Felt-making, for beginners and returners
Starts: 22 September 2012 10:00
Ends: 22 September 2012 16:30
Assington Mill, Bures Road, Assington, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 5LZ
Felt making is an ancient textile process. Come and learn, in one day, how to transform washed and combed sheep's fleece into beautiful, tactile, durable felt; using nothing more than soap, water and friction!
We will start the day learning the secrets behind the felting process, why some breeds of sheep felt better and faster than others, and why felt shrinks so much. The morning session will be spent learning and doing the "how to" of felt making; using a wonderful selection of pre-dyed combed and carded wool fibres. We will go through making up felting soap solutions, laying out the wool, wetting out, creating pre-felts (half felt) and fulling (shrinking) the finished felt. There will be plenty of opportunity for experimentation and we will make at least one roughly A3 sized sheet of flat felt before lunch. There will be a selection of books provided to get the creativity flowing if you get stuck for inspiration. Those who have the basic knowledge of felt-making will have the opportunity of creating something more complicated.
In the afternoon session we will build on the skills learnt earlier in the day and each make a felted bowl or vessel using a seamless three dimensional felt making technique.
Neither piece of felt will be totally dry at the end of the day, so some plastic to wrap the felt in to transport it home is advised. Also please wear comfortable, sturdy non slip shoes as you will be up on your feet and someone always spills a little bit of soapy water!
Cost: £80 including lunch - materials will cost £20 to be paid on the day.
Contact: T: 01787 229955
