A Week of Art and Autumn Magic with Jane Chipp

As the soft autumn light fell across Edinburgh’s stone streets, we gathered for a week of creativity and connection with the wonderful Jane Chipp. The air was cool with the scent of rain and autumn leaves — a perfect backdrop for slowing down, making art, and sharing stories.

The week began with Summer’s eco-printing class, where we layered leaves and natural elements onto cloth to create beautifully patterned eco-printed fabrics. These rich, earthy pieces would later find their way into our collages and stitched projects — carrying with them the quiet mark of nature. We also tea- and coffee-stained papers, gently aging them to fit the timeless, vintage aesthetic that threaded through our week with Jane.

Early in the week, we were joined by Cass of Bookbinding with Cass, a talented local Edinburgh bookbinder who guided us through creating our own small tomes using a leaf binding technique. We sifted through piles of delicate and textured papers, each artist choosing pages that spoke to them — fragments of pattern, color, and history that would hold sketches, writing, and memories of our time together.

Then came our immersive days with Jane, whose classes invited us to find beauty in the worn and the forgotten. We stitched small purses from scraps — eco-printed fabric, lace, and vintage silk — and crafted collaged boxes filled with treasures gathered from our walks and wanderings: shells from the shores at South Queensferry, thistles, stones, and tiny trinkets that seemed to hum with story.

We altered vintage photographs, layering them with texture and meaning, and tied small bundles of found objects with antique silk and thread — each one a talisman of the week’s quiet discoveries.

Inspiration surrounded us in every moment — from the ancient beauty of Edinburgh’s architecture to the rhythm of the studio, where laughter mingled with the soft snip of scissors and the rustle of paper. Midway through the week, Brian from Personal Tours of Scotland led us along the cobbled streets of the Old Town, his tales breathing life into the city’s storied past.

It was a week of learning, sharing, and creating without pressure — of finding joy in the process rather than the outcome. Friendships formed over cups of tea and shared supplies; ideas bloomed and evolved in the gentle hum of community.

As we packed our handmade books, collaged boxes, and stitched treasures, we carried home not only the art we created but also the memory of this time together — a celebration of creativity, connection, and the enduring beauty of making by hand.

With Wandering Craft, these gatherings are more than retreats — they are moments of pause, places where art and travel entwine. Each workshop becomes a story written in fabric, paper, and laughter; each friendship a thread that continues long after the suitcases are unpacked. This week in Edinburgh reminded us that creativity thrives in community — and that beauty is often found in the quiet act of making, together.

Scroll through to see more of the magical moments shared throuout the week