Magpie Class Schedule

Welcome!

Upcoming classes at New England Felting Supply and Magpie Designs Felting Studio

All classes listed are scheduled to be held at the New England Felting Supply store in Easthampton, MA except for Felting Labs which will be held at the Magpie Studio in Belchertown, MA. (Directions for each location can be found at www.feltingsupply.com or www.magpiefelt.com.)

Register for NEFS classes by calling 413-527-1188 (Thurs – Sunday, 12-5) or email sales@feltingsupply.com and speak to Rory Valentine.

CLASS SCHEDULE

Coupeville, Washington

Coupeville Arts Center

Home Interiors: Felted Cobweb Curtains

June 20-23, 2008 9am – 4pm

During this four day workshop, we’ll design and felt a beautiful pair of lacy cobweb curtains for a special room in your home. Options include valences, café curtains (lower half), or two longer panels for doors, showers or long windows. Learning to make strong, consistently even cobweb felt requires patience and by the end of the class, you’ll possess the skill to make cobweb felt that will stand the test of time and be of high enough quality for the retail market. We’ll make cobweb by hand as well as with the help of grounded, water-safe palm sanders (ear protection is required for this noisy portion of the class). Students should have prior experience in wet felting.

Tuition: $460

Early Bird Tuition: $435 (cost of workshop if paid in full at least 3 months prior to scheduled start date)

Lab fee: $10 Materials fee: $50

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Society for Contemporary Craft

Felted Art Vests: Manipulations on the Nuno Felt Texture

July 14-18, 2008

In this week-long workshop, we'll be experimenting with exciting nuno felt textures using different types of wool, silk and cotton and merino wool. After a day or two of sampling, students will choose their favorite textures and begin to design a uniquely shaped vest made from undulating strips of the various felted fabrics. The last portion of the class will be spent sewing the strips into a shape based on a deep "V". Sewing machine experience is highly recommended, but participants will be able to hand stitch the vests if they are kept simple in design. Finishing touches such as rolled cording, baubles, etc. may also be added if desired. Open to any experience level, but knowledge of wet and/or nuno felting is helpful.

Tuition: $350

Workshop materials fee: $65 - $100

Also at the Society for Contemporary Craft in Pittsburgh:

Felting Open Studio

July 19, 2008 9am – 5pm

Do you have any half-finished, tired old felting projects that are in need of a make-over? Some things may simply need additional fulling while other projects will benefit from a complete overhaul! Bring your orphans to this one-day class where we'll look with fresh eyes as a group to unleash the fantastic, hidden art within them. Arrive ready to radically deconstruct and even trade bits of your work with others. Bring a few new things such as novelty yarn, metal findings or special threads. (Sewing machine is strongly recommended for reconstruction).

Tuition: $80 ($90 for nonmembers of the Society of Contemporary Craft)

Workshop materials fee: dependant on project

Easthampton, Massachusetts

New England Felting Supply

Felt + Sole

September 13-14, 2008 8:30am – 6pm

Shoemaker Sharon Raymond* and feltmaker Chris White have been collaborating and teaching felted shoe design since 2003. Join them for a 2-day intensive learning to make a specific type of durable felt to be cut and assembled into a fitted pair of shoes with rugged outdoor soles with black suede edging. Participants should have good hand strength and physical stamina since the emphasis of the workshop is on shoe construction which will require quite a bit of hand stitching. Also, participants should understand that they must be open to minor style changes during the individual fitting process. Custom colorways will be mixed from the wools provided in class and buttons, closures, etc. can be used to accent your shoe felts. Please register early so there is adequate time to make your soles before the workshop. Upon registration, we will ask you to send outlines of both feet made with a standard pencil held upright by a friend while you are standing on a piece of paper (one tracing per sheet of paper).

Please note: This workshop is designed for intermediate to advanced feltmakers and will involve some experimentation in custom fitting your first pair. This is an intensive (as opposed to the usual 3 day workshop), so the pace will be brisk on both days in order to complete the work. Contact with instructors is requested upon registration.

Tuition: $325, deposit $160 (non-refundable after August 8th)

Materials Fee: $70 (includes wool, soling, sewing materials)

* www.simpleshoemaking.com