FELT- Workshops/classes

New Year’s Resolution: Do more with wool than just knit! Learn to felt and you can make these lovely needle cases for your knitting needles. The round one is a perfect design for containing that wild tangle of circular needles springing up all over the place. Drop me a line if you’re interested in a one day workshop to make fully lined knitting needle/crochet hook cases.

January, 2010 update: Genghis Khan has just left the building

Hello, everyone-

This cold weather is just perfect for making, altogether now, FELT. This Saturday (January 9), at the Morean Art Center in downtown St. Petersburg, I’ll be leading a family art day as we make a real Mongolian Felt Yurt. We’ve ordered in a giant load of raw wool and trusty Russ, one of the great crew working at the Morean, has constructed a rockin’ yurt frame. I have giant mats and I mixed up a gallon of olive oil soap gel before coming to Miami. I have my industrial sprayer ready and a big bag of brightly colored wool odds and ends for design and embellishment. This, my friends, is going to be fun.

What’s that? A yurt? You don’t know what that is? Ah, well, watch THIS and then if you’re anywhere near, come by between 1 and 4 pm on Saturday to help us build a felt yurt!

The next session of felting classes starts up next week (January 13 for six weeks) and we’ll be tangled up in wool every Wednesday morning from 10-1230 at the Morean Art Center on Central in downtown St. Petersburg. Register NOW at this link: http://www.moreanartscenter.org/

For continuing students there will be plenty of opportunity to refine and expand our skills in nuno felting and 3 dimensional work as well as creating a larger wall piece or small rug with more complex design techniques. Beginning students just slip in easily with individualized instruction; we’ve found that the class works well for all levels. We’re also offering two Saturday workshop days this session, one a day long class on felt jewelry and the other a day long workshop on needle felted. Both classes are suitable for all levels.

ASHEVILLE CLASSES begin May 15, 2010. I will be posting a list of classes and workshops in the near future. If you are not already getting e-mails from me about classes please drop me a line and I will be sure to add your name to the list.

Looking forward to seeing you soon,

Vicki

Second session starts this week at Morean Arts Center! Here’s the link and I have room for a one or two more students in the Wednessday class, suitable for beginners and continuing felters. I also have a fun holiday workshop coming up Nov 21 in Palmetto, with both wet and needle felt instruction as we make seasonal gifts. I’ll get that link up shortly!

UPDATE! NEW FALL CLASSES FOR 2009 AT THE MOREAN ARTS CENTER!

I’m very excited to begin teaching at the Morean Art Center here in St. Petersburg this Fall, starting September 16. I’ll be doing 4 six week sessions between now and the holidays. First up are WET FELT FUNDAMENTALS and WET FELTING 3-DIMENSIONAL FORMS.

Here are the course descriptions:

WET FELT FUNDAMENTALS-Learn the history and fundamentals of the wool felting process.  You will create a number of wet felted studies to include flat felt, pre-felts, design elements, and simple inlay techniques.  This class will also offer instruction in beginning techniques in Nuno & airy silk felting.  Students will complete projects including scarves, shawls, table runners, mats and purses.

WET FELT 3 DIMENSIONAL FORMS-This class will provide an understanding of the wet felting process through the use of form and flat resist methods to achieve 3-D hollow forms. Students will learn techniques for making vessels, containers, hats, and slippers. Color blending, fleece layout, density of felt, and experimenting with embellishment and surface design will be discussed during class.

I hope if you are in the Tampa Bay area you will join us. The Morean Art Center at 719 Central Ave. in downtown St. Petersburg offers a spacious, light, air-conditioned and well equipped workspace and I’ve just laid in a HUGE supply of beautiful fibers from silks to the highest grade fleeces, especially for these classes.

Registration is going on NOW. Log onto http://www.moreanartscenter.org and click to the Fall catalog and registration.

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I currently offer private lessons, workshops and classes in four different areas of felting. In addition, private lessons for advanced techniques, including nuno silk felting, can be arranged at the rate of 20.00/hour. Throughout  2009, I am teaching in the St. Petersburg/Tampa Bay area and beginning Spring of 2010, I will also be teaching in Asheville, NC.

I am always available for consultation and information about supplies and resources. In the near future I will be listing felting kits for beginners, supplies for the advanced artists and links to sites that offer quality materials and fibers. Feel free to email with questions and thanks for visiting!

vbennett@umich.edu

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NEEDLE FELTING

This workshop is primarily focused on creating small animals and sculpture work using a dry, barbed needle technique. Students can expect to gain a general understanding of the needle felting process and create one or two completed small projects. Materials supplied, include fiber and  a selection of  3 different size needles. Students should either purchase a dense foam pad or order one specifically from the instructor prior to class and bring with. Additional supplies and kits may be purchased to take home.

This workshop runs approximately two hours (although the last one was so much fun we carried on for four!).

Cost: 28.00

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Wet felting- flat

This course teaches the fundamentals of flat wet felting. Students will gain knowledge of the different fibers available for this technique and skills that allow them to create table runners, mats, lengths of fabric, purses, etc. Fiber and soap gel is included for several small projects. Students interested in learning wet felting should purchase in advance or order from instructor ridged shelf liner, gripping foam shelf liner, a dishpan, several sponges, an old towel.

Optimally, this is a 3 session class, 2 hours each session with skills advancing from learning basic density and edge techniques, color blending and more advanced surface design.

Cost: 90.00

I will also teach this class in a 3 hour workshop format and students can expect to complete 1-2 basic projects.

Cost: 45.00

Additional materials, supply kits and fibers may be purchased from instructor.

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Wet Felting: Three dimensional

This course teaches the Scandinavian style techniques that allow the student to create a seamless three dimensional object- vessel, hat, bowl, purse- beginning with a flat resist form. Skills taught are design, felting technique and blocking and shaping. Ideally, this is a three session class, three hours per session. Materials provided include a selection of fibers, resists, soap gel. Students interested in learning wet felting should purchase in advance or order from instructor ridged shelf liner, gripping foam shelf liner, a dishpan, several sponges, an old towel.

Cost: 110.00

I will also teach a very modified workshop form of this class to students with some previous felting experience.  3 hours. Cost: 45.00

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NEW! WET FELT FLOWER WORKSHOP!

This is a fun first experience with felt, combining techniques of both wet and needle felting. In 2 hours students can learn to make flowers suitable for hats, baskets, as jewelry or gifts. This class is great for a “ladies night out” party or a weekend afternoon get together with friends. All materials provided. Cost: 28.00