ExTex 5th Weekend - Constructed Textiles - 15th/16th September part 1

 Jo's beautiful weaving sample.

 This will be the first of two posts.
 It may have been a little optimistic to think I could teach feltmaking, weaving, metal shim manipulation and finger knitting on one weekend and have the students develop a considered sample. 
When you write a course and then break it down into the teaching hours, it works in your head - but not necessarily in practise. To be fair I knew all but one or two of the group had felted and woven before and we were only going spend the morning going over the principles of the processes. I didn't however take into consideration how the group would grab each process and devour it!! They are such a FAB group - up for anything and ready to get involved in anything I suggest. The idea of the weekend was to look at constructed textile processes ie weaving, felting and knitting and also look at constructed as in 3D.

 We ended up making small felt vessels/bowls in the morning as most of the group had made flat felt before but not 3D felt. Several lovely little vessels were made but I don't seem to have images of them. GGGgrr!!! I must concentrate more and enjoy myself less.


 Liz's Fab little bowl.
 
 
 2 pieces of flat felt by Claire - she also made a bowl!!

 

 Emma made these gorgeous samples and enjoyed stitching into them.

After lunch we attacked weaving - when I say attacked, I mean attacked. The whole point of the weekend was to show that you could get great results with very low tech processes. The weaving was very low tech, we made looms out of card and wove with whatever the group had brought into share. They produced some lovely samples.

 Tracey working on her first sample, she created at least three!

 This was one of Tracey's samples using plastics, paper and malibu feather trim - Fab!

 Shaun decided to weave into cardboard packaging supported on a card loom.

 to be continued . . .
 
 Jo sorting out her yarns and loom for the sample at the top of the post.

 Heidi wove with wool tops and then went home and tacked up the sample in calico and popped it into the washing machine - I of course forgot to take a photo of the finished shrunk piece. The washing machine method is one of my favourite ways of felting. I just hate all the tacking and taking out of tacking.

 I think this was Claire's . . every one was teasing her about using green - again!

Who's was this one???? Emma?

 This was Liz's sample - lots of gorgeous texture.
  


It it always very satisfying to teach a group that are so keen to play - because that is what it is all about, taking time to play - to see will happen. It can be hard to work with a process and not know what the end result will be - it can be a great leap of faith. I was very pleased with the girls created on the first day and the next day they . . . . . . .  . .  to be continued! x

Comments

  1. Unknown18 September 2012 at 19:47

    Wow, what a gorgeous set of examples they made.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kim Thittichai18 September 2012 at 20:30

    Thanks Carolyn, they did work hard - wait til you see what they got up to on Sunday. Will post again tomorrow. x

    ReplyDelete

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