On Sunday morning, I got up way too early, or at least that’s what it felt like. I was in a bad, bad mood, and felt like having a good old moan at whoever was going to be at Cilla’s workshop. I kind of started my moan when I got there. But I didn’t get time to finish my sentence, because it was obvious that we had a lot of work to do. Before I knew it, I was busy with material and many, many pins.
To make a Druid cloak, you get together with a group of friends at Cilla’s house. You take up the floor space in every room to spread out your material so that you can cut it. When I say every room, I mean every room including the kitchen. You then pin the paper pattern very carefully to the material. If you are a couple of millimetres out, Cilla will let you know.
Soon, the house will descend into organised chaos, as everybody works on cutting out, pinning together, pressing and sewing their cloaks at different speeds. In the end there is cutting out happening in the living room and kitchen, sewing in the studio, and pressing in the bedroom. And at all times, Cilla is ready to give clear and very patient advice.
Besides a Cilla to help you with the craft of cloak making, you also need a Greg to provide technical support. He is also useful for lugging extra sewing machines from the opposite side of London on public transport.
Throw in a lovely shared lunch provided by all participants, and you get a creative cauldron of activity. If you stir it long enough, beautiful hooded cloaks will come out in the end.
Sadly, we didn’t have long enough. For five people to make a cloak in a small house, you need more than one day. So I went home with most of a cloak but no lining as yet. When I left, other people were still busily sewing away. But the whole day, working on something beautiful together with my friends, lifted my mood and I went home smiling.
Thank you Cilla, you’re a star! And thank you Greg, Liz, Kiera, Mike and Steffi for making my day!
