Felted and Embellished Art

During this five week course in felted and embellished art, you will learn a range of wet and needle felting techniques as well as embroidery skills adding beads and stitches to create a unique piece of artwork!

Session One
There will be an introduction to the wet felting techniques with demonstrations. Everyone will make a small sample to learn how to lay out fibres and wet felt them. It can also be used as an opportunity to test out elements for your main piece.

Session Two
We will develop ideas and lay out designs in wool fibres in this session. Your tutor, Carol will look through your ideas, photos etc and be able to advise which designs will work well in felt and which techniques can be used. After a demonstration, you will lay out your wool fibres and yarns on pre-felt, which will be used to provide a stable foundation for your work.

Session Three
You can tweak your work, then we will use the wet felting technique to felt your artwork.

Session Four
We will look at your artwork and discuss which elements of your design you wish to add using the needle felting technique. Needle felting techniques will then be demonstrated to allow you to add your chosen details and embellishments to your piece. Your tutor will be on hand to give artistic advice as necessary and help with techniques as well.

Session Five
The session will start with a demonstration and you will produce samples of basic embroidery stitches. You will then get a chance to choose some beads from our growing stash. You can then consider how to use the stitches and the beads to embellish your work. The rest of the session will be spent adding the chosen details to your artwork.

This course is suitable for creative people who have little or no prior knowledge or experience of any of the techniques we will be using! Young adults aged 11 years and over can attend if accompanied by a participating adult.

You will be given all the materials and equipment you need to create a beautiful piece of art. Simply bring yourself, a smile and a good dose of creativity ready to produce your masterpiece. If you wish to bring some images of the sort of artwork you would like to create please feel free, otherwise don't worry as we have lots of books and ideas to share with you in the first session anyway.

If you have any pretty threads, beads or buttons you would like to include in your artwork please feel free to bring them along to the first session.

If you have any allergies or skin sensitivity please bring your own soap to the second session.

You will take home your samples and finished artwork, all your new skills.

The equipment you need to carry on needle felting is also yours to take home including a felting mat, felting needles, beading needle and embroidery needle to work on future pieces at home.

You will receive illustrated instructions on techniques covered during course to so that you can jog your memory at a later date should you get stuck.