2009 Workshops
click on course name to see more details
These workshops will be held at the Guild and will run from 10am to 3pm.
Download an Enrolment Form here.
If you are not a member and would like to join, download a Membership Application Form here.
Sue Hilton
Come along and felt a small belt bag, an evening clutch purse, a mobile phone bag or a little bag to carry your coffee cup in to the Guild using a “resist”.
This technique is used to construct bags, which do not require sewing up of seams. After working through this method you will be able to reproduce it on a larger scale to felt strong bags large enough to transport much of your textile passions. If you are a weaver or spinner you can bring along all of your offcut pieces and small leftover skeins or textured art yarns as these make great embellishments on your project.
Once you have mastered felting using a “resist” you can make hats and seamless garments. The sky is the limit!
Sue Hilton has been a spinner and knitter for 25 years and a felter for 10 years. She enjoys using fibre from her own sheep when possible. The breeds of her sheep include Border Leicester, English Leicester and a merino X. All sheep are coated to protect their fleece from weather,burrs and grasses.
A bungalow on her property where she does much of her felting is a regular meeting place for like-minded friends who share new and old techniques. Sue first ended up at the “front end “of a workshop when she was called in an emergency to take over a “nuno felting” workshop as the tutor was involved in the Bairnsdale fires. After enjoying this experience she is back again to share with you her techniques of felting a small bag.
Sculptural Felting
Explore another dimension in Feltmaking; the art of sculptural 3D works using wool, other fibres and found objects to create shaped vessels, practical items, or artistic/decorative interior pieces of your choice.
Marion Dawson resides in East Gippsland, Victoria, gaining much of her inspiration from this beautiful part of Australia. She has been fortunate to study with many International and Australian Textile Artists.
A Feltmaker and Textile Artist for over twelve years she has a keen interest in the Arts. Her work is shown in many States throughout Australia, including the Melbourne and Sydney Convention Centres, the Australian Sheep and Wool Show, T’arts Sth.Australia, “East Gippsland on Show”, selected Boutiques and Galleries.
Marion's work is individual, often feminine and sensual. The use of natural fibres is evident, in particular sheer fabrics combined with wool, silk, alpaca and found objects. A variety of works are created including fashion garments under the "Felt Directions" and "Wearable Art Australia" labels; hats, bags and other accessories, fabric lengths, interior pieces, rugs and sculptural forms.
Marion enjoys Teaching on a regular basis, coordinates and participates regularly in Exhibitions, which has included Queens Hall, Parliament House, Melbourne in 2002.
Garments created are unique in design giving individuality and enjoyment
Needle Felting
This is a wonderful opportunity to work with Jenny Romano, who has had 36 years teaching experience in various fields. She is now teaching in the area she loves the most – the arts. After dabbling in almost every field you can think of, watercolours, oil painting, pottery, fabric painting, murals, theatre sets, quilting, sewing, Jenny is now a doll artist, using polymer clay and the needlefelting she will be presenting with us.
The first day’s workshop will involve making a Cone Pixie Character (similar to the photo below). Using a felting needle and assorted carded fleece, students will create their own unique character face.
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On day two, participants will extend their skills to make Cone Critters. They will form a cone shape from core fibre (any coarse wool sliver) and build an animal of their choice, such as a rabbit, a donkey, or a kangaroo – your choice. Students will then needlefelt coloured fleece onto the core fibre cone and learn how to add the features. A delightful example of Jenny’s work is at the guild office if you want to check it out.
Finding Felt
The aim of this workshop is to help those who have not yet discovered felt (absolute beginners) to learn how to make a white nunofelted scarf. This will also be suitable for use in the Botanical Dyeing workshop at Summer School, which has a white nunofelted scarf as a prerequisite. Instructions for mordanting your scarf, ready for the Botanical Dyeing workshop, will also be given at Helen’s workshop. Other examples of nunofelting will be be shown at the workshop to further inspire more projects.
So if you’ve always wanted to learn how to felt, right from the start, this is your chance to learn at last. If you are planning on doing the Summer School workshop, this workshop will enable you to have your scarf ready; if not, you’ll have a beautifully light scarf ready for instant use.
Workshops held so far in 2009...
Annet Brink
Tutor background, experience and interests
Annet learned to spin with The Guild back in 1980 and has been happily spinning, knitting and recently crocheting as well. A few years ago she did the “spinning fine merino and lace knitting” workshops with Margaret Stove. Since then Annet has always had some kind of lace project on the go, be it from an existing pattern, dreaming up some design of her own or adjusting a pattern to suit a particular requirement. She has shared what she learned with friends and also at her local spinning group in Pascoe Vale. Annet has various craft interests and often incorporate beads in some way or another as well.
A Hole Heap of Fun: Knitted Lace Made Easy
The workshop will cover the basics of lace knitting and knitted lace. It will show participants how to design and create a simple pattern using graph paper. It will give people an understanding of how the difference in knitting stiches affects the difference in the look of the knitted fabric. People will knit a small sample of knitted lace and one of lace knitting.
Art Yarns
This workshop, with Janet Knoop, is where you will learn how to make yarns that are unlike others you’ve seen. You can check out Janet’s work in the Guild's gallery – if her skeins haven’t been snapped up! A Booking Sheet for this workshop will be open in the Guild office if you want to get in early. Registration forms will be at the Guild office and later in Treadles.
Autumn Twist |
Fuchsia |
Spring Days |
Sock Knitting All Round
This workshop, with Carmel Hanna, aimed to give participants the skills and confidence to make socks with 2 or 4 or 5 needles, or one or two circulars. It covered everything you need to know to make your own hand-knit socks.
Steeking
In knitting, steeking is a shortcut used to knit things like sweaters in the round without interruption for openings or sleeves until the end. After completing a tube, a straight line is cut along the center of a column of stitches, in order to make room for an opening or place to attach another piece. The steek itself is a bridge of extra stitches, in which the cut is made, and is usually 6-10 stitches wide. This technique was developed by the knitters of the Shetland archipelago and is particularly associated with Fair Isle sweaters, although it can be used for solid colors as well.
After the steek is cut, the edges are tacked down on the wrong side of the fabric in order to create a neat finishing. The stitches can also be picked up and knit from, for example, to create a sleeve. Alternatively, a sleeve can be made separately and sewn onto the steek. After the garment with a steek has been worn and washed a few times, the facings will full and become durable finishes on the inside of the garment.
Steeks can be used for front openings (such as on a cardigan), armholes, or necklines. It has several advantages: For many knitters, faster at knitting than purling, it goes faster, and allows one to work with the right side of the fabric facing them all the time, and thus follow an intricate pattern more easily. It is also easier to maintain an even tension and, as the color changes can be hidden, there are fewer ends to weave in.
In general, there is little risk of unravelling the sweater with a steek cut, as knit stitches are unlikely to unravel from side to side. They can be further strengthened by using a sticky hairy animal yarn (Shetland wool, the traditional choice, is a good example), and using frequent color changes (such as a 1x1 rib or a check pattern) to secure the yarn. In addition, the sides of the steek can be reinforced by crocheting or sewing.
Students will need to make a sample prior to the workshop and instructions will be given after enrolment.
Review of Workshops held during 2008
Finishing Techniques in Knitting
This workshop was aimed at giving participants the skills to properly finish garments and other knitted items. It covered such aspects as alternate methods of casting on and casting off and their appropriate usages; picking up around necklines and a variety of seaming techniques.
Dolores Anderson |
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demonstrating... |
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...how it's done! |
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Coiled Spun Baskets and Placemats
This workshop, with Janet Knoop, was all about making fabulous baskets or placemats from handspun yarns.
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