I slept like a baby last night having got home after three very busy, and very enjoyable, days at the Quilters Guild AGM. The event was held on the Jubilee Campus at Nottingham University and attended by approximately 450 enthusiastic quilters. Over the three days participants had the choice to be entertained, and educated, by hour long lectures, half hour mini workshops and demonstrations, half day workshops and full day workshops. There were several traders, a wonderful selection of second hand books at massively discounted prices, a raffle, tombola and exhibitions.
On the Friday morning I gave an illustrated talk entitled “My F-Plan Diet……Fabric, Fibre & Felting” all about how I was introduced to Textile Art and Feltmaking back in 2014 and how my work has progressed, up to present day. I featured a number of pieces to look at in detail, explaining the background to the design process and the materials used.
In the afternoon The Guild held what they call the “Carousel”. This involved four tutors, each in a separate part of the room, demonstrating a particular technique. I called my sessions The Half Hour Flower and at the end of each half hour period and bell was rung and the participants swapped to a different tutor…..it was like speed dating for crafters!
With this being a “quilters” event, and with all the other guest tutors being textile artists, I felt privileged that the organisers had invited me specifically to teach and promote Feltmaking. On Saturday I had a class of 14 students making wet felted “Landscape” themed pictures, several were trying out wet felting for the very first time. The ladies each brought an image they wanted to create and we began by looking at how they could interpret the various shapes and textures in their design using fibre. Some students incorporated prefelts and everyone had time to do a little needle felting if they chose to, to begin to add the finer detail. The variety and quality of work produced in such a short time was amazing! Being quilters I think everyone was intending to add free motion stitch or hand stitching to their work once they got it home so I’m really hoping I get sent some images of the finished work.
Andrea was an absolute beginner! 
Andrea’s work in progress
Victoria begins to needle felt the detail 
Mick adds detail with needle felting
Fantastic work all round from Saturday’s class!
On Sunday I had a class of six ladies making Wet Felted Bowls. We began by discussing the different fibre layouts that can be used to affect the shape and structure of 3D objects as well as how we can create interesting shapes using prefelts and differential shrinkage. The ladies each chose a style they wanted to create from my examples shown below and, as you will see, the results were terrific!
Multiple bowls 
Bowl within a bowl 
Basic bowl 
Differential shrinkage 
Flat bowl with cut-outs 
Raised surface design
Lynn, Sue & Rowena 
Hannah, Jane & Tina
Lynn’s work in progress 
Rowena’s bowl with floral lid
The finished bowls 
It was a great weekend and I got to meet, chat and work with some lovely ladies. I would just like to thank all my students for being so enthusiastic and working so hard! Thanks also to the Region 10 Committee for inviting me to be a part of it and hope to work with you again in the future.
Lincs In Stitches 
The bowls look amazing!! I have only just started making bowls. Unfortunately there isn’t much on the internet or in books or youtube on how to make them. I live in the south UK. Do you ever get down this way to do classes? Also, how do you get the bowl in the bowl look? Do you use small resists inbetween the different colors?
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You got it in one Arlene! Yes, the bowl within a bowl is an illusion created using disc shaped resists between the different coloured layers. I don’t have any bookings in the south of England but would love the opportunity to come down and teach so if you know of any groups that might be interested please pass on my website details!
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Thanks Karen! I have been experimenting in my limited free time, but it is also good to learn from others when possible! I might get up north sometime!
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You may want to check out Rosiepinks tutorial here: https://rosiepink.typepad.co.uk/rosiepink/tutorial-how-to-make-a-wet-felted-pod.html
It’s an excellent tutorial. Have fun!
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I’m not surprised you slept like a baby after all that teaching and talking. Thanks for the vivid descriptions and photos.
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It’s made me realise I need to improve my fitness levels Mariss!
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It sounds like you enjoyed the event and, looking at the fabulous results, you gave much enthusiasm and confidence to your ‘students’. The road to the east is also the road to the west….it is the same with enthusiasm!
Speed crafting is a whole new idea to me – the word that comes to mind for a tutor in such activity….exhausting. No wonder you slept well.
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I’ve not heard that “east/west” saying before Antje, I like it!
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That all looks amazing and I absolutely love the speed crafting idea!
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It was fun…..I’ve never made flowers so fast before!
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What amazing results for all who participated. What fun you all had.
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The ladies did some wonderful work Sharon and I’m looking forward to seeing some of the finished pieces…..if only as photos.
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It’s amazing what an enthusiastic group of creative people can produce in a short time! The photos show wonderful work.
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I think you’ve hit the nail on the head…..without the enthusiasm it’s too easy to give up but with it we can achieve almost anything!
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Wonderful creations! Kudos to you and your students.
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Thanks Marilyn…..they were a great bunch to work with!
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It sounds like a wonderful way to spend a long weekend. Your classes and demos look like they were enjoyed. Great results as usual 🙂
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Yes, it was tiring but a lot of fun Ruth. I am hoping to do more residential weekends like that in the future.
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