This very informative course is packed with secrets that only real experts know. The new updated and upgraded version includes options for the less experienced and the advanced felters. This class is an excellent way to prepare for the Garment Making, Intermediate course.
Why don't I call this workshop "Felted Vest?" Because this is not a kit workshop for making a particular garment. In this instance, the vest will serve as an example for studying necessary techniques and nuances that will prevent mistakes in garment felting.
The information you will receive in PDF formatted tutorials is for your permanent use. It is based on years of my accumulated experience and practice in making clothing using nuno and other felting methods, all founded on professional knowledge as a designer, with skills acquired from the California College of the Arts in San Francisco. Of course, it is impossible to fit everything into a 9-week online course, but it is substantial enough to acquire various techniques and implement them. These will help you to create felted clothing professionally and beautifully.
This class is for people who have just begun creating clothing and those more seasoned who want to perfect their garments and find answers to questions they have from any prior experiments.
Besides detailed instructions, I included a lot of additional information, why's, and how-to's, which will help you understand the main principles of felting clothing and help you complete any project.
Throughout the nine weeks, we will study different layout types, learn about shrinkage ratios, and draft a felting pattern using just a few measurements. We will learn simple but effective decorative techniques, how to use directions of the fibers for the desired shape, fabric manipulations for surface textures, armhole perfection, edges, etc.
The lessons will require about 5-6 hours, on average, of studio work every week, and the amount of information would fit into a 10-day in-class workshop.
How the online classes work (FAQ): https://www.feuer-und-wasser.com/online-classes
List of supplies and materials
( Introduction to Felted Garment Making)
Supplies and tools:
• Table big enough to fit a large garment layout; it could be a big dining table or a couple of foldable tables. Remember that we are making the layout considering the shrinkage of the felted garment; the surface should fit twice as big as the regular size vest, flat and buttoned up
• Bubble wrap enough to cover the felting table, plus an additional piece about 3' X 3' ( or 1 m X 1 m)
• Resist material ( thick flexible plastic, bubble wrap, or white, soft and thin foam-like material used under laminate flooring), about 4 square meters
• Watering device (ball brauser), a squirt bottle of a choice
• Container for water/soap solution (small bucket)
• Natural liquid soap (clear, biodegradable, and eco-friendly dish soap is the best); your favorite soap bar as well, but we will mainly use water/soap solution
• Pool noodle, about 3' long
• Elastic ties for rolling (stockings or pantyhose)
• Window screen material (soft fiberglass mosquito screen material is ideal, a synthetic fabric shower curtain is okay); size from 1m X 1 m or bigger
• Two old bath towels
• Any favorite felting tools
• Good sharp scissors
• Small hand carder or metallic dog/cat brush
• Cheap grocery plastic bag
• Duct tape
• Ruler
• French Curve ruler
• Measuring tape
• Permanent marker
• Pencil and eraser
• Paper to draw a pattern
• Pen and notebook
• Calculator
• Large and sharp needle with a big eye
Materials:
• Merino wool tops (or roving), 18 - 19,5 micron is the best choice;
20 -21 micron is okay to use, but the garment will be a bit "hairier" and less soft;
700 g of the primary color;
400 g of three additional colors of your choice
• Plant fiber; such fiber is made from plants, processed into roving, and dyed.
150 g (about 3 meters/yards of roving);
Best options: Bamboo, Ramie (made from nettles), Tencel (Viscose in Europe, regenerated from wood cellulose). Please choose the color suitable for your palette but in contrast to the primary wool color. It's easier to control the layout's thickness and quality if you can clearly see the fibers on the surface.
• Silk fabric, dyed; 2 -3 momme, 5 meters (five and a half yards) if the width is about 1 meter;
I prefer and enjoy working with the rarified silk gauze (Margilan) from Uzbekistan. This silk is very soft, shiny, lightweight, great for nuno-felting, and easily manipulated into gorgeous surface effects. You can substitute this fabric with other loose-weave, lightweight silks, chiffon, or gauze.
• Scraps of colorful or printed loose-weave silks (chiffon kinds) for the surface embellishment
• Thin yarns (machine knitting, crocheting) for the hand top-stitched accents
• Two or three medium/large pretty buttons
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch with Katia at https://www.feuer-und-wasser.com/contact