Boot Camp Day 2…

It is such a joy to watch a group of people get really really excited about that which you are passionate about.  My Fiber Boot Camp class at the museum plowed bravely forward into uncharted waters as we tackled felting.  Yesterday we learned about fiber, and how to make fibers into a usable thing like a piece of yarn.  And we made those yarns colorful.  Today we embarked on a mission to begin to interlace them.  Felting is very physical, and wet, but lots of fun, listening to five women chatting away while getting a major upper arm workout.  Even delays like a flat tire in this 100 degree heat wave didn’t prevent my class from enjoying themselves, and just having way too much fun.

We tackled wet felting, making sheets of felt, and wrapping wool around large flat river stones to make vessels or amulet bags.

We experimented with needle felting, both dimensional and flat, and embellishing cut up old jeans using the Clover felting tool.  And of course I brought in my Janome Expressions Needle Felting Machine.  There just wasn’t enough time.  I also gave a slide presentation showing all the possibilities from some of the best felters in the art world.

Late afternoon, we went on a completely different journey into the world of Plaiting.  We used newspaper strips and interlaced them into a vessel, some of the students had to leave a bit early, so they didn’t get to finish, but those that did, seemed quite proud of their little paper container.  Especially those who are art educators and are always looking for a way to keep little hands busy with no cost or raw materials.   The recycling aspect of old newspapers was especially appealing.

Tomorrow….  Inkle loom weaving and kumihimo…

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Carmella
Carmella
July 10, 2010 12:03 pm

Wow, you constantly amaze me. I wanna do Fiber Boot Camp! Life’s possibilities are so limitless! My little farm is growing – I got the water running in the barn -with the help of a plumber – and now have 2 alpacas and 2 llamas and get 9 Clun Forest sheep next Thursday. So I’ll have lots to share when I see you at Siever’s the end of August.

Ann
Ann
July 10, 2010 6:08 pm

Are there instructions somewhere for the newspaper plaiting? It might be good for summer camp kids.

Jenny
Jenny
July 11, 2010 10:07 am

Ooo, ooo,ooo…I just took a class from Jorie Johnson where we plaited roving and felted it. Very interesting.

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Boot Camp Day 1

What a blast this class is, I'm having such a good time with them. I am teaching a four day...

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