Play Explore Learn

Discovery Days are days of informal tuition and activity held on both the first Tuesdays throughout the year. Each session has a tutorial about the skill or technique we are focusing on with all of the appropriate equipment and resources required. The rest of the session would then be about doing – putting those skills and knowledge into practice.

How does it work?

Discovery Days is like paying for a regular Feltwest workshop but if you miss a session it won’t matter as after each Discovery Day the relevant tutorial will be posted on the Feltwest website in a new online learning section. If you can’t attend any of the Discovery Days that doesn’t matter either! The online tutorials are included in the cost whether you come to Craft House or not.

Access to the online tutorials is not time limited – you will have full access to the course for as long as you are a current financial member. Even if you aren’t a member for a while and rejoin your access will be restored.

During 2024 we will be discovering polymer clay techniques to make your own buttons, toggles and beads. All of which can be utilised in, on or upon felt.

The day will comprise of knowledge sharing, technique instruction, and most importantly doing!

I recently had a wardrobe clean out. Not one of those gentle wafts through the hangers where two, maybe three items are released from their bonds. No, I mean a full dismantling of apparatus followed by ruthless culling. What I discovered is that I had 33 – yes 33 – pieces of wearable felt. Many I had completely forgotten about. A quandary ensued. We invest so much time and energy into making felt that it is very hard to part with it – even if you haven’t worn it for years.

What to do? I always think about recycle, redesign, reuse, reshape, or repair but I needed some design inspiration. Whenever I need design inspiration I usually turn to Japanese culture for advice. And, as usual it didn’t fail me.

Japanese culture as a very long history of recycling; ideas like Kintsugi and Boro. Kintsugi is the art of highlighting repairs of porcelain and china with bold gold, and similarly Boro is the continual patching and re-patching clothing but not hiding it, rather, embracing it. The repaired clothing was often over stitched for strength with beautiful patterns of running stitch – collectively called Sashiko. The idea was born – I am going to redesign my felt.

I then realised I had more than wearables to recycle – I had a stack of samples from workshops , UFOs from good intentions and disasters to learn from.  All waiting to be reborn.  Don’t have a stash of ready made felt?  Not a problem.  Make sample sizes and try out the plethora of felting techniques we know – maybe we’ll invent some new ones!

Throughout 2025 we will do just that: recycle, redesign, reuse, reshape, reinvent, or repair any felt we have in our stashes, along with our growing sample stash.  With some simply hand stitching we will construct a new wearable in the size of your choosing – from a scarf to a jacket you chose.