Our First Summer Outing - Denbies Vineyard

Hello there,

Welcome back to the Bake, Natter and Roll blog!

Traditionally August is the month when WI groups take a break from their regular monthly meetings and go on a summer trip. It's the perfect opportunity for members to spend a little more time together while enjoying a day out.

Earlier this year we asked our members where they would like to go on their first summer outing and several choices were put to the group vote. A trip to England's biggest vineyard - Denbies in Dorking - was the most popular choice!

Denbies Vineyard - Dorking

So last Saturday, nine Bake, Natter and Roll ladies travelled to Denbies where they enjoyed two tours of the estate - an indoor tour which included a wine tasting and talk about the estate and an outdoor tour where they viewed the vines from a train.

The ‘Indoor Cinema Vineyard Tour’ starts in the brand new cinema where we watched a short film about the vineyard. We learnt about the geology and history of the estate and experienced the changes in the vineyard through the seasons.

Next we went on the winery walking tour, which passed through the working winery with a full commentary from a Wine Tour Guide. Here we learnt a lot about the production process.

 Finally we made it to the cellar tasting where we enjoyed three different wines produced at Denbies, including the award winning Surrey Gold.....

Bake, Natter and Roll (Farnham WI) on the road for our summer 16 trip!

Next we headed outside for the train tour....the 50-minute vineyard tour takes visitors to some of the most beautiful viewing points in the vineyard. We listened to a commentary as we went around, learning more about this vast and beautiful estate.

Since we hadn't tried the sparkling wine during our last tour we decided we wanted to try some while on the next tour and treated ourselves to a glass...

The views from the tour were rather spectacular and we got close enough to see the grapes growing on the vines. 

We all thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Denbies and said we'd come back for another tour. We're looking forward to our next Bake, Natter and Roll trip!

Thank you for popping by today,

The Bake, Natter and Roll Committee

Bake, Natter and Roll.....Meet the Committee Member - Part 4

Hello there,

Welcome back to the Bake, Natter and Roll blog - home to the Farnham WI!

Today we're meeting another of our lovely committee members, this time it's our secretary Laura.....

Laura is married to Jimmy and lives in Farnham with their two young children.

Why did I join Bake, Natter and Roll?

I joined the WI to learn new craft ideas and activities and also to meet local like minded people. 

What's your favourite cake?

My favourite cakes are coffee and walnut and yellow courgette and ginger. 

Tell us three facts about yourself:

My interests are running, skiing and anything active really,

Gardening-growing my own veg, 

And I craft when I can.  

Don't forget to say hi to Laura at our next monthly meeting and pop back soon to meet another of our lovely committee members!

Thank you for popping by today,

The Bake, Natter and Roll Committee

Bake, Natter and Roll......Meet the Committee - Part 3

Hello there,

Welcome back to the Bake, Natter and Roll Blog - today we're meeting another of our lovely committee members. This week it's the turn of Vice President Lydia....

I am Lydia and I have 2 children; Evie who is 3 and Willow who is 9 months and I have been married for 6 years.  I grew up in Farnham but have lived in Farnborough for about the last 8 years. I work part time for a forklift truck company. I love to cook, bake and craft when I have any spare time, which is hardly ever!

Why did you join Bake, Natter and Roll?

I joined bake , natter and roll as I really like what the WI Is about, playing a unique role in providing women with educational opportunities and the chance to build new skills, whilst being with other like minded women. It's also about getting time out for myself where I am Lydia and not always mummy!

What's your favourite cake?

My favourite cake- hmmmmmm so many but my ultimate favourite would be carrot or coffee and walnut, is it ok to have 2?!?

Tell us three facts about yourself:

I ran Brighton marathon in 2012

I was in Mark Owens' video Clementine

I spent 6.5 months travelling South America, New Zealand, Australia, Bali and Thailand.

Pop back soon to see what we've been up to at Bake, Natter and Roll and to meet another committee member!

The Bake, Natter and Roll Committee

Craft and Coffee Wednesday

Hello there,

Welcome back to Bake, Natter and Roll's Blog - we hope you're well today.

Today we're sharing a new post with you - time to take five minutes out of your busy day and take a peek at a quick craft project! We're a crafty bunch at Bake, Natter and Roll and we thought you'd enjoy seeing some of our makes.

Today we have a quick and easy Mod Podge project to jazz up some boring old glass jars to use as storage jars. All you need for this project is your glass jars, some pretty decoupage paper, a jar of Mod Podge and a brush....

Never heard of Mod Podge before? Basically it's a water based sealer glue finish which can be used on all surfaces. It's non toxic and the one I use has a gloss finish.

Using the product is a simple case of building up layers of the decoupage paper on your jar, using the Mod Podge to stick and seal the paper. You can add as many or as few layers of paper as you want - the more you use the denser the finish.  The Mod Podge dries into a clear, glossy finish...

It's a really quick and easy way to jazz up your old jars! 

I used mine to store my sewing scissors on my (messy) sewing table....

We'd love to see your Mod Podge projects - send us a photo to our Twitter page!

Pop back next week for another Coffee and Craft Wednesday!

Thanks for popping by today,

The Bake, Natter and Roll Committee

The Denman Experience

Hello there,

Welcome back to Bake, Natter and Roll, the Farnham WI blog.

As a newly formed WI group we are always learning new things about the Women's Institute and today we're sharing with you a little about Denman.

So what's it all about then, we hear you cry....

Denman offers a wide variety of day and residential courses in cookery, craft and lifestyle. Set in the picturesque village of Marcham, in Oxfordshire, the Georgian mansion and seventeen acres of grounds provide the perfect atmosphere for learning.

Denman (from website)

With over 500 day and residential courses to choose from, Denman offers one of the widest ranges of short courses in the UK.  Guests can choose from day schools or two to four night residential courses, led by tutors with vast experience in their field and a passion for imparting their knowledge to others. Courses range from novice to experienced and everyone is welcome — men and women, members and non-members.

A sample of the courses available.....

WI Baking Weekender

World Street Food

A Taste of Italy

Polymer Clay Jewellery

Festive Willow

Leatherwork: From Belts to Bracelets

Family History for Beginners

Gardening: Three Famous Gardeners

Music Appreciation: Gershwin and Porter

There is something for everyone!

Guests who opt for a residential course get to stay, eat and relax at Denman as well. All of Denman’s sixty-nine en-suite bedrooms are designed and furnished by WI members — providing a unique and individual feel to each room. Guests also enjoy mouth-watering meals, sourced from local farms and independent suppliers, including a wide range of regional and seasonal recipes.

For more information about Denman and the current courses on offer, please visit their website.

Thank you for popping by today,

The Bake, Natter and Roll Committee

Bake, Natter and Roll......Meet the Committee - Part 2

Hello there,

Welcome back to Bake, Natter and Roll - the Farnham WI blog!

Today we continue to meet the WI Committee. After meeting Cat last week, let's say hello to Vice President and resident blogger Rachel Wheeler....

Rachel lives with her partner Joe and their two cats (Steve and Tinker) in Farnham. Rachel isn't originally from Farnham, moving her about three and a half years ago.

Why did you join Bake Natter and Roll?

I love the idea of a group of diverse women who meet up to share skills, knowledge and a good gossip! I'm a bit of a crafty individual (I love to sew and enjoy papercraft), as well as having a passion for cakes and homemade food and therefore the WI has always appealed to me. I'm also keen to meet new friends since moving into the area.

What is your favourite cake? 

Tough question.....probably coffee cake....although I do love lemon drizzle too! 

Tell us three facts about you....

1) I write a blog dedicated to the art of afternoon tea - Tea With Me and Friends

2) I love talking - I probably talk too much sometimes!

3) I used to be a Brownie Guide Leader, I was known as Squirrel

Why not say hi to Rachel at the next monthly meeting - tell her about your favourite afternoon tea adventure! Pop back to the blog soon to meet more of the committee!

Thank you for popping by today,

The Bake, Natter and Roll Committee

Inspired by our monthly meeting - Make, Do and Mend!

Hello there,

Welcome back to the Bake, Natter and Roll blog, we hope you're well today!

It's Rachel here, sharing with you a sewing project that I recently completed. If you popped by the blog recently you'll know all about our July monthly meeting, where we met Alice and Ginny and enjoyed a talk about make do and mend. I was really inspired by one part of the talk in particular - the bit where an old shirt was unpicked for the fabric. I was amazed at the amount of fabric that you got from just one shirt!

With this in mind I scoured the local charity shops in Farnham, looking for something I could unpick and upcycle into something new. I came across this shapeless dress in a fab tropical print, which cost me just £3.95. I wouldn't have picked the dress for myself, but I loved the fabric....

It's a size 16 dress in a light, floaty fabric that I thought would make a lovely summer top.

The first thing I needed to do was unpick the seams and see how much fabric I had to play with. I unpicked one of the side seams first, then I started on the bias binding that was attached to the neckline and also used for the straps. 

I wish I had been a little bit more careful with the bias binding, the majority of it came off really easily and was reuseable.....but in my haste a bit of it ended up with holes. 

I was really impressed with the amount of fabric I got.....this little lot would have cost me more than £4.00 if I bought it new....

I have a pattern for a simple, sleeveless top that I knew would work well in this fabric. I knew I could reuse the bias binding for the arm holes, so I just needed to add a little black bias binding for my neck line. 

So I got started, cutting my fabric out....with a little help from Steve the cat....

As mentioned above I reused the original bias binding for my arm holes....

...and used a little black bias binding from my craft stash for the neck line....

I had more than enough fabric for this top, and although it wasn't the easiest fabric to work with I was pleased with my finished piece and I've already worn this top out....

There is nothing better than making your own clothes....having something that no one else has and that tends to fit you better than shop bought clothes.

I also loved the challenge of taking something old and making it into something I would wear. 

My top tip if you wanted to do this yourself (and I would encourage you to) is to take your time when unpicking the seams. Less speed means less rips in your fabric!

I'll definitely be doing this again in the future - thanks to Alice and Ginny for the inspiration!

Thank you for popping by today!

Rachel - The Bake, Natter and Roll Committee