $10 for a take home kit provided by Loretta.

You can enrol here.

Loretta will begin the process with a simple skirt pattern, allowing you to practice and learn hands on how to create patterns for clothing.

As with all our courses please note that a minimum number of people attending are required for it to run.