Monday 7 March 2016

Last Saturday's felt workshop with four talented participants

Various colourful wool tops
It was great spending an afternoon teaching wet felting to four talented beginners. Everybody started with felting a bead to experience the process of felting and the transformation from fluffy wool fibres into a well felted object. 
Then templates were chosen or cut to create a seamless pouch, vessel or wrist cuffs. Now the question, which colours to choose from a vast variety of colour shades.
Merino wool tops
Then everybody was ready to start laying out the fibres in scales, covering the first layer with a net and sprinkling hot water on the surface, adding glycerine soap and eventually gently padding down the fibres which were absorbing the water. Trust in the process and my reassurance that all was going well was needed. Some little mistakes helped to demonstrate how to improve for a better outcome.
One layer of wool fibres
Two or three criss-cross layers on each side of the template were felted into beautiful felted objects. Embellishments were made with creativity and accuracy and well designed colour combinations. Then the rubbing started to connect and interlock the fibres into a felted fabric. Eventually the pinch test showed that the fibres were matting together and the rolling and waulking could start which helpsed to shrink and firm the felted items. "Yeah, it has shrunk!", was the happy and amazed expression I've heard a couple of times.
The fibres have bonded

-I still find it magical when the fibres bind and a firm fabric develops under my hands. The following photos show the finished items from this wet felt workshop. Four happy participants left with a new experience and their beautiful felted items. The little bags still need a cord and a lining for the finishing  touch.  
The next dates for wet felt workshops will be on Saturday, 19th March and 16. April 2016, 2.00-5.30pm. Costs: £22. Please book your place asap.

Wrist cuffs from Shetland wool
Felted vessel

Little merino wool bag
Little felted bag

4 comments:

chrisstal said...

As one of the learners at Laryna's wet felting class on Saturday last, I would like to express my wonder, delight and enthusiasm for the delightful experience of learning this old craft. Laryna's informed guidance of this process was clear and imbued with her love and knowledge at each stage. I would truly recommend an afternoon (or longer) at her class. Please book early as I can see these workshops becoming very popular. (Then she will just have to do more???) Christiane

Laryna's Creative Fiber Craft said...

Thank you Christiane, for your kind feed back. It was a pleasure to have you in the workshop.
I already planned another two Saturday afternoon wet felt workshops, one on the 19.March and another one on 16.April 2016 :-)

Petra said...

Thank you so much for giving people the opportunity to learn this wonderful craft. I really enjoyed the afternoon in lovely and very talented company and learned so much! It's a lot more complex than I thought it would be but also so much more rewarding and very good for the soul.
Petra x

Laryna's Creative Fiber Craft said...

Thank you Petra for you kind comment. You all did great and created your individual beautiful first ever wet felt item. Lovely meeting you. Hope you'll keep up with wet felting. :-)