moral fibre - Past Course

Jeanette Appleton Masterclass

Lines and Layers - 14th/15th November 2009
Marks and Mixes - 16th/17th November 2009

This was a wonderful opportunity to work with one of the most highly respected textile artists in the UK.

This Masterclasses explored the potential of design ideas at each stage of the felt making process, experimenting with a range of challenging and changing sequences in the use of fibre and cloth within the felt structure. Students will be encouraged to enjoy the surprises and discoveries in the transformation of materials when using layers, cuts, patches and move areas within the felt process.

Felt to Stitch - Sheila Smith

This exciting course explored the possibilites of embellishing felt with hand stitching and adding layers of different textures for embellishment

Sculpted wraps and Accessories

On this course hand dyed Elina Saari needlefelt was used to produce 3 dimensional wraps and accessories using needlefelting and wet felting techniques producing some stunning creative results.

Traditional Rugs

Hats to wear or Not to Wear!

Whether you want to make a hat to wear or a hat to show off, during this masterclass with Judit Pocs from Hungary you will learn about shaping and sculpting fibres in the most amazing ways. You will also learn about blending dazzling colours and developing innovative ideas. The pictures say it all!

Lizards and other Reptiles

On this course you will use these unusual creatures as inspiration for the most vibrant sculptured pieces. Judit's work is full of detail and is exquisitely finished. Truly stunning sculptural forms without the use of a felting needle.

Jewellery

Judit's jewellery is special for the quality of its finish. You will learn how to achieve this and also how to embed small items such as beads, metal shapes, crystals or stones into your jewellery. You will go home with lots of ideas and newfound skills as well as your own collection of beautiful pieces

Feltmaking Freedom - our studio's special new course

Our special new ‘feltmaking freedom’ day is designed for those of you who want to be free to try all the different kinds of feltmaking without being tied to making any one particular thing. You can try flat felting, 3D felting around a resist, ‘nuno’ felting into silk fabric or whatever combination you fancy. Go home with anything from a scarf to a tablemat to a bag to a wallhanging … the choice is as wide as your imagination. All the technical expertise you need will be on hand to help you realise your ideas. And if you’re feeling short of ideas, we have a few of those to get you going! Whether you are a beginner or a more experienced feltmaker who wants to make the most of our space, or our feltmaking machine, this day is just for you.

Printing on Felt

This course with experienced City and Guilds tutor Lyn Griffiths offers you an opportunity to combine fabric and felt with dyeing and print in a variety of ways.
A great weekend of mixed media exploration including shibori dyeing, thermofax screen printing with natural dye extracts and a variety of feltmaking techniques.
The thermofax method allows for very fine detail and precision creating really exciting results without the difficulties normally attached to other methods of screen printing.

Feltmaking from the Heart of Europe: Hungarian Rugmaking

A truly fantastic opportunity to learn from two of the most experienced feltmakers in Europe. Mari and Istvan organised the 2004 International Exhibition of Feltmaking in Budapest – an amazing celebration of the very best work from all over the world. They teach in many countries and have also written numerous books about feltmaking. On this two-day course you will learn all about the traditional patterns and motifs in Hungarian feltmaking and use these to make a beautiful rug.

Our feltmaking machine will be available to help you to produce a large piece. The teaching will include slildes and talks about Hungarian folk culture and its place in the feltmaking tradtion of Europe. You will go home buzzing with ideas, inspiration and lots of new knowledge.

More Pictures of Hungarian Rugmaking (we had such fun)!

Cobweb Felt for Garments

A chance to make the lightest of all felt for light garments and wraps. Jenny will show you how to to make “cobweb” felt which is fibrous in character using linen, silk and other fibres along with the wool fibres. It’s not as easy as it looks (!) but under Jenny’s expert tuition you will be able to make your pieces into seamless clothing such as jackets by joining and thickening areas to add strength. This kind of feltmaking is Jenny’s real passion and she has exhibited her cobweb pieces all over the UK and in Europe.

All about Nuno

uno feltmakng – laminating wool fibres onto silk or other fine fabrics - has become incredibly popular over the last few years and it’s not difficult to see why. The effects that the wool creates when it shrinks are beautiful – and it’s not such hard work as making heavier pieces! The finished fabric can be used for a wide range of purposes but on this course you will make a luxurious scarf (or two) and go home home with a wealth of ideas for innovative fabrics. You will work with silk chiffon, silk georgette, silk muslin and cotton muslin and you will learn how to create a variety of surface textures. A popular course for those of you that are new to Nuno, or those who need some tips on how to get the effects you want.

Without Seams: The Ultimate Silk/Wool Garment

We are very pleased that May Jacobsen Hivistendahl has agreed to come from Norway to teach this course. If you haven’t come across her work, just have a look at her website http://www.filtmaker.no and click on ‘galleri’ to be amazed and inspired. Her workshops at the 2007 International Feltmakers Conference in Swansea were a high point of the event.

During this 3-day course you will make an original garment to your own design. There will be lots of ideas to inspire you! You will be shown how to make the quality of Nuno felt fabric that you need for your garment, make samples to find the shrinking factor and the wool amount, construct our own plastic pattern and learn how to go through the felting process in the most practical way. Every day will start with some theory, but during the day you will work individually on your project with help from one of the best felt-garment makers in Europe. If you complete your garment, on the last day there will be an opportunity to make a hat.

Seeing the Light: Felt Landscapes

This workshop will look at landscape in its widest sense, finding ways to interpret what we see through feltmaking. After collecting colour notes and visual information, outside if it¹s fine, you¹ll make a palette of felts. There will be an opportunity to work with dyes and resists on these, and on silk fibres and fabric to create layers of colour, and patterns of marks and textures. Techniques of joining these elements will be covered, alongside a gentle approach to developing a satisfying composition. You might like to bring own photos, drawings or postcards to work from. There will also be images available at the workshop. You should leave with inspirational samples and at least one finished landscape. An ability to draw is not a requirement, just a willingness to explore ways of seeing and recording.

Student quotes, 2007:

‘I came home and noticed the sun shining onto a white bedroom wall and the colours were amazing - a powder blue cast shadow and another navy/purple one contrasting with the vibrancy of the orange/yellow sun, so thank you for the reminder of what really looking is all about.’

‘After Clare's workshop, I thought - I can do anything! There are no limits.’

Clare Diprose is a textile artist with over 14 years experience as a feltmaker and tutor. She is drawn to skylines, patterns of light on water, the turn of a head or hand; small visions that enrich the mundane. She exhibits with the South West Textile Group and Bath Textile Artists and is never without a small sketchbook. Her work can be seen at http://www.southwesttextilegroup.org.uk.

The Wonders of Central Asia

10th/11th November: 10am-4pm both days
Tutor: Faith Roper
Cost £130 including a £10 fibre voucher and refreshments

This weekend course will explore the patterns and symbols of Central Asian felt rugs and blankets. With the aid of the feltmaking machine you will produce a rug 80cm x 120cm – or maybe two! In depth information on the patterns and techniques of the Kazakhs, the Uzbeks, the Turkmen, the Mongolian and the Kirghiz peoples will be available, and you can design your own rug inspired by what you see. If you want to use a traditional design, ready made patterns will be on hand for you to borrow; you can make something delightfully complex without having to map it all out. This will be a rewarding weekend in which you have a chance to make something that you may not feel like tackling at home.

Fine Felted Fabrics for Garments

27th/28th October: 10am-4pm both days
Tutor: Sheila Smith
£130 including refreshments and a £5 fibre voucher

We are lucky to have the ultimate master (mistress even!) of felt fabric to lead this wonderful course which will teach you all the things you really need to know about making your own cloth for garments. Sheila has spent the last year researching and writing about the technical side of fabric production, so if you want to learn how to control uniformity of thickness, evenness of surface, drapeablility, and wear as well being able to dip into her wealth of knowledge about surface texture, this is the course for you.

Sheila really needs no introduction. The author of the most comprehensive feltmaking publications on the market, she has been at the forefront of developments in the art of feltmaking for many years.

Felted Vessels

Saturday 6th October: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Tutor: Diane Norrell
Cost £55 including a £5 fibre voucher and refreshments

Expand your creativity into three dimensions! This course offers you the chance to make a felt vessel using a resist. You will learn how to design and shape your container and about which fibres to choose for the strongest result. There will plenty of opportunity to experiment with a variety of innovative shapes. This course will enable you to really explore the sculptural qualities of felt. The scale of the piece is up to you.

Diane is an experienced feltmaker and teacher. She makes a wide range of felt items that she sells in local galleries, but she particularly enjoys exploring the possibilities of 3D work.

Felt Slippers

Saturday 29th September: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Tutor: Faith Roper
Cost £55 including a £5 fibre voucher and refreshments

A chance to indulge your footwear fantasies. Whether it’s slippers fit for Marie Antoinette, wild boots for a Siberian Reindeer herder … or just something to sit by the fire in, this course will provide you with all the know how and lots of inspiration. You will learn how to make a resist based on your shoe size and how to shape your slippers on a last. You can make warm boots, ballet style slippers or mules. A great present idea!

The Fabric of Dreams: Richness and Comfort

22nd 23rd September: 10am -4pm both days
Tutor: Claire Cawte
£130 including refreshments and a £5 fibre voucher

Working with a wide range of open weave fabrics you will produce a beautiful wrap or wallhanging. The focus will be on creating highly original textural surfaces by building up layer on layer of silk, wool, linen, hemp, hessian and all sorts of more unusual natural fibres. Claire will show you how to use nuno felting and manipulation techniques - layering, trapping, slashing, fraying and stitching - to produce a texturally rich cloth possessing a depth of subtle colour. This is your chance to develop your ability to create surface pattern and tactile quality in your work.

Claire is a Cardiff based textile artist who studied Contemporary Textile Practice at the University of Wales Institute. Working primarily in natural materials, she strives for a sense of harmony and affinity with the natural world. Alongside this she seeks to create a sense of comfort and protection, for both the individual and the natural environment we inhabit. Her fabrics reflect these twin desires, their hallmark quality being the richness of their surface.

To Top it All – Hats and Headwear

Saturday 15th September: 10am-4pm both days
Tutor: Anne Belgrave
£60 including refreshments and a £5 fibre voucher

Anne is well known for making every kind of hat from the beautiful and useful to the outrageous. You could make something to wear in the winter or you could take the opportunity to make something special for a loved one. Twenty years of hat making experience will be available to you on this course! The range of possibilities is astounding. You will learn a variety of hat making techniques including shaping on a block

The Wonders of Central Asia

Saturday 28th July 2007
Tutor: Faith Roper
This weekend course will explore the patterns and symbols of Central Asian Felt rugs and blankets. With the aid of the feltmaking machine you will produce a rug 80cm x 120cm – or maybe two! In depth information on the patterns and techniques of the Kazakhs, the Uzbeks, the Turkmen, the Mongolian and the Kirghiz peoples will be available, and you can design your own rug inspired by what you see. If you want to use a traditional design, ready made patterns will be on hand for you to borrow; you can make something delightfully complex without having to map it all out. This will be a rewarding weekend in which you have a chance to make something that you may not feel like tackling at home.
10.00am – 5.00pm on Saturday and
10.00 – 4.00pm on Sunday
Cost: £120 to include refreshments, but you will need to bring your own lunch £10 fibre voucher included.

Felt and Paper Books

Saturday7th and Sunday 8th July 2007
Tutor: Liz Clay
This two-day course will explore the magical combination of felt and paper. Using a variety of media with different qualities you will make a range of fine decorative felt sheets and learn how to bind these to make a book. Your book will be a wonderful reference resource of the ideas, techniques and textural possibilities in surface design. The suitability of different media and applications will be covered and further ideas discussed for future projects beyond the simple book idea. You will go home with lots of inspiration about how to use your mixed media material in 2D and 3D work using cut, stitch and layering techniques.
Liz is an internationally renowned designer. She was recently awarded the Selvedge Award at the Society of Designer Craftsmen exhibition at the Mall Galleries. She shows and sells her work all over the world. Due to popular demand, Liz's month-long feature at Harrods was extended to 3 months but has finally closed to make way for other displays. Don’t miss an opportunity to work with someone on the cutting edge of couture feltmaking!
10.00am - 4.00pm both days
Cost: £120 for the weekend (Includes refreshments, but bring your own lunch) £5 materials voucher included.

Colours to Dye For

Wednesday 20th June 2007
Tutor: Dee Highfields
Create your own sumptuous colours and rainbow effects on silk, wool and mohair fibres. You will learn how to achieve vibrant and subtle shades using acid dyes in the microwave. Dee has a wealth of experience and expertise to share and you will go home with all the information you need on how to use dyes safely and how to handle silk bricks, caps and rods, as well as lots of ideas about what to do with your dyed fibres.
As well as being an experienced teacher, Dee exhibits her work regularly and sells in local galleries.
10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost £50 including tea, coffee and cakes.
£5 dye and fibre voucher included.

Painting with Wool

Saturday 16th June 2007
Tutor: Faith Roper
Liberate your latent drawing and painting skills by working with wool to produce a stunning felt wallhanging. Amazing detail and texture can be achieved and there’s no chance of getting it wrong or needing to rub anything out - your material is totally flexible and easy to manipulate into the design you want to make. If you always thought you couldn’t draw, now is your chance to find out just how wrong you were! You really will be amazed at the life you can give to your chosen image.
10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost £50 including tea, coffee and cakes.
£5 fibre voucher included.

Spinning Masterclass

Wednesday 13th June 2007
Tutor: Fiona Nisbet
Had a go at spinning but never got to grips with the finer stuff? Bought a wheel but never produced the exciting yarn you had in mind? This course offers you an opportunity to hone your spinning skills and will focus especially on blending wool with other fibres and silk spinning.
Fiona is a well known spinner, weaver and feltmaker. She teaches a wide range of courses, both from her home and in local colleges and arts centres.
10.00a - 4.00pm
Cost £45 to include tea, coffee and cakes.

Pegloom Weaving

Wednesday 6th June
Tutor: June Emmerson
Make a beautiful rug or bag using our stunning range of natural fibres and a pegloom. This wonderfully simple piece of equipment will enable to produce an impressive piece of weaving in record time – it’s addictive! Warping up the loom and finishing techniques will be covered. You will have a chance to use a variety of unusual materials and you will go home full of ideas for innovative work.
June has a background in historic textiles and has long experience teaching in schools. As a former Museum Curator, June’s wealth of knowledge about hand made things from the past feeds her recent interest in hat making and rug weaving. She weaves to commission and exhibits in local galleries.
10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost:£50 to include tea, coffee and cakes.
£5 fibre voucher included.

Felted Jewellery

Saturday 2nd June 2007
Tutor: Jenny Compton
A wonderful opportunity to work with Jenny, whose jewellery is highly sought after in boutiques and galleries. Working with felt beads, flowers and more unusual felt shapes, you will (if you work hard!) produce a bracelet, earrings or a simple necklace in the day. Decorating will be by both beading and needle felting. You will learn how to use silver and gold ‘findings’ and how to finish your work in different ways.
Jenny is an experienced teacher of feltmaking and whether this is your first try at felt jewellery or whether you want to try more advanced and innovative techniques, this course will offer you what you need.
Jenny has been teaching City and Guilds at two colleges since 1992. Subjects covered include embroidery, patchwork, paper craft, textile decoration, and felt making. A member of the IFA, Jenny is keen to promote British Fleece in both workshops and her own work
A wide range of fibres and some jewellery findings will be available to buy at the Mill. Jenny will bring felting needles, beading needles and some beads, sequins, small bugles and thong for threading. There will be a small charge for beads and sequins, but please feel free to bring anything that you have at home.
10.00am-4.00pm
Cost £50 including tea, coffee and cakes.
£5 materials voucher included.

All about Nuno

Saturday 26th May 2007
Tutor: Faith Roper
An opportunity to learn a range of nuno felting techniques using merino and blue faced Leicester wools on silk chiffon, koubis georgette, silk muslin and cotton muslin. You will learn how to create a variety of surface textures and effects to produce a luxurious scarf. This course is all about enjoying fine fabrics and quality fibres.
10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost £50 including tea, coffee and cakes.
£5 materials voucher included.

Felted Vessels

Saturday 5th May 2007
Tutor: Diane Norrell
Expand your creativity into 3D! This course offers you the chance to make a felt vessel using a resist. You will learn how to design and shape your container and about which fibres to choose for the best result. There will plenty of opportunity to experiment with a variety of innovative shapes.
Diane is an experienced feltmaker and teacher. She makes a wide range of felt items that she sells in local galleries, but particularly enjoys exploring the possibilities of 3D work.
10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost £50 including tea, coffee and cakes.
£5 materials voucher included.

Felt Slippers

Saturday 28th April 2007
Tutor: Faith Roper
A chance to indulge your footwear fantasies. Whether it’s slippers fit for Marie Antoinette, wild boots for a Siberian Reindeer herder … or just something to sit by the fire in, this course will provide you with all the know how and lots of inspiration.
10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost £50 including tea, coffee and cakes.
£5 materials voucher included.

Seamless Felt Garments

This two day course is running twice:
Thursday 19th/Friday20th April 2007
Saturday 21st /Sunday 22nd April 2007
Tutor: Jenny Mackay
A chance to create a felt jacket or similar garment using a resist. No sewing necessary! The mysteries of sizing, shaping and controlling shrinkage will be revealed by our internationally renowned tutor and you will learn how to include pockets and collars in your design. An intensive and rewarding course for those with some experience.
Jenny is a well known textile artist who has exhibited all over the world. Discovering felt has, she says, enabled her to indulge her passion for texture and colour. Her particular area of interest is in fine cobweb like felt.
10.00am-4.00pm both days
Cost £75 Special Offer Price for our first weekend course. (Includes refreshments but you will need to bring your own lunch. or explore the delights of Ludlow).
Materials extra.

Felt and Fibre Fun

Wednesday 11th April 2007
Tutor: Faith Roper
Explore a variety of feltmaking techniques using our stunning range of natural and dyed fibres. You will lean how specific fibres can be used for special effects and use your newfound skills to produce a set of tablemats or a table runner. Suitable for beginners or those wishing to expand their knowledge of fibres.
Faith is an experienced teacher of feltmaking and has worked in both schools and colleges. She runs the Mill, so has a wealth of knowledge about how to use fibres to get the effects that you want. She makes large pieces to commission and is particularly interested in felt as an ancient art form. The inspiration for her wallhangings and felt sculptures comes from the patterns and symbols of Central Asia and Iron Age Britain.
10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost £50 including tea, coffee and cakes.
£5 materials voucher included.