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.
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It was a long time in the planning but, in May, I finally got the opportunity to attend a workshop with Hungarian feltmaker, Judit Pocs. The 2-day workshop was impeccably hosted by Truus Huijbregts and her husband at the Dutch Felt Academy in Friesland. We (that is, the Scottish contingent of Susan, Pauline and myself) stayed nearby in the pretty village of Boazum enjoying the fabulously laid-back hospitality of Jan and his wife at Gerbrandy State B&B.
The pictures tell their own story but suffice to say that the workshop was not for the faint-hearted. It was challenging and, as a result, immensely rewarding. Judit pushed us to think about feltmaking with a greater precision that I ever had before. Templates for bags were created actual size and then scaled up proportionately according to how many layers of wool we intended to use, and whether we were going to incorporate silk or not (I was). We also learned how to do flaps, handles, fastenings, pockets inside and out....it actually took me 3 days to complete my bag (we spent a day at the B&B, finishing off). But how much I learned. All in all, an excellent workshop. More than that, it is a great place to visit. I will definitely return to beautiful Freisland. I hope you enjoy the pictures. The only one that is missing (for the moment) is that of the finished bag. I'll keep that for the next blog post. Spikes and Resists – handmade felt workshops focus on three dimensions, colour and texture5/21/2015 New workshops – season extended due to popular demand Heather has just announced an extended series of all-day workshops, in which participants can learn a range of wool felting techniques.
In her workshops, Heather offers a full demonstration of blending wools, using other fibres, laying out the felt, designing templates (if appropriate) and, uniquely, fine finishing. She helps participants create their own designs, and encourages them to experiment with colour and texture. Heather’s workshops are renowned for being intensive and energetic, and also fun. Recent participants have said, “The most intensive workout I have done for a LONG time … ending up with a beautiful item of functional clothing and toned arms. A great workshop.” "I love Heather's felting workshops! She puts you completely at ease and gently encourages you through a thorough felting demonstration to create amazing things." “Heather is a wonderful teacher … can’t wait ‘til my next class.” “Very professional and enjoyable. Friendly group, and I learnt so much which I can build on. Loved it!” The newly announced workshops are, 1. Saturday 20 June 2015 - Spikes and Resists | 3D Vessels and Pods 2. Saturday 8 August 2015 - Colour and Texture | Felt Wall Art 3. Saturday 5 September 2015 - Fine Forms | Floral Felt 4. Saturday 3 October 2015 - Felt in Motion | Infinity Scarves 5. Saturday 7 November 2015 - Bags Place: Room 518, St Margaret's House, 151 London Road Edinburgh EH7 6AE Time: 10.30am to 4.30pm Cost: £60, includes all materials and refreshments. Participants should provide their own lunch. Booking: Online at www.heatherpotten.com Apologies for not posting this months ago...but better late than never!
In June, I ran a Hat Workshop and invited Roxanne to write a blogspot for me, recording her impressions as a first-time felter. Here is what she thought in her own words and pictures. Thank you Roxanne! A beautiful blue bowler hat with a soft floral trim, made by me for me. by Roxanne My first felt encounter Having never felted before, I didn’t have any particular expectations but rather a curious case of creative excitement for the workshop I was about to attend. As I made my way to the workshop the optimist in me whispered, ‘Sure it will be fun to felt and sure you are going to have a great time with the ladies’ but as I got closer to St Margaret’s House, the question begged to be asked: What was felting really about? And even more so the fashionista wondered whether I would be able to create something to my own personal style so I could wear it? Today, I was surely going to learn something new, I thought. And so I set off on the first, fine summer’s day in Scotland, felt tools in the bag and a smile on my face. When I arrived, I passed three women on their way to get some coffee. I figured they were attending the same workshop because they directed me to where I needed to be and very kindly offered me some coffee. I declined (politely) as I was on a mission to get to the workshop on time. If anything, be punctual. At the workshop, Heather was all ready and prepared. Her work stations all set out with all sorts of inspirational felt books and materials to match. The room seemed like a real palette of shades. How exciting. Today I was going to be the artist. I then unpacked my materials at my station, laid out all my tools and like a real freshman, I had a notepad on hand ready for Heather’s instruction. Whilst I waited for the workshop to begin I saw some hat designs the other women brought with them and I compared the styles in an attempt to finalise the image I had in my mind. When I saw a picture of the famous vintage bowler hat I knew that my hat would resemble just that: a classic, bold but feminine style. Perfectly elegant for those windy and wet days that await in Edinburgh. Once we were all settled, Heather didn’t wait a minute longer and got us going with the mechanics of the hat. We measured our heads horizontally and vertically, cut out a template and then created the resist (I would describe this as the skeleton of the hat we removed later). Heather’s voice accompanied us right along as she demonstrated and explained every step. On the side I quickly made notes of her in-between remarks: “Remember to allow space for shrinkage”. This was especially helpful because I always seemed to have a problem with my head size and the hat sizes available in stores. Blush. And so we were ready to start felting... I loved how Heather explained that we should use fabric in our design that “tears nicely”. For a moment I was so mesmerised by the beautiful demonstration of tearing soft silk, so graceful and lovely it was to watch.... Apparently the space in the fibres allows the wool (which we use later) to hook itself through. Heather was making strips so that the silk can integrate even more with the wool. At this stage all my creative juices juggled ideas from the colour silks I would use, the imagery of how the fabrics bond and the wonder of how all this will make up a hat at the end!? Speechless. Once we placed the silk on the resist I jumped in to my favourite part- selecting the colours of wool I would use. Amongst the lovely array of merino wool colours I short listed my options and pulled out a few shades of blue that went nicely with my floral strips of silk. Recently I have really been enjoying the tranquil, cool but calm look and feel of duck egg blue so I chose the shade closest to this and complemented it with a ravishing royal blue. Now I was ready to shade my canvas. Through a process of clutching about three thick strands of wool, I think I may have stood for about an hour clutching and pulling pieces of mesmerising merino sheep wool. Bit by bit. Piece by piece. Following Heather’s advice: ‘Think about it as paint’, I focused my attention on pulling and placing the wool exactly how she did and laid my pieces on both sides of the resist. Pulling and placing, pulling and placing... So gentle, so therapeutic. But then the hard work started. Once the wool and water clung together around both sides of the resist, we had to start drying it through a vigorous process of rolling and pressing of exactly the right weight on the resist. This was no joke. I saw the girl next to me finishing hers off (she was like a machine) and I thought to myself if I don’t get a move on I am going to be here all day. I better just press and roll. Standing up, sitting down, I was determined to get it dry. But my lovely teacher was right by my side and encouraged me to ‘relax, sit down and do it from there’, systematically one roll at a time. Ok so I struggle with a bit of patience- but how amazing is it to see this wool and water come together to make a hat!!! The last part did require a bit of work but in the end nothing was more rewarding than seeing the finished product: A beautiful blue bowler hat with a soft floral trim, made by me for me. Heather was quite happy with how I had done and I was very chuffed and grateful for the experience. Now I can truly say that appreciate the art of felt making. 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. |
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