6:50am Sunday 14th March 2010
During the French Revolution Marie Antoinette reputedly told hungry citizens – “Let them eat cake”.
Although things are not quite as bad now, many of us have been hit by the recession, and the tighter purse strings have seen a return to the “make do and mend” frame of mind.
In Chiswick, three women are hoping to use cake as a way of helping people beat the financial crisis, demonstrating my long-held belief that every problem can be solved by baked goodness.
I Made it Myself is the brainchild of former Richmond College friends Rachel Lawrence, Laura Wilson and Sangeeta Bhaskar, who, after searching high and low for craft classes in west London, decided the only option was to set one up themselves.
Rachel said: “We’ve always been interested in arts and crafts. We are starting it really small but we are coming up with new ideas.”
Offering workshops in sewing, knitting, candle making and cupcake decorating, the three women are hoping to establish a creative base in Chiswick High Road.
The workshops offer people the chance to build their confidence, meet new friends and learn the skills mothers would have once passed down to their children.
Rachel said: “Somewhere along the line there has been a gap in skills being passed down. A lot of women don’t have these skills that our mothers would have taught us, but want to learn and be creative. We’ve had a lot of interest from people saying ‘I’m a new mum and I’m desperate to learn some skills’.”
The only real skill my mother taught me was how to shop – and being a massive fan of cakes I decided it was essential I tried my hand at cupcake decorating at the first I Made it Myself workshop last Saturday.
The workshops are all led by experienced and talented teachers, who are there to encourage not criticise, and offer their tricks of the trade.
The cupcake decorating course is led by mother-daughter duo Juliet Glaister and Jo Hooper, who, like friendly counsellors at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, asked everybody to introduce themselves and reveal what cake experience they have.
Luckily there were no secret Nigella Lawsons in the class of 11 women. And although everybody was similar in their lack of experience, the reasons for attending the workshop varied from one woman who had come along after being treated by her boyfriend, to another desperately seeking help after agreeing to provide cupcakes for a hen party, despite her limited experience.
Rachel revealed interest for the company was coming from all different age ranges, including mothers who wanted to keep their minds stimulated, a group of 16 TV producers who wanted something different to do for a work outing, to male interest in candle making.
She said she believed changes in society had led to people wanting to be less wasteful and more aware of where their money was going.
“Everything got very consumerist in the 80s but today things have changed and people are proud of making something as a present rather than spending £100 in a department store”, she added.
“There’s a sense of pride in making your own thing.”
During the two-hour workshop we were taught how to get the perfect colour for our butter cream icing and how to create edible decorations from roll out icing.
Let loose with piping bags, pretty sweets and lots and lots of glitter, by the end of the session each of us were the proud creators of six colourful, unique and almost professional looking cupcakes.
The intention of I Made it Myself is no one leaves a workshop empty-handed.
Not only do you leave with your creations but also a lifelong skill that can be passed on to friends and family in generations to come.
Speaking at the end of the workshop, attendee Ellen Maby, 35, said: “It was a really lovely way to spend an afternoon. I enjoyed being a bit creative.”
While fellow cupcake decorator Sonya Khan, 33, added: “It was something completely different and it’s a real skill to know.”
The founders hope to run classes twice a month, and aim to branch out into holiday workshops for children and father and children’s days to establish a creative hub in west London.
Rachel said: “We really wanted it to feel like a community place. We wanted to create the sort of environment where it’s like a tea party.”
q To find out more about classes that are available visit imadeitmyself.co.uk.
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