HEADLINES FOR DEVON HOME

Spring Clean Your Interiors

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With the soft sunshine of spring and longer daylight hours, there’s nowhere for dodgy paintwork and faded fabrics to hide. So now’s the time to take stock, brush away the cobwebs and get your house in order. Debs Moxhay from Strummer Pink in Honiton recommends the Zoffany range for that lick of fresh paint: stylish colours with depth and luminosity to complement both contemporary and traditional rooms. From their selection of light-reflecting whites, Zoffany Warm White dispels the chills and works beautifully with on-trend blues and greys. Zoffany also offer a range of shades with varying amounts of pigment in each colour which lend themselves perfectly to layering in one room, or, as Debs recommends, creating a congenial palette that runs throughout the house.  Run Quarter Quartz Grey, Half Quartz Grey, Quartz Grey and Double Quartz grey from room to room for a harmonious and sophisticated finish.

And don’t forget the textiles. Debs takes the lead from our stylish Scandinavian cousins who use seasonal soft furnishings to bring a sense of transformation without breaking the bank. So put away your autumn cushions and throws and invest in something fresh and vibrant for spring. It’ll make a big impact for a small investment.

For advice on your own interior design project, contact Debs Moxhay via strummerpink.com or on 01404 758 030.

Garden Festival at Powderham Castle

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Toby Buckland’s annual garden festival comes to Powderham Castle for a 3rd year, cementing its place as one of the most important events of its kind in the South West. Perfectly timed at the start of the I-really-must-do-something-about-the-garden season, the festival gives Devon’s gardeners the chance to pick the brains of top gardening experts and stock up for spring with plants from some of the region’s top nurseries. There will be talks from, and Q-and-A sessions with, some of Britain’s favourite gardeners, including Christine Walkden, Bob Flowerdew, Jim Buttress and, of course, Toby Buckland. A wide variety of stalls will feature an abundance of specialist plants, plus gardening crafts and equipment, alongside live music and top-quality west-country food producers.

1-2 May, 10am-5pm, £7.50

tobygardenfest.co.uk

Sculptural Needle Felting – Garden Birds

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Very much an of-the-moment craft, needle felting is accessible, effective and relatively quick. Sculptures created in needle felt can be astonishingly life-like, making it an addictive hobby. Tracey Benton – an accomplished fibre artist from Benton’s Menagerie in North Devon – leads this 2-day course, teaching participants the basic needle-felting skills and embellishment techniques needed to create expressive, characterful sculptures. Working in wool and mixed media to add detail and texture you’ll take home at least two complete garden-bird sculptures of your own design and creation. Tools and materials will be provided.

2-3 March, 10.30am-4.30pm, £70 (RHS members), £90 (non-members)

RHS Garden Rosemoor in Torrington

rhs.org.uk/education-learning

Rule-Breaking Weaving

A course for intermediate weavers with a rebellious streak, this workshop encourages participants to break the rules of weaving and experiment with yarns, palettes, techniques and finishes.

2-4 April, 10am-4pm, £240

Devon Weavers Workshop, Totnes

devonweaversworkshop.org

Soap-Making Workshop

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Using nourishing oils, natural scents and skin-healthy botanicals, Sarah Harper from The Clovelly Soap Company guides you through the traditional skills of cold-process soap making. You’ll come away with 3 types of your own tailor-made luxury soap and the price also includes home-made lunch and afternoon tea with cakes.

19 March or 23 April, 10am-4pm, £50

Rowan Street Studio, Clovelly

rowanstreetstudio.co.uk

Celebrate Easter at Cockington Court

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On Good Friday and Easter Bank Holiday Monday there’ll be a fun Easter trail for the family around the Stableyard and Sea Change studios with a chocolate egg to be collected from the visitor point. The chocolatier and other artists and makers will have inspiring, high-quality craft items to purchase.

25 & 28 March, 10.30am to 4.30pm

Cockington Court

cockingtoncourt.org

Work with Willow: Learn to make your own Willow Plant Supports on a course run by Windrush Willow – perfect for spring in the garden. 23 April, 10am-4pm, Higher Barn, Aylesbeare. £40. windrushwillow.com

Easter Exhibition: The East Devon Art Academy in Sidmouth will show the work of selected west-country artists from 29 March to 14 April, 11am-5pm. eastdevonart.co.uk

Don’t Miss: The Southwest Patchwork and Quilting Show, 1-3 April, Westpoint Showground near Exeter. 10am-4pm or 4.30pm, £6.

On Easter Saturday, 26 March, 9am-2pm, the Ruby Country Market will take place at Hatherleigh. An eclectic range of stalls will feature antiques and collectibles, arts and crafts, and food and drink.

Follow: @devonguild for news of local makers, exhibitions and courses from the Devon Guild of Craftsmen