FeltbyMe - Traditional Wet Felt and Needle Felt Workshops
| About UsIn 2007,after watching a felt making film from River Cottage and, coincidentally, being given a bag of raw Alpaca fleece , I thought I'd try to make my own felt. How hard could it be? During the trials and tribulations and soggy carpets I caught the felting bug.I failed many times to end up with the piece I'd imagined, but kept going until I got it right and enjoyed the feeling as woman triumphed over fluff! I've invented my own techniques to overcome felting problems. A little later I discovered needle felting and the obsession with all things fleecy grew. My first needle felt model was of Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall clutching a chicken which I presented to him in person. I'm told it sits in the RC headquarters, possibly as a reminder of a time when he sported longer and more unruly hair. I began to sell items at local Artisan markets including a stall at the River Cottage Strawberry Fair. I had many people at these markets asking if I would do workshops, but I declined. I was having too much fun with fiber at that point and still some things to discover for myself. But as I collected a few felting devotees and the time passed, it became possible to imagine workshops and the fun and friendship this could provide and, so, in 2012 Felt by Me workshops were born and some of my well trained acolytes have come on board to pass along the knowledge too. You don't need to be artistic, we'll inspire you and guide you to make wonderful pieces to take home. You'll be working with Merino and alpaca wool and silks. We'd love to see you here in beautiful Wiltshire.  |
Needle Felt
Needle felting is a popular fibre arts craft conducted without the use of water. Special barbed felting needles that are used in industrial felting machines are used by the artist as a sculpting tool. Using a single needle or a small group of needles (2-5) in a hand-held tool, these needles are used to sculpt the wool fibre. The barbs catch the scales on the fibre and push them through the layers of wool, tangling them and binding them together, much like the wet felting process. Fine details can be achieved using this technique, and it is popular for applique and 3D felted work.
When and Where
Banner art by Adam Martinakis http://kuman-art.blogspot.com/2012/03/adam-martinakis.html |
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