As a young, female joinery student in Bristol, UK in the early 1980s, Patt became acutely aware of inequities in technical education. These systemic biases inspired her to develop a fun, non-competitive learning environment for teaching woodwork to women. 

Patt says, “My teachings may not follow the conventional route, the students arrive at the end point having gained an understanding of how and why the project is constructed the way it is and how to properly and safely use the tools. I believe that doing endless sample joints until you have acquired the skills to create the perfect joint, isn’t necessary, so we begin immediately on the actual project.

Some women have started businesses working with wood and others have been happy to make the rabbit hutch with the kids in the garden on the weekend.”