Art Therapy, Well-Being centre

[lyn]

I love the colours and embellishments in the felt!

Marilyn's idea of a translating app is good.

This is turning out to be so much more than just a group of people getting together to felt isn't it? You should be proud of that Zed.

Regional accents are wonderful - long may they thrive.

[Teri Berry]

I'm impressed with your language skills Zed, most Brits don't even try That said I tried to teach myself some Spanish a few years ag and now I can't seem to manage even a fractured sentence in French without Spanish sneaking in.

Was the wool that separated laid out thickly? I'm imagining ropes of roving sliding over each other as she rolled. I can only suggest making the layers as thin as possible and gently rubbing through thin plastic for a few minutes before rolling...

Let us know how she gets on next time

[zed]

Thanks, everyone

The layer which separated was one of the blends I made from donated wool, lots of people have used them before, it was pretty much the last lot of it. And like many people new to felting, she pulled the blended wool tops off a lot easier than the commercial ones, and laid out a nice even layer. It's possible the next layer of commercial tops was too thick/compact, but I've seen loads of new felters over the last 6 months or so, and even the worst uneven layouts with clumps of wool tops have produced a decent piece of felt at the end.
There's one lady who just sits and strokes her pieces from the centre outwards, and still gets a really good piece.

I'm going to try and do a simple guide, and hopefully google translate will help, and I'll search for useful phrases.
I'll have to ask at the centre if anyone has a phone to get an app on, she's starting ESOL language classes this week too.

[zed]

There have been big changes at the centre over the new year. The two ladies who ran the sewing groups have left to go to a new centre (one ran the afternoon sewing group which joined with the craft group for about 8 weeks for felting, then became the felting group) and the lady who ran the craft group has left.

I was asked to stay on and continue felting, but I was already asked to go and do felting at the new centre. (it's the same organisation, different location).

The new place, The Coppice, hasn't got any classes in place yet as far as I know and we need to work out days etc, order supplies etc. They want something more structured though, and want people to do the whole course, which makes it much easier.

The old place, Old Trafford, is a lot more casual, it's been going a long time, people drop in when they can, and don't mind what they do, and some don't do anything, just come to chat.

I think I'm going to have to say that if people are seriously interested I can work out a series of 6-8 week courses designed for progressing over the year, and maybe do them alternately at each centre. And if the Old Trafford one is going to stay casual hopefully the regulars will help out with casual drop ins and new people.

I don't want to abandon anyone at the O/T centre, but it is very tiring teaching it new each week, coming up with something new for regulars and everyone being at different stages, needing different help, especially on my own.

[lyn]

I understand your loyalty to the old place, but you have to consider yourself and it sounds as though transferring to the new place completely would be more suitable?

[zed]

That was my intention when they asked me because I was so ill the first 6 or 8 weeks of doing it, but then when the groups split up again, there was one week when no one showed to do felting.

But then one of the regulars from the group and a manager asked me if I'd please stay, and I could change the day and they had money etc.

I'll have to talk to them this week. I know even some of the ones who weren't overly keen on felting were really pleased with things they made from it, so maybe they'd prefer something which wasn't every week. I think originally they tried to learn lots of new crafts over time.

[luvswool and dyestuff]

This sounds like a wonderful opportunity for you, Zed! I hope you can find a way to do both, perhaps less frequently at the old place. Would there be someone you might train to take your place eventually? Not that they could attain your level of expertise…but it would be good to know someone could carry on with the felting as needed.

What class might you be teaching at the new place? Please keep us posted!

[zed]

Thanks, Cathy

I think there are quite a few there who could easily just get on with it without me, within a few weeks some of them were making two pieces within the two hours.

I think now they have a better idea of the versatility and possibilities of felt, it'll be easier to get more definite answers about what they want to learn.

Or maybe they'd just prefer to drop in and out of each course as it takes their fancy. Or have it on a different day to do both.

I'm guessing that the classes at The Coppice will be two hours long aswell, so any of the courses will have to go from beginner to making something in two hours over 6 weeks.

We thought the first one could be to make a small book cover (or coin purse, little pencil/make up case type thing) I've thought over what we've done previously and I think keeping each week simple, limit choices, and introducing a new element might work best. So something like:

Week 1: Make a small (8 x 8") piece of felt, limit it to two colours and a few embellishment fibres. I'll have to demo layout and felting so that cuts time down.

Week 2: Medium piece (9 x 9") still keep it simple, either 3 or 4 colours kind of patchwork thing, or a simple 'landscape' ie blue at the top, green at the bottom and using wool to do a few flowers. It's amazing how engrossed in adding detail to the layout people get though, so I will do samples for all these.

Week 3: Medium, fabric strips and art yarns sampler

Week 4: Large (10 x 10") last practise piece before the final piece, any fabrics, embellishments, yarns etc.

Week 5: Piece big enough to make book cover/purse/glasses case/pencil case etc

Week 6: sewing up the piece

If it's 8 weeks, I think it'd be a good idea to start with flower brooches, everyone loved those and doing a finer wispy layout helps getting used to controling the wool tops, and do a similar thing the next week but a flat decorative piece, cobwebby and fine to work on building layers.

[Pandagirl]

I think this. Sounds like a good plan to offer specifics otherwise people may not have the incentive to make the time. It may also give them more creative ideas to work out before hand. Good luck. Let us know how it works out.

[MTRuth]

Perhaps at the old place you could just have drop in felting hour? Then if someone was new, you could show them the basics and the others could do what they wanted. If they needed a little instruction, then they could come to you with questions or ideas and you could direct them to where they might find a tutorial online or you could work out a specific day that you would teach them something specific?

I think the planned course for the new place is a good idea. Put out the information in advance so that people can see if they wanted to participate.

Good luck!

[Deleted]

Hello Zed. I have missed much with your time teaching. It sounds like you have taught many and everyone has been happy with their projects... Congratulation on now having 2 places to teach... I think it will be good for you to have 2 venues.. I am very happy to hear all your good news... I am sure the center, the students and you will all be a team for a long time.

[zed]

Thanks, Marilyn, Ruth and Judy

I hope it turns into something like you suggested, Ruth. It was so unstructured previously and we did wing it a lot of the time, depending who turned up. So some people did almost all the weeks and some did 2 or 3, and even though everyone made good pieces, I think most don't know why or how they turned out like that, so no real ggod basic knowledge to build on.

It might be a case of 'starting again' for that to become a reality.

I'm going to work on a few more ideas today and take them in tommorrow.

[zed]

Another thing I thought I'd mention, I'm going to structure the courses so people are learning for themselves. I'm not just going to give all the answers. For example when we do fabrics, let them know that the way you find out whether something will work or not is by trying it.

I see people on Facebook who use the wet felting or nuno/wet felting group as if it's free instructions and just say 'how do you make this?' on things that take most people a couple of years learning to work up to.

[luvswool and dyestuff]

That’s a really good idea, Zed, to put folks in charge of their own learning. We all know that we learn best by doing, and experimenting and sampling are key in felting.
There should be a balance in teaching, and one of the trickiest skills is to teach just enough but not all... Knowing when to wait, instead of jumping in. “Have you tried it this way?” instead of “here, do it my way.”

As for those who are just looking for free instructions--in my opinion--they learn very little.

[koffipot]

Jan 5, 2016 13:11:19 GMT zed said:

Another thing I thought I'd mention, I'm going to structure the courses so people are learning for themselves. I'm not just going to give all the answers. For example when we do fabrics, let them know that the way you find out whether something will work or not is by trying it.

I see people on Facebook who use the wet felting or nuno/wet felting group as if it's free instructions and just say 'how do you make this?' on things that take most people a couple of years learning to work up to.

A good plan zed. Once they have the basics, learning by experimenting is the best way. The new centre sounds good.

Keep up the good work with the French - as they say; use it or lose it. It will start to come back with practice.

Bonne feutrage!