​When I agreed to teach on the AGWSD Summer School 2019, there was plenty of time for me to think about what I would teach and how I would teach it. I also knew that it was going to be an important test of my skills as a feltmaker and tutor. In January of this year, I started the Certificate of Feltmaking Techniques (offered by the IFA) and, thanks to my work for that and workshops attended earlier this year with Mandy Nash, I finally considered myself up to the challenge.
Here is a little diary of the week.

Askham Bryan College is an agricultural college near York, set in beautiful grounds with fabulous flowers all around. Our classroom was in the Science block....and before I could get my classroom ready for my 10 students, I had to clear the decks of various teaching aids (see below).

My own experience of learning through sampling was applied on the first day, as we worked on creating durable felt (required for bagmaking) and more flexible, pliable felt (for scarf-making). The samples were small but the amount learned was significant and could be seen throughout the days to come. 

Next up, we focused on scarfmaking. This technique combines silk with merino wool tops to make lightweight wearable felt. The focus was on colour blending, fine layering of the wool and decorative features (including prefelts) and shaping. The whole class participated in the Summer School Fashion Show later in the week. Unfortunately for me, they were the finale of the show, by which time it was getting dark and my camera couldn't cope with the twirls and bows everyone was taking. However, the last photo here is of Clare's beautiful scarf as seen on the catwalk!

The Summer School had plenty of interest for textile enthusiasts outside the classroom too. There was a total of 15 different workshops running at the same time (mine was the only feltmaking...the rest were all connected to weaving, spinning and dyeing, not surprisingly). I managed to see a few of these on the last afternoon when students set up their classrooms with all they had made and visitors came to admire. There was also a Tutors' exhibition, which I took part in, and work from recent textile graduates and students who had completed their Certificate of Achievement. The standard of work was wonderful and truly inspiring.

The final part of the week was spent making hard-wearing, structural felt. Most made bags while a couple worked on wonderful multi-resist vessels. This involved a tremendous amount of hard work and humour. By this time, the group had bonded really well....the banter was bouncing around the room and everyone was having a thoroughly good time. Notes were taken and checked regularly. Whenever decisions had to be made about the next stage in the process, these felters were able to give each other advice (including those who had started the course as beginners).
We even had a surprise visit from the President of the IFA, Sheila Smith, on the last day.
This was a wonderful week and I have the AGWSD to thank for inviting me and a tremendous group of women to thank for making me laugh so hard (and bringing a tear to my eye, on occasion). 
​Cherry, Clare, Eve, Helen, Janet, Jennie, Liz, Pat, Pauline and Wendy....see you all next year!

After months of planning, I went out to Latvia at the end of May to help Jo and Ian get ready for our first Latvia Alpaca Adventure. I stayed in their flat in the village of Ergli and went to the farm every day. Workshops were to take place in the greenhouse and, thanks to a long winter, there was a fair amount to do. Rather more than I had anticipated, in fact.

So many wonderful things happened during the week, some planned, some not. Here are some of my selected highlights.

The felt workshops were led by Ieva Prane in her studio and me in Ergli, in the local High School, and on the Griezetes alpaca farm. Jo Storie introduced us to some interesting embroidery techniques to apply to our felt. Another day spent in the peaceful sunshine on the farm.

The contrast between Riga, the Latvian capital, and the countryside around Ergli and the farm is incredible. We sampled local moonshine, sang with the Ergli choir, tasted gorgeous goats' cheese (not to mention meeting the goats themselves) and painted porcelain. 
The sun shone throughout the week, the atmosphere was serene and the Latvian hospitality was wonderful. A lovely Latvian adventure indeed.

To register interest in the next Latvian Alpaca Adventure, contact me or Jo Storie at Griezites Alpaca Farm.

If you follow my blog, you will know that Susan and I go way back. We have holidayed together countless times and, most recently, made several trips in pursuit of exceptional feltmaking experiences. A couple of years ago, Susan gave me a copy of Catherine O'Leary's book, From felt to fabric. Imagine my delight when I saw that, not only was Catherine to be teaching a 3-day workshop on Bodywraps this summer, but that it would take us back to the Netherlands...this time to Atelier Fiberfusing, run by feltmaker, Dorie van Dijk. The location for our felting sojourn on the banks of the River Amstel could not have been bettered, despite the heatwave of the first couple of days and the ever-hungry mosquitoes at our accommodation.

Last weekend saw 6 fearless feltmakers take on their second garment workshop under the expert tuition of Ewa Kuniczak. This was the second time we had embarked on such a large-scale project...and we all agreed that it helped us to make sense of the process and all the stages involved.
The following pictures should give an idea of just what it means to make a high-quality felt garment. We loved it and the results speak for themselves.