Nuno Felting workshop - day two

Well, this is a bit late, a week late really, but I have been without the computer while they tried to find my photos and then I was doing other things and didn't post.  So, back to the Nuno Felting workshop.

On the second day of the workshop, I was going to make another few samples but ended up making them in one piece that could be worn as a scarf.  I will have to decide whether I want to wear it or just keep it as a sample.  It has various ways of laying out on it - some worked well and others did not do what I had expected.  That is the point of doing classes, I suppose.  To have an expert on hand to give advice but to also make mistakes and get surprises.

There is a LOT of rolling necessary to make the felt.  It was slightly different for the cotton muslin and silk but both required lots of rolling.

The ladies who had done other classes with Phyllis had obviously enjoyed them enormously and had learnt different techniques.  I will have to go to her website and see what other classes she is going to teach.  She teaches a wide range of felting techniques and is very knowledgeable about wools and what sorts suit different felting techniques better.

Yet another textile area for me to learn!  I had better start focusing on what it is I actually want to develop, stop being a serial class-goer, after I go to the Fibre Forum at Ballarat, in April.

If you look closely, you will see one of Phyllis' beautiful vests, she wore a different one each day.

Phyllis wore some gorgeous vests that she has made.  They were beautiful.  She is bringing out a book about making felted vests at the end of April.  She warned us that the book is only about making vests, not about any other type of felting.

I am not absolutely sure that I like felted clothing and homeware, I think I am more fascinated by the process than by the product.  But Phyllis' vests were beautiful.  You could see her dressmaking background has had a huge influence on her work.

I know it is strange to say that I am not sure I like felted fabric, considering I have done 4 workshops now, all on different techniques of felting.  I have enjoyed the workshops greatly, I am just not convinced that I want to use felted fabric - yet.

Nuno Felting workshop - day one

I attended a two day felting workshop this weekend.  It was taught by Phyllis Hoffman and organised through the Victorian Feltmakers.  I am rather tired after two days of laying out and rolling felt.

On the first day I made two samples after seeing some of Phyliss' fabulous samples.  It was a very relaxed class, Phyliss gave us some freedom in our work but was able to give me direction as I have not had all that much experience with feltmaking, and none with nuno felting.
On Saturday, I worked with cotton muslin.  It took quite a bit of rolling to make the felt attach properly but had some beautiful texture when finished.

I was not sure how much it would shrink, what it would look like when finished.  A whole new learning experience for me - both days.

One of my samples was inspired by the work I am doing for my course, you will notice the vine theme again.

Some of the ladies had attended other workshops run by Phyllis and had a very clear idea of what they would like to do.  Phyllis remembered them, what they had done previously and was able to give them exactly the advice they needed.  They produced some spectacular work.