Feltmaking in South Canterbury

fabulous enticing stashes of materials

I have just returned from running a two day and one day workshop hosted by the Timaru Creative Fibre group. I really love running workshops. Not only because I get to catchup with old friends, stay in welcoming and interesting family settings, get my food organised by someone else ( a real treat for someone who lives alone) I also meet new people enthusiastic about similar things to my own interests. As much as all this, I love it because  because teaching new ways of looking, making and working is itself rewarding. The sudden flicker of awareness of something new, and the growing excitement as its potential develops for someone who had not thought of it before, is a great reward for a teacher. Both of the groups enjoyed playing with their stash of fibre and fine fabrics, and produced a range of very different samples which got a close inspection during the discussion and sharing time at the end of the class. Working as a group allows you to learn from the things that other people have done as well as from your own. Ever wondered how far a silk hankerchief can be stretched? The answer is cobweb thin! Oddly enough I seldom do this to one, as I like the beautiful lines of silk in the heavier edges.

   We discussed some of the issues of using other people's design ideas, crediting other people for what you learned and use (with their permission) and sharing or not sharing notes from classes. My class notes are not intended for sharing beyond the class participants - they have taken me many years of refinement and improvement to reach the stage they are now, and I constantly bring them up to date, and improve them. They are my experience, the people who have them have paid to attend my classes (thankyou!) I will be running future classes who deserve to get notes that they pay for too, and I would be very annoyed to find any other tutor using them. They are clearly marked as needing my permission for any extended use. The experience  and perceptions of each tutor is unique, and should be reflected in their own notes.

 

 That said, we developed a low maths enlarging method for scaling up (or down!) key measurements to draw patterns for layout which will shrink down in the felting process to the required size and shape. Since I got home I have written up this process in notes. Unlike the class-only felting notes, I have decided that these can be freely shared and copied. If you would like some, feel free to download them from just below here, as soon as I have worked out how to make them available there! There are hand drawn illustrations on some pages so I think jpg format may be needed for those, or can pdf format work? There is so much to learn....

I think this will do it: click here to access a free pdf file of the notes for getting from a sample piece of felt to enlarging a pattern for felt layout with a folding, no- number-calculating method.


Gwen has a copy the South Canterbury members can access without computers, and the notes are clearly identified as free for sharing.

Viewing the class samples

The pictures show both the fun, and the absorbed concentration during the class.
Thankyou to all involved in organising and attending the classes, and hosting me. I was glad to get home ahead of the rain and low snow windy weather system too.
Posted by Ang