AUTUMN WORKSHOPS - looking back!

As another season of the FELTED GARDEN workshops draws to a close 

here's a chance to look back at some of the amazing work 

produced over the past months...

The FELT BIRDS were a brand new theme and I wasn't sure how they would 

work out - I needn't have worried! As with most felting techniques, once understood everyone quickly got to work and the variety of birds produced was 

 spectacular - way beyond my expectations... 

Not just garden birds, blue tits, robins, finches, even a Cornish chough, 

but also some fantastic parrots, owls and a penguin! 

Here's a rather damp flock at the end of the day, 

felted, ready to be stitched and decorated when completely dry! 

The 'Painting with Fibres' workshop also produced 

some wonderful work and

here are just a few examples of some pictures in progress
and don't forget to click on the photos to see more details... 

...by laying out a range of mixed fibres 

the designs are carefully built up

 using sketches and photos as reference.

At the end of the '3-D' workshop...
Lots of very interesting pods again still very wet after the days felting 
but firm enough to hold their shape. 

All felted around resists and then finished by hand...

and on a much smaller scale these beautiful seeds and

 berries were all wet felted using similar techniques.

Fantastic examples of how felt can be moulded and worked

 by hand to make almost anything 

And finally 

stunning work by some of my more experienced felters...

Truly inspirational!

The perfect end to another busy year!

Just remains for me to say a very big 

THANK YOU 

to all my students who keep coming along to the workshops.

You make it such fun and keep me on my toes!!!

A very HAPPY CHRISTMAS to you all!

FELT BIRDS... and more workshops

The FELTED GARDEN workshops have been running for a while now, 

with topics connected to gardens, the countryside and the seasons. 

What better way to compliment these natural themes than to introduce

a new workshop making FELT BIRDS… 

I started making my felt garden birds last year and they had immediate appeal,

 with everyone asking when I was going to do a workshop… 

It has taken a while to organise things but I’m really delighted to be able to 

share my ideas in the first ‘FELT BIRDS’ workshop coming up in October.

This technique of making felt birds is something I have developed and as 

far as I know no one else is teaching this method. The birds are wet felted, 
NOT needle felted and can be made to look very realistic,,,

 ...or really quirky...

 and can be personalised with surface decoration and stitching 

as you can see here…
(And if you want to see more detail click on the photos to enlarge)

 With Christmas not too far away these birds make great gifts

and perfect tree decorations….

The ‘FELT BIRDS’ workshop will be at Seely Hall in Brook Village, IOW

 Sat 8th October 10am—4pm (now fully booked!)
NEW DATES arranged for Sat 19th November
and now Sat 3rd December....

  

During the summer I felted this flower picture using lots of 

different fibres, textures and pre-felts.

 I then worked into the felt fabric with machine stitching and hand embroidery. 

It is a good illustration of what my ’Painting with Fibres’ workshop is all about! 

During the workshop you create a felt picture, learning basic felt making 
techniques, experimenting with fibres and textures...
Then you have the extra pleasure of embellishing your finished piece 
with stitching, at home, at your leisure... 

The ‘PAINTING with FIBRES’ workshop will be at Seely Hall, Brook, IOW

 on Sat 1st October 10am—4pm

There will be also be a ‘3-D FELT’ workshop on Sat 15th October at Seely Hall.

We will be well into autumn by then and there will be a 'Seeds & Pods' 

theme to the day. This has to be my most favourite time of year and I shall be

 bringing lots of inspiration along to the workshop...

I will demonstrate methods of 3-D felting using resists.

You can choose to felt a bag or bowl, or come along with your own ideas!

All the workshops will be held at the Seely Hall in Brook Village, IOW..

The 'Felt Birds' workshop is £40 per person for the day and this 

includes ALL materials.

The 'Painting with Fibres' & '3-D Felt' workshops are £35 per person per day,

there's an extra charge for materials or you can bring your own fibre.

For more details or to make a booking please contact Gill 

on 01983 752872.

  

SUMMER Workshops...

It’s nearly a year since I re-named my felt making business

"THE FELTED GARDEN"...

 Now we are all looking forward to the warmer months ahead and getting out 
into our gardens, and the new workshops reflect the changes in the seasons…

Flowers are our main source of inspiration for the June workshops, 

starting with ‘PAINTING with FIBRES’ at Seely Hall in Brook Village, IoW

 on Sat 11th June - 10am - 4pm. 

Open to all abilities - you will learn basic felt making techniques,

experiment with fibres + textures and create a flat piece of felt fabric 

which can be stitched and worked into a picture, cushion cover or bag.  

Come along and discover the possibilities of working with felt!

  

 Joy’s Wayside Herb Garden in Yafford, IOW will be full of colour in June!

We will be holding a ‘FELTING FLOWERS’ Day there on Sat 18th.June.

For more details + booking contact Joy direct on 07879 613389

 Felting in 3-D is always a challenge for those new to the technique, 

but once mastered you can felt any 3-D shape - bags, bowls, hats 

or even hand puppets, using the same method. 

For the 3-D WORKSHOP on Sat 25th June at Seely Hall, Brook,

I shall be demonstrating something NEW!  

How to felt a ipad cover (with a flap), which makes a great protective cover 

for any ipad or tablet device and can also be adapted to slip over

a special sketchbook, paperback or journal. 

Once felted these covers can be personalised, stitched and 

embroidered and make great gifts… 

Come along to the 3-D workshop and make a bag or bowl if you wish - 

you can decide on the day!

  'Painting with Fibres' or '3-D Workshop' at Seely Hall, Brook on the IOW

cost £35 per person for the day. All equipment provided, 

there's an extra charge for materials or you can bring your own fibre.

For more information or to make a booking

contact Gill direct on 01983 752872 

Look forward to catching up with you in June...

In the meantime...

Enjoy your gardens!

PS. As always you can click on any of the workshop photos to enlarge...

The WINTER GARDEN workshops...

I’m not sure what happened to February... or March? 

We may have had an extra leap day but it didn’t make much difference... 

I can't believe we're celebrating Easter

It’s been a busy time with the FELTED GARDEN workshops, 

so I’m just going to post a small selection of some of the fantastic 
students' work produced over the past weeks...
And don't forget you can click on any of the photos to enlarge.

First, way back in February - a full weekend of ‘Painting with Fibres’ workshops 

at Ventnor Botanic Gardens

Certainly the winter gardens inspired some amazing pictures, 

using a whole range of fibres and textures to achieve 

some very wintery effects…

...many of these pieces were felted by new feltmakers.

  

A fun day felting flowers with the Guild of SW&D at Rookley 

bought plenty of colour back into the workshop!

Then followed two workshops at the lovely Seely Hall in Brook Village

felting scarves and 3-D forms.

 Again both very mixed groups with first timers

working alongside more experienced felters, 
which always works well... 

Lots of original ideas, inspired laying out and clever results, 

including a wonderful cherry blossom stole, a Celtic dragon scarf, 

a giant shell and a teddy bear hand puppet - 

which just proves the versatility of the process and 

how anything is possible!

It's always difficult to photograph felt at the end of the day when it's 

still wet and soggy - it never looks it's best, 

so it's a delight when someone brings back a finished piece to show me 

 Especially when it’s been worked and stitched as beautifully as 

these pieces by Sue, Rowena, Soosun, Barbara and Ann...

Now the winter workshops are over for the moment 

so I’m looking forward to the warmer months ahead and 

arranging some new FELTED GARDEN workshop dates in June
with some summery garden themes, 

and these will be posted very soon...

Happy Easter to you all! 

SPRING 2016 Workshops...

Signs of Spring everywhere, Christmas way behind us...
It’s a perfect time to look ahead and plan some creative time for yourself…!

I’m delighted to be able to post these NEW dates for 
The FELTED GARDEN Workshops at some of my favourite venues on the island...

I’ve been invited back to VENTNOR BOTANIC GARDEN 
on Saturday 20th February to hold a

‘Painting with Fibres’ workshop with a winter garden theme.

This is such a perfect venue for The FELTED GARDEN workshops!

 I will be explaining basic felt making techniques and you will have the 
opportunity to seek inspiration in the winter garden,
sketch and photograph the plants and trees, 
then bring your ideas back to the studio where you can experiment 

with fibres & textures, creating pieces of flat felt...

This workshop is £40 per person, plus £3 for materials 
and is open to all levels of experience.
It is being organised by the Friends of VBG so if 
you wish to make a booking contact 

Carol Ann on 07881 677761 or caeades@btinternet.com

Everyone has been asking for more 3-D and Scarf workshops...

so I’ve arranged two dates at the lovely SEELY HALL in BROOK…

FELT SCARF WORKSHOP
Saturday 5th March : 10.00am—4.00pm

This workshop is for ALL abilities. I will show how to felt 

either a lattice scarf or a ’nuno’ style scarf and you will go home at the end of 
the day with a unique piece of felt to wear!

3-D FELT WORKSHOP 
Saturday 19th March : 10.00am—4.00pm

This workshop is for those that have some felting experience 

and wish to learn how to felt 3-D forms working around a resist.

I will show how to create vessel shapes and bags using this method.

The Seely Hall workshops are £35 for the day, with materials extra. 

ALL equipment will be provided.

I will have packs of fibres and beautiful hand-dyed fibres available to buy 
on the day, but if you already have fibres to use please bring them along

There’s plenty of working space at the hall, easy parking and access, 

with hot drinks available all day !!!

For more information on the FELTED GARDEN workshops 

at the Seely Hall in Brook please contact me direct on 01983 752872…

And I must just say a very big THANK YOU to all my wonderful students 

past & present who kindly let me use their work in these posts

It is greatly appreciated -
along with all their continuing support and enthusiasm!