Leila is helping people weave connections through her craft classes

What do I do now I’ve finished university?

This is what Leila Hargreaves, 24, the Portsmouth-based Founder of Warped Studio, found herself wondering.

“I’d been working since I was 13, including throughout all the time I was studying,” Leila explained.

“I really wanted to do something I was passionate about and I think part of me wanted to work for myself.”

During the final year of her BA Honours in Textile Design at Winchester School of Art, Leila had started teaching weaving workshops, having first tried it at a student event.

“I noticed how textiles could bring people together as a community and I had developed a lot of skills during my degree which I wanted to make more accessible to people. It felt like a natural progression from there.”

During her course, Leila often had limited access to the looms she needed for her studies.

To get around this, she had designed, developed and laser cut frame looms in different sizes.

“Originally it was make up for equipment shortages, but it turned out they were also brilliant for teaching people on.”

Leila now teaches craft workshops covering weaving, macrame, lino printing and wreath making at festivals, markets, private parties and classes open to the public.

Regardless of the type of event, Leila takes a lot of satisfaction from her work on Warped Studio.

“It’s really rewarding! I love teaching people new technical skills and exposing them to new things – and I also really enjoy the environment.

“People regularly come for the social event. Sometimes people come because they want to learn a new skill, but often it’s because they want to somewhere to meet new people and socialise.

“With the music playing and the coffee brewing it’s a space where people can come and hang out.”

While it’s mainly women who attend her public classes and workshops, Leila explained that when she does corporate events it can often be a 50/50 split – and the men get just as into it as the women.

“Often the guys will come in quite sceptical, like ‘I don’t get it, what’s macrame’.

“By the end they’re really into it and when they leave they’re really proud of what they take away.”

And these opportunities to expose people to things they have never tried before is a big part of why Leila enjoys her work.

“It’s about the access. I didn’t know weaving existed until I went to university – I didn’t have access to a sewing machine or any of the equipment when I was younger.

“Having exposure to the arts is a luxury which a lot of people don’t get to enjoy.

“You shouldn’t have to pay upwards of £40,000 just to experience an industry which we wear every day and to learn new skills, especially when they’re not difficult to teach.

“For some reason the arts are sometimes seen as unnecessary, when actually they’re really important. I’d like people to know that you don’t need to break the bank to have these experiences.

“Not only that, but you don’t need to go on a long, six-week course. You can come for a few hours and see if it’s actually something you want to do.

“The main thing for me is getting people to open their horizons and, even if they don’t want to swap careers, have they thought about how important it is to come on a Saturday and do something just for them?

“A lot of people in my classes come because they need a break from life, people who need some time in otherwise chaotic and stressful lives.”

To get in touch with Leila at Warped Studio, or sign up for one of her classes, visit her website here.

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