I am flattered to find that I have quite a loyal group of ‘serial’ feltmakers, so I factor in days which involve more complex techniques.  Once you have learnt the basic methods of turning sheeps’ fleece into a robust & beautiful fabric using only soap and water, you will want to move on and make more intricate designs using different skills and techniques.  With feltmaking, you never stop learning – there is always more to experiment with.

Applique technique

Making more specific designs, rather than adding all your embellishments in one go before felting, involves the making of prefelted pieces which can then be cut up and used for layered effects, geometric patterns and appliqued designs.

Layered prefelts with embedded found objects

There is also a ‘cut & paste’ transfer technique which enables you to create all kinds of interesting embedded effects.

As always, it is fascinating to be part of a group workshop where so many ideas and different uses of colour emerge around the table.