Playing with Frogs

My neighbor, Betsy Bennett Stacey works for The Nature Museum at Grafton in Vermont as the Director Education, a sweet little museum, very active in the community, lots of school kids go there and do all sort of fun interactive events.  Betsy has been trying to "get me" to the museum to teach, and we have finally figured out what I will do as a small class, "Felted Frogs"!  It is serendipitous too, as their logo is a cute little frog and apparently they are launching an even newer froggie mascot.  So, I thought this would be fun and easy for youngsters and can be done in a 4 hour mini class.  The class will take place April 17th.  Look for it when my workshop page is launched later this week or weekend.

 

Playing with Shibori for a new class

I have decided to combine my love of traditional textiles, felt and dyeing all in the same class this coming year and will be playing with Shibori.  What is Shibori?  In simple terms Shibori is a traditional Japanese textile dyeing technique, where silk fabric is tied, folded, wrapped and and then dyed, traditionally in natural dyes, creating intricate detailed patterns.  The fabric for a traditional kimono would have taken a year to dye!  Someone learning the traditional art of Shibori would have interned for 13 years!  I started thinking again about shibori after I returned from teaching at Maiwa last month.  They focus on traditional textiles, and you can actually listen and watch a podcast given during the 2007 Symposium given by Jane Callender The Intimate Stitch: Blueleaf Shibori.

There are many fiber artists today using Shibori for wearable and decorative art , some are quite famous, and have worked for years perfecting their techniques, Carter Smith, Ana Lisa Hedstrom, Chad Alice Hagen to name a few.

As a studio artist and professional fiber artist, I like to keep myself fresh and excited.  For me, playing with new techniques (new for me) does just that!  I have not yet decided for the class whether I will do natural dyes or my bright acid dyes.  I plan on dyeing felt wool scarves, not silk fabric and am leaning towards natural dyes for something different in my studio.

Not many people know that I have been dyeing wool, since I was a teen.  When I was about 14 I took a course taught by Edna Blackburn, of Toronto, called Three Days in the Country.  We stayed in a camp type place for three days, and did nothing but spin and dye with natural dyes.  When I was 15 and 16 I got a job at the little textile craft shop that hosted Edna the year before.  The shop was called the Niddy Noddy, it's owner Irene Preston Miller, a pioneer in textile crafts in the states, my mentor and boss, said upon taking my little job, if you work here you have to learn how to do everything so you can help every customer who walks in the door.  When I was a bit more experienced, Irene taught me how to dye beautiful wool yarns for knitting.  She created variegated dyed yarns, unique at the time (early to mid 70's at the time)  I learned all about acid dying wool (and other fibers) from Irene.  I bought my first spinning wheel from Irene when I was 12 years old.  I had a school savings account from grade school, $80.00 saved over 8 years, when I graduated from 8th grade my parents said I could use that money for whatever I wanted, I went right down to The Niddy Noddy and bought a little Polish upright spinning wheel.

OK, I am back from reminiscing, so here are the beginnings of my playing with shibori...I tried the tying on a woolen fabric to practice.  And then dyeing in a batch of logwood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

T-B: a running stitch spiral; a pleat - tied from both sides; tiny ties; large circle - orderly pleats and tied at segments; large circle - pleats were twisted then randomly bound; the whole sampler pre-dye; the pot of logwood and the swatch.  The finished swatch below - I will play with more folding techniques and keep posting here.

By the way, there are very special tying, patterns with specific names, kind of like a traditional quilt block pattern.  We'll see how much I can learn on my own research!

Felt for Interiors in British Columbia

My trip to Maiwa in Vancouver BC is over, we have returned home from a great class and a stunning trip through the Canadian Rockies, and I now have a moment to think about how great this class was.  Firstly, the folks at Maiwa are spectacular.  The founder, Charllotte Kwon has quite a vision, and her textile connections around the world not only are creative and rich but her vision and partnerships are uniquely sustainable for those communities involved.  I would like to thank Anne Babchuk who moved and grooved everything so my being at Maiwa was seamless and perfection, Charllotte's daughter and son who were my video tech gurus and Tim, the master of ceremonies, who spins words like a chef stirs a pot.


I turned this Felt for Interiors class, which I had done once before for Felter's Fling, (in three days) into a four day class and with 15 students (Yes 15!)  There were folks from Vancouver, the Yukon, New Brunswick, and other parts of Canada and the States.  We used correidale fiber from roving so laying out our backgrounds was definitely more time consuming than in my classes where I use my dyed batting.  But the colors were great and the fiber makes for great heavy use fabrics.


The way I structure this class is so gently progressive.  Day One is Color Theory.  My style of Color Theory is approachable and intuitive, rather than scientific, and based on my many years in the textile industry as a colorist, designer and design director.  It builds from ones personal style and helps in identifying why certain colors work well together and others less so.  With six specific exercises and individual critiques (Think 6 x 15) everyone sees so many interpretations of color use.

Day two is pattern design, a little bit of the history of the use of pattern through the ages, and then getting into the nitty gritty of what it is to stylize and create stylized motifs as well as creating a dynamic and well balanced design or composition.  

 

We did a fun coloring exercise that played with the effects of making a design look different by changing the colors in each position, and then stepped into day three by designing 3 coordinated fabric designs.  The student's designs were rendered on paper for me to see and guide them in the best way to achieve their concept in felt, and the rest of the day was spent laying out their trio of fabrics.  

 

Day four was a frenzy of felting and a HUGE group critique at the end, where everyone enjoyed not only seeing their accomplishments but everyone elses.  I feel so proud to do this class, and can see even more time spent of each days' element! 

The final critique!  FABULOUS!! And also thanks to my Maiwa Angel, Jenny, you were a great right hand through the four days, and to Tom who came in on day four to make sure 15 students all had hands on attention for the critical felting day.

Art Is...You Cromwell CT

Well the studio was packed, bags of fiber filled to the gills, and boxes packed with kits for my three classes.  I taught Felted Flowers, Felt Fiber Collage and Felted Pouches.  I headed down the Interstate for Cromwell Connecticut and was on for three days straight!  This course event was a true gem.  Very unusual and the producers are indeed angels. Anyone interested in mixed media of fiber, paper and metal should definitely check out this event.  The gals who produce it theme it for each year, this year was Taking tea with Alice.  Alice in Wonderland.  I even designed a felted Tea Cup to teach but in the end that course was canceled, not enough students.

We felted all classes pool side!!  Talk about hot and steamy, well - really humid, though by the second day I did run out and buy a skirt and tank top to wear instead of jeans.Our first class Felt Flowers

everyone working on their flowers, we make the bits of felt first, the cut and shape, assemble then bead.

Day two was making POUCHES.  Fiber is laid out specially, the design is added on the surface the the pile is felted and shaped.

 

 

The Fiber Collage Class, the evening between the two day classes was fun too, take a gander at so much imagery and creativity, just a few of the creations:

 

 

 

And some Creativity in action shots!

 

 

Felt on the Cape

Look at what three beautiful creative and talented students did!

 

 

 

 

As I explain on the workshop description on my website, the Patterned Felt on the Cape is a 3 year long tradition.  I met Ginny Boylan about 4 years ago, she fell in love with me by stepping into a booth of my work at a show in Massachussets, and I could tell she and I were of like spirits.  BUT!  The moment I stepped into her studio and home I completely understood our connection.  Just so you understand more fully, she hosted me on this trip and I slept in their "Sunshine Suite".  Ginny is a decorative painter, mostly furniture, she gives classes on the Cape, and she will decorate just about anything.

The "Sunshine Suite"

Here's my fiber in her studio

coffee cups for Ginny's painty students

Her living room, new red walls and felt pillows made from our class 2 years ago!

 

Such beautiful attention to color and detail

Ginny's current seasonal project with for her Decorative Painting Class

So we also celebrated our birthdays during the class, Ginny's the day before and mine coming up.  As a treat Ginny made a very decadent cake, a  Chocolate Stout Cake whose recipe is from the Barrington Brewery, Great Barrington, MA

and then Nancy brought a plate of some very delicious ginger molasses cookies , all too very delicious

 

I love what Barbara wrote to us all when she got home, "Today I see my felted projects in a whole new light.... can see the progression and similarities of those done 2 years ago to today and must say that not only was the class extremely educational for me, the good company of so many Libras in one room  was wonderful for this pioneering, yet "following" Ram, AND the cookies and cake were sensational!!!"

 

and Nancy had some equally nice words to say, "Thanks for a fabulous day today!!! It’s a real luxury for me to have the entire day  to — create something I love, spend time with engaging and talented women and eat orgasmic chocolate cake!! Happy Birthday to you both and thank you again!!!!"  Ladies I hope you don't mind that I quoted you!  Thank you