Is a Two-Day Workshop Really Harder to Plan Than a One-Day? Well... Yes and No!

I often hear people say, “Oh, two-day workshops must be so much harder to plan than one-day ones!” And truthfully? It can be—but not always. Like most things in life (and certainly in textile art), it depends. Let me explain.

When planning any workshop, there are a few essentials to lock down first:
Who’s teaching?
How many days?
What’s the content?
What materials are needed?
And how many lovely learners can we accommodate?

If it’s an outside tutor delivering the goods, they usually bring their own plan of action. In that case, I just slip into my marketing mode—design the flyers, spread the word, maybe charm a few people on Instagram—and off we go!

But if I’m the one teaching? Well, that’s a whole different kettle of bobbins.

Now I’m not only the tutor but the material manager, sample creator, and day-to-day orchestrator. I plan each day’s activities carefully to keep learners engaged, supported, and inspired—while also making sure we don’t run out of thread, calico, or cake halfway through.

But the prep doesn’t stop with lesson plans and supplies. Oh no, no, no.

If a tutor is staying with me, I slip into my unofficial role as a guesthouse host. The guest room gets fluffed and freshened. Some tutors like a kettle in their room. Others prefer not. Some like an assortment of towels; others are content with a nice big bathsheet and a hand towel (both neatly folded, of course, and often with me second-guessing whether I should've added a flannel just in case).

Then comes the culinary bit. We mustn’t forget the food. Many guests have specific dietary needs, and I happily cater for them. I also bake for each day of the workshop. Yes, two days means two different cakes. And yes, I’ve been told I make my life unnecessarily difficult. But honestly? I love it. The smell of fresh cake in the studio? It works wonders for morale—mine included!

The day before any workshop involves getting the studio just right. Sometimes that’s a matter of popping out a few machines. Other times it’s transforming the space into a multi-zone creative haven: print area here, sewing stations there, wet work drying lines pegged up outside (where the pegs are is always a small mystery I get to solve anew).

The morning of the workshop? That’s a dance in itself: urn filled, teas and coffees replenished, milk topped up, cakes carried in, towels folded, toilet roll checked, soap topped up, cars moved to make room for learners... it's a well-rehearsed routine.

At the end of the day, the clean-up begins. Dishwasher on. Bathroom wiped down. Studio tidied. And if it’s a two-day workshop? We do it all again tomorrow—with a smile, of course. (And maybe a slightly aching back.)

Morning of Day Two:
Dishwasher emptied. Urn filled. New cake! (Always exciting.)
And by the end of Day Two:
Another deep clean, vacuuming, towel washing, bathroom freshening, and—if a tutor stayed over—bedroom blitzed and quilt bundled off to that lovely place I found that washes it in just 90 minutes. (A minor miracle, really.)

So, is a two-day workshop harder to plan?
Not necessarily. It’s more work, yes—but not always more complicated.

It's a rhythm I’ve grown to love, chaos and all. Because when you see the spark of joy in someone stitching something they didn’t think they could, or giggling with a stranger over cake crumbs and tangled threads—well, it makes every kettle-filling, peg-locating, cake-baking moment completely worth it.

And let’s be honest: even the laundry has a certain charm... eventually.