2017 Nuno Felted Seamless Garment Workshop

STUDIO 907 - 2017 Nuno Felted Garment Workshop from Beth Marx on Vimeo.

Thirteen students came from near and far to attend Studio 907's February 2017 nuno felting seamless garment workshop in Southern California.  Experience ranged from students who had never made a felted garment to repeat students. The camaraderie among the group was terrific and most of us got together on Saturday evening to enjoy dinner at a local restaurant in Belmont Shore.  

The first of the four days was spent taking the train 50 minutes from Long Beach to downtown Los Angeles.  Once we departed the train, we walked the short distance to Beth's favorite fabric shops where the group had the opportunity to ooh & aah at all the silk fabric and then, with Beth's help if needed, coordinate colors and patterns and buy silk fabric (at excellent prices) not only for the workshop but also for their future felting projects.  After several hours of fabric shopping, we were ready to sit down and have a delicious lunch at a local Argentinean restaurant where the choices were plenty from burgers to empanadas to beautiful salads with salmon or ahi.  

The next three days were spent diligently working on the project.  I taught the students how to use one of their own garments to make a sized up pattern to account for shrinkage.  They were each given one of my "Easy Peasy Shrinkage Calculation Sheets" to make the calculations super easy; calculators are not even needed!  After that it was felting and fulling until they each finished their unique and beautiful creation.  On the last day we finished up with a photo shoot and critique. Everyone was in their element and glowing modeling their creation; I felt like a proud mama!

Kathy

Eva

Antoinette

Mary

Barbara

Deb

Vana

Lisa

Gayle

Pam

Peet

Barbara

Daveen

One-on-one vest class at Studio 907

Darling Julia from the Washington DC area found me on the Internet and made contact with me about taking a private one-on-one workshop.  She and her husband planned to be on vacation in California in October so we scheduled it during that time.

Julia arrived at my house, aka Studio 907, and we hit it off immediately.  It was like having a good friend coming over to hang out with on a Sunday afternoon. She was an experienced felter but had been struggling making garments.  I knew our time was going to be limited so I had suggested via our email conversations that we make a simple pull over top but Julia really wanted to learn to make a garment with an opening in the front.  I knew I would have to keep Julia on a tight schedule to complete the vest in one day and she not only met but exceeded my expectations.  She made an outstanding vest.  She was so proud of herself that she left my house in the late afternoon wearing the vest despite the 90 degree record heat!

Julia laying out the roving for the back of the vest.

Julia working on one side of the front of the vest.

Gorgeous colors and design.

The design of the back of the vest is complete.

Julia is rock and rolling.

Julia's reversible, seamless vest is a real work of art and fits her perfectly.  It is as beautiful on one side as the other.

If you are interested in a one-on-one workshop at Studio 907 in Long Beach, CA or interested in a group workshop, please send me a comment here or email me at:  bethmarx@me.com

Felted Vessels

These felted vessels are so fun to make.  Easy and quick for some immediate gratification, plus they can be made with a limited amount of space unlike the felted garments I've been making lately.  They're seamless and made using a resist so they're a great project if you're just learning to do seamless felting.  

I'm giving a vessel making class in Long Beach, CA

Tuesday evening, October 22, 2013, 5:30-9:30 p.m.

 Click HERE for more info.

Vessels made with merino wool and silk.

White merino roving with yarn embellishment.  Started with a 17" circle as my resist.

I named this vessel "Made with Heart".  I used Navajo Churro wool batts instead of merino roving per Sally Hall's recommendation.  I met Sally and her daughter Susan, both talented artists and owners of Spirited Hands in Tucson, AZ, at Jean Gauger's Portland workshop earlier this year.  I love the way the Navajo Churro felted and how substantial it was for the vessel.  Would be great for a purse, pillows, rugs and things where you need a more sturdy type of wool.

I added silk fabrics, vintage sari ribbons, wool yarn and even kelp that I picked up from the bottom of the Colorado Lagoon.  The lagoon has been fabulous to swim in on these hot late summer days that we've been experiencing lately, it's been bliss to cool off there.  Any what a sensation on my feet as I wade to shore through the soft, cool carpet of kelp.

Kelp I carried up from the bottom of the Colorado Lagoon - Long Beach, CA

I found the rusty metal piece on the side of the road on a recent hike in Catalina. Not sure what it was but figured it would make a good found object.  True to what I envisioned,  I incorporated it into the vessel with a felted cord on one side and a threaded piece of wire through a drilled hole on the other side.  A bead and resigned bezel with the word "heart" added the finishing touch.