MidSouth Woodturners schedule three-day Pat Carroll workshop sequence

Pat Carroll’s Memphis visit gave MidSouth Woodturners something turners do not always get from a visiting demonstrator: a chance to watch the work, then stay in the room and do it themselves. The club built the weekend around a Friday evening meet-and-greet, a Saturday demo, and hands-on classes on April 26 and April 27, turning one guest appearance into a three-part decision for anyone weighing whether to spend the time and money.

The center of the sequence was the April 25 demonstration, titled Pedestal Bowl and Long Stem Bowl (goblet), from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the National Hardwood Lumber Association in Memphis. For members who remembered Carroll’s February 2025 remote interactive demonstration on making a Box with Pewter Rim, the in-person stop offered a different kind of access: one month of free recording access after that IRD, and now the video sits on Carroll’s website for a fee. That history made the Memphis booking feel less like a one-off visit and more like a return engagement with a turner the guild already knew could teach on camera and at the lathe.

The choice for readers was clear. The meet-and-greet fit turners who wanted face time with Carroll and a quick read on his teaching style before committing farther. The Saturday demo fit anyone wanting to judge tool control, form, and sequence in real time, especially on a pedestal bowl and a long-stem goblet where transitions, balance, and finishing choices matter. The Sunday class, listed from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with a fee still to be determined, was the buy-in for turners who wanted direct correction and actual practice. Rick Stone was listed as event coordinator for that class, which was scheduled at 6830 Raleigh Lagrange Rd, Memphis, TN 38134, USA. MidSouth Woodturners also listed a Monday hands-on class on April 27, extending the learning block another day.

Carroll’s background explains why the guild could stretch him across multiple formats. The Design & Crafts Council Ireland says he began woodturning in 2001 after working as a builder and carpenter, learned from Willie Stedmond, one of the founding members of the Irish Woodturners Guild, and now makes bowls, platters, hollow forms, candle holders, and artistic pieces. His own profile describes him as a demonstrator, teacher, and author, with a focus on hollow forms and a long record of local, national, and international demonstrations. Rocky Mountain Woodturners’ April newsletter also featured his upcoming demo and class, a reminder that Carroll’s schedule travels well beyond one club night.