one-day course felt making

venue: Low Luckens Farm, Cumbria

Spend the day at Low Luckens organic farm with Jan Hicks, an experienced tutor and felt maker. Course participants will look at different fleeces and consider why wool felts, moving on to produce a simple piece of flat felt.  Participants will be using washed fleece, but we will cover how to prepare a fleece to be ready for use.

Once the basic techniques have been mastered, participants will create half-felts for decoration, and add other fibres and fabrics.  Together participants will explore ways of creating 3-D hollow forms such as vessels and small bags, and felting onto open-weave fabrics (nuno felt).

Participants will be encouraged to try different fleeces to see how they felt and to try hand-teasing and carding fleece. There will also be the option of making felt using prepared and dyed wool (tops). Washed fleece & wool tops will be available to buy.

Beginners are very welcome, as are those with some experience who want to learn new techniques or just spend a day felt making.  All methods will be demonstrated and tuition will be as individual as possible.

Bring loosely woven fabrics such as muslin or chiffon or scraps of lace to incorporate, and a selection of threads and yarns and scissors.  You will also need a couple of old towels, a bar of soap, a water spray or plastic milk bottle with holes in the lid and plastic bags to take wet things home in.

If you have them, please bring a bamboo roller blind or a large piece of bubble wrap (or both), and old net curtain or similar. The tutor will have some available for loan, so don’t go out and buy anything especially for the class!

Accommodation is available at Low Luckens from £12-15 per night, please enquire at the time of booking. Courses must be booked beforehand; accommodation can be paid on arrival.

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