Return of Mastering the Art of Drape

and Finger Painting with Silk Hankies

This is a two day workshop with our Master Felter Nancy Ballesteros

Day 1

Are you continually disappointed by the felt you create???  How do you construct the felt cloth of your dreams???  We will spend the first day learning what it takes to make great THIN drapable felt.  This involves not only understanding how much wool to lay down but what techniques it takes to FULL  a really GREAT piece of thin felt.

Join us for a day of sampling. Give yourself the gift of learning new skills. This valuable knowledge will help you to create the cloth of your dreams.

Day 2

On Day 2 we will explore a unique abstract painterly-like method of working with Silk Hankies. Feltmakers first impressions of Silk Hankies are usually one of frustration. Learn how to transform this experience into creative bliss.  Silk Hankies possess unique properties which create gloriously lustrous and textural surfaces when laminated with minimal amounts of superfine merino and silk fabric. You will learn how to create a variety of different visual effects with the hankies. We will only have time for one sample which will not be completely fulled when you leave, but you will have the skills to finish it at home.

Silk hankies traditionally have been underutilised as a source of silk by felt makers. You may ask “what is so special about a Silk Hanky”? A silk cocoon is spun by a caterpillar as one continuous strand of silk.  Each hanky is made from ONE degummed silk cocoon that has been pierced and stretched over a square frame (resembling the shape of a handkerchief), and then stacked layer upon layer. Hankies have the amazing property of being very strong and behave as a continuous mass, the fibre have not been cut like in a silk top.

Nancy Ballesteros has now been designing colours and felting for over 36 years. After moving to Australia in 1990, she immersed herself in the science of wool and established her business Treetops Colour Harmonies.  Her online shop sells her unique palette of hand-dyed colourways using superfine Merino wool, silk fibres and silk fabrics. She has taught in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the USA, mostly unravelling the mysteries of Nuno felting using Silk fabrics and superfine Merino wool.

Estimated cost of materials if you had to buy everything on the Materials List: $80

Participant Experience Level: Beginners to Advanced

Bookings Open January 18th at 6:00am

For details of the Cancellation & Refund Policy click here

Members

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For all queries, please email the Feltwest Workshop Co-ordinator through our Contact page.