Holiday Fiber Show and Sale ~ Sat., Dec. 6th from 10 am to 2 pm
The Great Hall, The Depot in Duluth, 506 W. Michigan, Duluth, MN
You don't need a spinning wheel to make your own yarn. I'll be showing folks how to spin wool using a drop spindle made from a cd disc and a stick. HEY, I first learned to make yarn using a potato and a pencil but, then became mesmerized by the meditative qualities of spinning fibers. (Everything snowballed from there for I now have more than a few spinning wheels.)
This free event provides other learning experiences as well. There will be opportunities for hands-on paper making, weaving and more! Bring the kids and the spouses. (Even disinterested spouses can enjoy the event for its holiday treats and hot drinks.) The Great Hall is a roomy, elegant place to wander around and play with fiber for a few hours. Hand-made holiday items will be for sale as well.
The Duluth Art Institute has invited me to lead a 3 session Needle Felting Class.
The Duluth Art Institute has invited me to lead a 3 session Needle Felting Class.
So let's make a woolen doll. Dates and times:
Tues., Dec. 9th from 6-9 pm:This class will be dedicated to creating the head of your doll character. We'll use sharp, barbed felting needles and various colors of wool to make everything from eyelids to ears. You get a couple of days off to continue the detail work at home before we next meet where...
Sat., Dec. 13th from 10 am-4 pm: We'll proceed from our work of the 9th and create the wire armature for the unique dolls we've begun. (Everyone will be pursuing their own individual character.) Learn to build a solid wire "skeleton" to suit your doll and then build the entire body of the piece using wool and felting needles. This is an interesting class as the process creates a piece that is hefty in your hand, sturdy, strong AND can be posed! Again, you'll have a couple of days off to continue building the body of your piece at home before our final class where...
Tues., Dec 16th from 6 pm-9pm: We'll meet one more time to really have fun. Learn to needle felt clothing, completely of wool, for your doll. A variety of embellishment techniques will be explored. (There's no dress code.) "Dressing" a doll is the perfect opportunity to incorporate your other talents. Enjoy beadwork? Like to knit, sew, crochet, tat, weave, wet felt? Why not add a touch of your own free-form work into the costume!
Tues., Dec. 9th from 6-9 pm:This class will be dedicated to creating the head of your doll character. We'll use sharp, barbed felting needles and various colors of wool to make everything from eyelids to ears. You get a couple of days off to continue the detail work at home before we next meet where...
Sat., Dec. 13th from 10 am-4 pm: We'll proceed from our work of the 9th and create the wire armature for the unique dolls we've begun. (Everyone will be pursuing their own individual character.) Learn to build a solid wire "skeleton" to suit your doll and then build the entire body of the piece using wool and felting needles. This is an interesting class as the process creates a piece that is hefty in your hand, sturdy, strong AND can be posed! Again, you'll have a couple of days off to continue building the body of your piece at home before our final class where...
Tues., Dec 16th from 6 pm-9pm: We'll meet one more time to really have fun. Learn to needle felt clothing, completely of wool, for your doll. A variety of embellishment techniques will be explored. (There's no dress code.) "Dressing" a doll is the perfect opportunity to incorporate your other talents. Enjoy beadwork? Like to knit, sew, crochet, tat, weave, wet felt? Why not add a touch of your own free-form work into the costume!
Making a solidly constructed doll of wool is a time-consuming endeavor. Each character is an adventure in itself. You can put many hours into a well-constructed piece but, when you're done you just might feel as though you've finished reading a good book, a little sad that the adventure is over. I say to counter that bittersweet feeling simply immediately start creating a new doll.
(Before you know what has happened you'll be as addicted to it all as I am.)
This site will give you the registration info:http://www.duluthartinstitute.org/html/education_classes.html
