A Busy August- Fine Felt Stoles

Jackie Jo and Dianne wearing their stoles on Gala night
Sally and Barbara wearing their stoles on Gala Night

I can't believe how long it has been since I blogged!

Since the last post I have taught at the Association of Weavers Spinners and Dyers Summers School at Lincoln. This was a fantastic experience. The students on the course started with 18.5 micron white merino, silk fibres and fabrics and dyed them with extracts of natural dyes in the first day and half,then started exploring how to make fine felt, a half day learning in different ways to make felt and fabric brooches. Then started making a fine stole- a formidable undertaking that took them twelve hours of very hard work. Felting with two fine layers of this fine merino sandwiched between two fine pieces of plastic sheeting to start with is an amazing experience as the fibres transform from two layers of wool to a piece of fabric with a fine fold and drape. The students worked hard starting on the felting days at 8am and some went onto to 10pm.

What has been such an exciting experience for me was that as all the students knew about natural dyeing and had in all cases done some felting and in most cases done a lot it turned into a master class and that was a quite fantastic experience for me to teach especially so as all had good design skills too and colour sense so you will not be surprised to hear that the resulting stoles were quite outstanding. as indeed you can see- we all wore them on the last gala night
Classroom



Classroom from the other end
Fibres dyed with extract dyes hanging up to dry
The first of two layers being put down



Two layers ready tobe wetted out.




On the last day students put up an exhibition of their work samples and finished pieces
EvelynGillAnthea
Jill

Dianne
Barb
Amanda
Ann
Ineke
Jo
Carole
Myra
All of the students.
Welcme to the new followers-how I wish some of would stop by and say hello.