Fabulous Fibre month at HeartFelt Silks and Seasons

Fabulous Fibre Month at HeartFelt Silks and Seasons

HeartFelt Silks Studio

Robbin Firth of HeartFelt Silks is excited to announce the FABULOUS FIBRE MONTH for October 2014, hosted by the HeartFelt Silks studio and Seasons on St. Croix Gallery in Hudson, WI!  We will present EIGHT (8) FELTMAKING WORKSHOPS throughout the month, taught by Robbin and guest fiber artists/instructors from the region and from around the country. Please see below for schedule and complete details on each workshop, and contact Robbin Firth directly via email with all inquiries regarding the workshops: Robbin@HeartFeltSilks.com.

If you live in the region or if you have been thinking about visiting the scenic St. Croix River Valley, this is a wonderful opportunity to plan a trip. You will expand your felting knowledge and technique, learn new feltmaking skills, interact with engaging teachers and meet new felt art friends, all while enjoying the beautiful gallery setting in the riverside town of Hudson, WI.

Seasons on St. Croix Gallery - location for Fabulous Fibre
Workshops

To kick off Fabulous Fibre Month, the SEASONS gallery will host a month-long fibre show. The show will include a beautiful variety of wearable fibre art and decorative fibre art by local, regional and national artists (stay tuned for more details on this!). The Fabulous Fibre Month opening and reception will take place during SEASONS' "First Fridays” on October 3, 2014, 5pm – 9pm.  You won’t want to miss it!

LOCATION for all FELTMAKING WORKSHOPS is:

401 Second Street, Hudson, WI 54016

FABULOUS FIBRE Month

Feltmaking Workshops 
at HeartFelt Silks and Seasons on St. Croix Gallery

Meet our Instructors:

Robbin Firth

Robbin Firth (felt artist & teacher at HeartFelt Silks studio in Hudson, WI, and host of Fabulous Fibre Feltmaking Workshops 2014). Robbin has been working in the fiber arts for over 20 years. She enjoys all areas of fiber art creation: working with raw fibers, carding and blending, dyeing, spinning, and knitting. She also wet felts and needle felts to create extraordinary pieces of wearable art and fiber art for the home. Robbin's artwork can be seen at fine boutiques in the region. Robbin's HeartFelt Silks teaching and retail studio is located in beautiful Hudson, WI at the magnificent and award-winning Seasons on the St. Croix Gallery. She also teaches at The Textile Center (a nationally recognized organization for fiber & textile arts), Phipps Center for the Arts, and offers private lessons. Robbin and her husband Harry Firth are inventors and makers of the handcrafted Palm Washboard line of felting tools. The Palm Washboard eliminates the need for rolling, which lets you explore new design ideas and removes tedious labor from the process of wet felting. Robbin lives in Stillwater, MN, with her husband Harry, daughter Kirsten, and many family pets.

Dawn Edwards

Dawn Edwards (felt artist & teacher at Felt So Right in Plainwell, MI). Dawn is a felt/fiber artist specializing in fun, out-of-the ordinary felt hats. She sells her work under the name of Felt So Right through specialty retail, boutique and gallery shops throughout the U.S. Dawn states, "I believe that we are all artists....That it is the soul's deep need to create. I love and appreciate so many of the arts, but I have found my passion through feltmaking. I have studied, and worked with numerous renowned felt artists and treasured friends from around the world. Feltmaking has truly opened windows to the world for me and I am grateful for this most wonderful opportunity." Dawn has taught extensively within the U.S. and also internationally. Her felt works have appeared in exhibitions, art shows, magazines and books. Dawn recently won the Mad Hatter's Society 3rd Annual Hatmaking Competition (2014) judged by Couture Milliner, Arturo Rios. Dawn and Nicola Brown of Ireland are the coordinators of ‘Felt United’, an international annual event celebrated on the first Saturday of October with the goal of connecting feltmakers around the globe.

Beth Marx

Beth Marx (felt artist & teacher at Studio 907 in Long Beach, CA). Studio 907, affectionately dubbed for its uptown address, is the colorful and cozy 1920's California bungalow where Beth Marx lives, designs and creates one-of-a-kind jewelry, accessories and wearable art. Beth finds balance working with hard metal and soft felt often creating a single piece using both medium like the etched metal closures on her nuno felted purses or the felted beads adorning her hand forged wire necklaces. Her process is organic and intuitive, allowing her creations to evolve like a collage. She repurposes cast-off items, integrating found and worn treasures into her work. Whether she is manipulating metal with hammer, anvil and fire to create a unique piece of Boho jewelry, or teasing wool fibers and fabric with water to create a piece of nuno felt, Beth’s style always exudes an earthy patina rich with tactile, textured layers.

Becky Utecht (feltmaker & teacher at River Oaks Farm & Studio in Mora, MN). Becky raises Bluefaced Leicester sheep and makes art in rural Mora, MN. After years of painting in oil, watercolor, and pastel, Becky discovered felting in 2006 and was immediately excited by its efficiency and potential as an art medium. Becky learned that the wool can be used like paint (oil and pastel) as well as like clay to create 2- and 3-D art. For Becky, felting is a fascinating process which combines her love of animals and nature with her passion for art. Using the wool from her own flock of sheep, Becky creates 2D and 3D felt art work. Her recent work includes a series of assemblage pieces utilizing found objects from her pasture walks and paper-transfer resist-dyed pieces of handmade felt. She also felts raw fleeces into rugs and lap blankets that look amazingly like tanned sheepskins – but are much kinder to the sheep! Becky finds satisfaction in using a renewable, sustainable, and ecologically friendly resource to create her art. Becky has studied felting with renowned felt makers from the US, Japan, Scotland, the Netherlands, and Canada. Her felt art work has been part of numerous shows, wool festivals, and has won fine art awards at the regional and state levels. It also was selected for inclusion in the recent book "500 Felt Objects: Creative Explorations of a Remarkable Material".  Becky is an experienced teacher who enjoys sharing the fun and magic of felting. 

Ruth Walker

Ruth Walker (feltmaker and teacher in Columbia, MO). In 1982 Ruth became entranced by the beauty of wool yarns in Navajo textiles from the 1800’s. She began working with wool in Canberra, Australia in the mid-1980s, and she was introduced to Beth Beede’s “hat on a ball” technique in 1992. She left her employment in medical school research labs at the University of Missouri in 2000 to work in her studio full time, and went on to sell her work through shops in the U.S., and later began directly selling to the public at major retail shows including the Philadelphia Museum of Art show, American Craft Council shows in Baltimore, St. Paul, and San Francisco, and wool market shows in Taos, NM and Estes Park, CO, among others. She has won many awards for her work, and has taught for the Mid-Atlantic Fiber Association conference, Napa Valley Weavers Guild, Midwest Felting Symposium, Fine Arts Dept at Southern Illinois U-Edwardsville, Bristol Gallery and Estes Park Wool Market in CO, Eureka Springs Art Guild in AR, and in her present home state of Missouri for the Craft Alliance in St. Louis and the Fine Arts Department at the U of MO-Columbia. She presently dyes, felts, teaches and launches off to shows from her home in Columbia, MO, where she is also one of five owners of Bluestem Missouri Crafts, a fine craft store established 1983. Ruth’s favorite activity is buying fleeces.

Jan Waller (feltmaker & teacher at Love.Make.Think. in Michigan.) Once upon a time I thought I would be a painter, so I went to art college and discovered I was more of a sculptor. I left art college and did all sorts of jobs -- I was an artist model, I worked in a foundry, I was an assistant to a fire eater, I worked in retail, as well as for the British government, and I did a lot of work with kids, and that led to teacher training. During the next 10 years, I worked as a teacher and raised a family. It was my husband who booked me a one-day felting class with Gillian Harris of GillianGladRag fame, and that is how I fell in love with this wonderful ancient craft. Since then I have lived in Australia, before moving to Michigan. These days I make felted wall hangings that I can sew into and add lots of embellishment. I really like making images of women and girls, and I love adding nature. I always wanted to be a painter and I think you could say I now paint in felt. I like to exhibit whenever I can and I sell my work through local galleries and art shows. My work has received recognition and prizes from the Plymouth Community Arts Council (2012, 2014), and Northville Art House (2012).

SCHEDULE

October 4-5, 2014 -- Eco-Printed Fantastic Felt Hats Workshop with Dawn Edwards (all levels)
October 10, 2014 -- Felt Birdhouse Workshop with Becky Utecht (all levels)
October 11, 2014 -- Raw Felted Locks Throw Pillow Workshop with Becky Utecht (all levels)

October 14-15, 2014 -- Felted Wool Locks Shawl Workshop with Robbin Firth (some felting experience necessary)

October 17-19, 2014 -- Seamless Nuno Felted Vest Workshop with Beth Marx  (some felting experience necessary)

October 24-25, 2014 -- Felted Landscape Workshop with Jan Waller (all levels)

October 27-28, 2014 -- Bag on a Ball Workshop with Ruth Walker (all levels)

October 29, 2014 -- Hat on a Ball Workshop with Ruth Walker (all levels)

REGISTRATION INFORMATION: Space at each workshop is limited, and reservations will be taken in the order registrations and payment are received. Payment in full is required to secure your spot. Lodging and meals are NOT included. Please note that we will be unable to offer refunds unless your spot can be filled by another student. Contact Robbin Firth at robbin@heartfeltsilks.com to obtain registration forms.

WORKSHOPS LOCATION: 401 Second St, Hudson, WI 54016 (Seasons on St. Croix Gallery).

HELPFUL TRAVEL LINKS: Closest airport is Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Area lodging is available at Comfort Suites (mention "Fabulous Fibre Month to receive a room rate of $90/night). Other lodging options are Holiday Inn Express & Suites and Super 8. Visit the Hudson Area Chamber of Commerce website to see a list of area attractions, and visit their office at 502 Second St to receive a special gift bag (mention that you are in town for Fabulous Fibre Month).

Eco-Printed Fantastic Felt Hats Workshop with Dawn Edwards

Eco-printed felt hat by Dawn Edwards

October 4-5, 2014 (2-day workshop)
Daily schedule: 9am-5pm, with a lunch break.
Cost per person: $250.00 (if paying by check) or $258.00 (if paying via PayPal)
Capacity: 10 students

Eco-printed felt hats by Dawn Edwards

About this Workshop: Combine felt, fashion, and nature in this hat-making class. On Day 1, we will create sculptural felt hats using a plastic resist and the wet-felting method. This is a great introduction to 3-D felting. The shape of this hat will allow ample room for your botanical printing to show, plus it's just a fun hat to wear. Scrunch it up or pull it down to cover your ears on those cold Minnesota winter mornings. We will finish the felting of our hats by the end of Day 1. The fun continues on Day 2 as we begin to bundle and eco-print our felted hats. Eco-printing or botanical printing refers to leaves and plant matter that print when bundled (wrapped around a twig) and simmered for a period of time. Eco-printing differs from ‘natural dyeing' in that while both use natural plant materials, natural dyeing more commonly results in a fabric being dyed in one particular color. With eco-printing, you will actually see the wonderful leaf prints on your piece, and some, such as Eucalyptus leaves, actually print in bright color.  After bundling and simmering our hats in the dye-pot, we will make felt flowers for embellishing your hats. What a treat opening the bundles will be. The rest of the afternoon will be spent blocking and shaping our hats.

This workshop is suitable for all levels.

NOTE: Materials and Equipment list will be emailed to you upon registration and payment.

Felt Birdhouse Workshop with Becky Utecht

October 10, 2014 (1-day workshop)

Daily schedule: 10am-5pm, with a lunch break
Cost per person: $110.00 (if paying by check) or $113.50 (if paying via PayPal)
Capacity: 12 students

About this Workshop: Make an environmentally friendly home for the feathered friends in your yard. Using wool and wet felting resist techniques, we will make an adorable little house that the wrens will snap up right away. We will embellish the birdhouses and attach a hanger. These functional birdhouses will last for many summers and are wonderful indoor decorations during the winter. Dress comfortably and be prepared to get a little wet and have fun!

This workshop is suitable for all levels.

Felt Birdhouse by Becky Utecht (note: needle-felted birds are the subject of another class)

Recent Birdhouse Workshop with Becky, her students, and their finished birdhouses

NOTE: Materials and Equipment list will be emailed to you upon registration and payment.

Raw Felted Locks Throw Pillow Workshop with Becky Utecht

October 11, 2014 (1-day workshop)
Daily schedule: 10am-5pm, with a lunch break
Cost per person: $110.00 (if paying by check) or $113.50 (if paying via PayPal)
Capacity: 12 students

Sheep from Becky Utecht's farm -- showing off their beautiful fleeces!

About this Workshop: Create a felted “sheepskin” throw pillow out of raw locks from your favorite sheep breed. This is an environmentally friendly and sheep-friendly way to create a faux sheepskin pillow. Depending upon the type of raw wool locks used, the pillow could be luxuriously soft and lustrous, or thick and dense, or anything in between! Students can choose to make a round, oval, square or rectangular pillow. We will be using wet felting techniques and because we are using raw wool locks, things will get messy, so dress comfortably in old clothes or bring an apron to protect your clothing. 

This workshop is suitable for all levels.

Sheep on Becky Utecht's farm

Becky Utecht's flock of sheep

NOTE: Materials and Equipment list will be emailed to you upon registration and payment.

Felted Wool Locks Shawl Workshop with Robbin Firth

Felted Locks Shawl by Robbin Firth

October 14-15, 2014 (2-day workshop)

Daily Schedule: 10am-5pm, with a lunch break
Cost per person: $225.00 (if paying by check) or $232.00 (if paying via PayPal)
Capacity: 12 students

About this Workshop: Robbin of HeartFelt Silks is offering a felted wool lock shawl workshop. Surround yourself with sumptuous merino wool and Wensleydale or Teeswater sheep wool locks. In this workshop you will create a one-of-a-kind, luxuriously beautiful shawl that combines merino and cleaned wool locks, using the Palm Washboard felting technique. This technique is easy on the body and eliminates strenuous rolling from the felting process. You will learn to use resists and how to layer the locks for a free-flowing and elegant look. The first day will consist of a detailed introduction to working with locks, as well as doing most of the shawl layout. On the second day, you will finish the layout and complete the felting stages using Palm Washboards (available from Robbin). At the end of the workshop, you will have a glamorous and unique shawl to take home and enjoy all fall and winter seasons.

Prior felting experience is necessary for this workshop. 

NOTE: Materials and Equipment list will be emailed to you upon registration and payment.

Seamless Nuno Felted Vest Workshop with Beth Marx

Nuno felted vest by Beth Marx

October 17-19, 2014 (3-day workshop)
Daily schedule: 9am-4pm, with a lunch break.
Cost per person: $425.00 (if paying by check) or $438.00 (if paying via PayPal)
Capacity: 12 students


About this Workshop: Take your felting to the next level with this intensive three-day workshop with Studio 907's Beth Marx. If you have always wanted to learn to make seamless felted garments that actually fit, understand how to use a resist, make your own patterns, and demystify shrinkage calculations, then this advanced workshop is for you. Beth’s simple method of calculating shrinkage makes it so easy that no one even has to use a calculator – students have commented that this alone is worth the price of admission.

Nuno felted vest by Beth Marx

Linda St. Angelo commented on Beth’s Studio 907 blog:

I was one of the lucky ladies to have participated in Beth's class and was able to come home with a lovely garment I made myself (with Beth's help of course). The class was extremely educational and for 3 days Beth was on the go bouncing from table to table helping each one of us as we yelled out her name~~which was frequent. Ha-ha. She explained it to us so well with her instructional sheets she had put together for each of her students. A few days later someone asked me if the class was worth taking and I said "Yes, definitely I would recommend this class to anyone who wants to learn how to work with a resist, or just meet some wonderful creative people through the class, and take it with a fabulous, generous and fun instructor who creates stunning apparel pieces that people are lucky enough to wear." Thanks so much, Beth!

Prior felting experience is necessary for this workshop.

NOTE: Materials and Equipment list will be emailed to you upon registration and payment.

Felted Landscape Workshop with Jan Waller

Felted Landscape by Jan Waller

October 24-25, 2014 (2-day workshop)

Daily schedule: 10am-5pm, with a lunch break.
Cost per person: $250.00 (if paying by check) or $258.00 (if paying via PayPal)
Capacity: 15 students

Felted Landscape by Jan Waller

About this Workshop: The process of making felt seems to naturally lend itself to creating images of nature. Very much like watercolor paints, the layering of different coloured roving can produce a beautiful spectrum of subtle colours and hues. Come and spend a day with Jan “painting” a landscape in felt – this is a great class for felt makers of all abilities and experience – when we paint with felt, we tend to break the rules a little – so beginners are very welcome! Jan will take you through the process of laying out a composition using roving to create a landscape which you will then felt into unwoven cloth. She will show you how adding other materials like silk, muslin, and yarn can add texture and light. On day 2 you will finish felting your work, and Jan will show you how she embellishes her work further with needle-felting and embroidery to add detail and create depth. Students are encouraged to bring an image as inspiration (a holiday photo, a drawing from a sketchbook, or an image that just speaks to you), or Jan will have on hand some source material to get the creativity flowing.

This workshop is suitable for all levels.

NOTE: Materials and Equipment list will be emailed to you upon registration and payment.

"Bag on a Ball" Felting Workshop with Ruth Walker

October 27-28, 2014 (2-day workshop)
Daily Schedule: 9:30am-5pm, with a lunch break.
Cost per person: $250.00 (if paying by check) or $258.00 (if paying via PayPal)
Capacity: 12 students

About this Workshop: Felting a purse can be a refreshingly short-term project, yielding something wonderful and unique in a couple of days. This is my adaptation of Beth Beede's "hat on a ball" (that is, Beth’s use of a three-dimensional resist), and as such can be done in the space of the kitchen sink and a spot of the counter top next to it, or about 1.25 metres of table space set up as if it’s pretending to be a double-basin sink. The papier mache' technique I’ve developed allows for a great deal of control in the placement of color and design, as well as dispensing with that pesky seam that you never wanted to be there. The Bag on a Ball workshop consists of a bag containing 3 integral pockets, combining 2-D and 3-D resists. We will also felt the cords from which to hang the bag, and complete the bag within the 2 days. Everyone will complete a bag and take it home to dry, and to enjoy forever.

This workshop is suitable for all levels.



NOTE: Materials and Equipment list will be emailed to you upon registration and payment.

"Hat on a Ball" Felting Workshop with Ruth Walker

October 29, 2014 (1-day workshop)
Daily Schedule: 9:30am-5pm, with a lunch break.
Cost per person: $125.00 (if paying by check) or $129.00 (if paying via PayPal)
Capacity: 12 students

About this Workshop: Felting a hat can be a refreshingly short-term project, yielding something wonderful and unique in a day . This is my adaptation of Beth Beede's "hat on a ball" (that is, Beth’s use of a three-dimensional resist), and as such can be done in the space of the kitchen sink and a spot of the counter top next to it, or about 1.25 metres of table space set up as if it’s pretending to be a double-basin sink. The papier mache' technique I have developed allows for a great deal of control in the placement of color and design, as well as dispensing with that pesky seam that you never wanted to be there. In the Hat on a Ball workshop you will felt a beret or cloche-type hat. Everyone will complete the hat and take it home to dry, and to enjoy forever.

This workshop is suitable for all levels.

NOTE: Materials and Equipment list will be emailed to you upon registration and payment.

IMPORTANT: For all FABULOUS FIBRE MONTH inquiries and for all workshop inquiries, contact the host, Robbin Firth, at Robbin@HeartFeltSilks.com.