"Push your bodger right in and don’t be afraid to pull it back through quite firmly, otherwise it’ll all fall out…” Debbie Siniska’s instructions were very clear and worked a treat. But coming, as they did, from someone whose bodger earns them a living, that wasn’t really surprising. Debbie is one of the country’s foremost practitioners of the almost-lost art of rag-rug making, and we virgin bodger-users were having a little local difficulty. The bodger in question is nothing to do with the wood-turning use of the word; it harks back to the older meaning of a sharp, pointed tool. Our rug-making bodgers are pincer-like tools which, poked through the rough hessian backing material, open to “grab” the strip of rag, and pull it back through the fabric to form the tufts on the rug that my (Northern) grandmother would have called a “clippy” mat. It was the memory of my grandmother’s colourful rugs and doormats, lovingly handmade from worn blankets and old coats, that had drawn me to this new course at somewhere I’d longed to visit – West Dean College, the country’s foremost centre for those who wish to learn how to make, restore or conserve beautiful artefacts.

Rag rugs are newly fashionable as the ultimate eco-friendly use of cast-off clothing and fabric leftovers, but originally they had no such pretensions, they were simply the only way in which the cash-strapped could create a floor covering for otherwise bare boards or stone-flagged cottage floors. In recent years, the craft has been resuscitated and – like many other centuries-old British arts – claimed as an American “heritage” craft. We West Dean ruggers, however, sniffed disdainfully at the US ready-made rug “kits” with their printed canvasses ready for the maker to fill in like a fabric version of Painting by Numbers. We’d come armed with our own selections of material, and our first session was devoted to learning how to use as much fabric as possible from that old T-shirt, fleece or unwanted curtain. Hems, trims, buttonholes and other unweavable areas were trimmed off and, as our dressmaking scissors snipped away across the workshop cutting tables and we cut our long rug-making strips, so also did we begin to unpick the fabric of our lives.

One of the unspoken delights of joining a group of people all keen to learn a craft or hone a technique, is how quickly you relax with each other and soon stories and family memories were shared along with the cutting gauges. Rug-making is a simple technique; the real skill is not in perfecting an even loop, but in how you blend colours, weights and types of fabric to produce not just a rug, but a one-off piece of folk art. pvc strip curtains nswDebbie is one of the 200-odd artists, designers and craftspeople who come to West Dean to share their expertise, which is what makes the college’s courses outstanding – you get help and advice from a real working artist, not from just a crafts teacher. peru white lined voile curtainsThe flint-faced house itself, the former home of Edward James whose charitable foundation now runs the college, is a gem, its interiors perfectly preserved and set in pristine landscaped parkland. country curtains moire plaid

I mastered the technique, along with the flatter, closer “hooked” rug weaving, too. My grandmother would be delighted to know that her 19th-century rug hook has a 21st-century convert. HOW TO DO IT West Dean College has 700-odd short courses annually, from pottery, blacksmithing and garden design. Day courses from £75; residential courses in elegant accommodation from £254; 0844 499 4408 Debbie Siniska has a ragwork day on November 12 at West Dean for £76; curtains unlimited ilfordwww.debbiesiniska.co.uk Other rag-rug courses can be found at www.creativebreaks.co.uk and www.ragrugscumbria.co.uk.shower curtain rails bunnings Avoid Cafe Moda, it really isn't worth the effort of buying any of their pastries or sweets. laura ashley curtain fabric calculator

Dry and tasteless pretty much sums up the offerings Definitely agree with one of the reviewers saying that it's popular with the over 60's/50's..when myself, my brother & my mom got there, we were given that "what are you guys doing here?" look, without even a "Hi/Hello" just a blank stare, in stark contrast to the other "regular" older & if I might add "white" customers. Cafe Moda has recently been revamped and changed name from Massarella. pink tab top curtains 66x72Still situated on the top floor in Bodgers of Ilford, Cafe Moda now has a contemporary feel and has a new menu. From cakes and pastries to sandwiches and jacket potatoes there is always tempting on offer. The staff are a great team and always offer great service to... Café Moda is located in Bodgers Department Store on the rear of the 2nd floor. It’s opposite the road from Ilford station. Café Moda is a far cry from the old style restaurant, which felt like being in an Elderly people’s tea room.

The decor was literally all green with conservatory style furniture, it was well past its date. Travellers who viewed Cafe Moda also viewed All restaurants in Ilford (253) Been to Cafe Moda? Is This Your TripAdvisor Listing? Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more. Sneaky Experience provide adventurous pop-up cinema screenings to audiences of all ages in unique and inspiring locations. Don't just watch it. Be part of it. 1,143 Photos and videosViewing Tweets won't unblock @sneakyexp.Curtains322/3705)The Collection by Argos£22.49*Credit options available find out moreChoose colourStoneDuck eggHeatherBerryGreyBlackPeacockCheck stockTell us where you are to check stock:123456789Add to TrolleyAbout this productElegantly frame your window with these delightful Twilight ready-made curtains from The Collection by Argos. The perfect choice for bedrooms, these blackout curtains will help light sleepers and shift workers snooze undisturbed.