Photos from our Glenroy Retreat in November

Ralda Williamson preparing our felt pieces to be made in to nearly 100 folded cases for storing needles.  These will be given away at the 2017 Creative Fibre Festival which is to be held in Christchurch. 

Sue Hammersley with her new friend

We made a felted banner to display outside our felting day meetings.

Glenroy Retreat

We are all looking forward to our annual retreat at Glenroy, the weekend after next.  There are still a couple of places left, Contact Victoria Haliday or Lynette Hartley.

November Woofun

Rpwena has emailed to invite Southern Felters members to "woolfun".  November 14th Saturday (Every second Saturday of the month) any time between 10am and 4pm. Bring your current woolly project and enjoy time with like minded crafty people.  Morning and afternoon tea provided for koha.  Mary is hosting in Doris Fagan Lane, Church Bay. Ph.3294906.  Message from Rowena MacGill, Bergli Farm, 265 Charteris Bay Road, Teddington.R.D.1 Lyttelton, 8971 New Zealand Ph & Fax 64-3-3299118

Summary of Southern Felters activities over the last few months

Southern Felters: At the end of September five members of the Southern Felters Group made the trip up to Auckland to attend the Southern Hemispheres Feltmakers Convergence in Parnell. Four days of fantastic felting fun, excellent workshops, felting displays/exhibition and traders selling fibre and felting related goodness. There were 136 felters mainly from NZ and Australia but some other countries as well. I thought it was very well run, credit to the Auckland team that organised it. I particularly enjoyed the International Canadian tutor, Fiona Duthies, workshops.

October 3^rd was the last meeting of the year held at Halswell Hall for the Southern Felters group. It was timed to coincide with International Felt United Day http://www.feltunited.com/ There were 7 felters there for the day and several others who stopped in. Sadly a couple of us were still travelling back from the Convergance, but from all accounts the day went well. Our blog has been updated with some photos of the Convergence, info on upcoming events. Several of our group are helping at the Textile and Fibre Network Exhibition and we have plans to perhaps have a stall at the Halswell Market to sell members items and promote the Southern Felters group.The dates for the 2016 felting days at  Halswell Hall are also listed on the Blog. We welcome new people to our felting days which are very informal. We have no tuition but bring our own projects to do. There is a $10 door charge to cover the hall hire.

Southern Hemisphere Feltmakers Convergence 2015

Fond memories of the great time we had at the 2015 Southern Hemisphere Feltmakers Convergence in Auckland earlier this month.  Fiona Duthie, from Canada, was a very generous tutor who offered well-structured workshops with themes.  Each morning 136 of us gathered in the neighboring Parnell School hall for one of Fiona's workshops.  The first was about ‘’Tactile metaphors’ (inserting our own narratives into our work) and this was followed by ‘Sculptural vessels’, ‘Nuno Inclusions’, ‘Design is fun, not scary’, ‘Composition in feltmaking’ and finally ‘Felting over the edge’.  Fiona was very generous in her approach and each morning was packed full of new ideas for us.  The rest of the day was full of lectures by other Convergence attendees offering their specialties.  I came away with so many new ideas to explore it is going to keep me inspired for years.

For the final dinner we all bought along the ‘sculptural vessel’ we had made in Fiona’s workshop.  These were designed as light sculptures and we lit them with small LED torches.  The tables looked spectacular and it was a tribute to Fiona’s energy throughout the week.

 

Dagmar Binder workshop

Light and Airy Summer Blouse
An Advanced Three Day Workshop With internationally renowned master felt artist Dagmar Binder
  
Starting with a pair of wrist warmers, students will learn how to combine chiffon silk with very fine merino wool “drawings”, to create a light, transparent felted fabric. This technique will then be applied to a larger, seamless garment. You will develop a pattern for your size, design and make a delicate short sleeve blouse with transparent sleeves and shoulders. Those who are not the “romantic” type, may work with geometrics or other designs of their choosing.
When: Sat 16 , Sun 17, Mon 18  April 2016  9am -  4pm
Location: Felt and Fibre, 7 Methven Highway, Ashburton 7700
Cost of Workshop:   Creative Fibre Members  $260   Non-Members  $300
Morning and afternoon tea provided BYO lunch (Price does not include materials)
A list of requirements for class will be made available closer to the time.
MAXIMUM TWELVE IN WORKSHOP
For further information and to secure your place contact Shona Schofield on 03 3081558  or email  shona@feltandfibre.co.nz.  Accommodation is not included.
To learn more about Dagmar, go to: www.textillabor.de

Southern Hemisphere Feltmakers Convergence

Parnell, Auckland, September 2015
Five from our group are attending the convergence.  Having a great time.  Fiona Duthie is the main guest tutor and there are lots of other workshop options as well.  One of the sessions was on making Sculptural Light Vessels which we will use with lights at our final dinner.

Detail of one of Fiona's sculptural light vessels

This light sculpture has a light and a flower holder

The suitcase sale session

Application forms due

For the Textile and Fibre Arts Network exhibition - 'Celebrating Textile Art' with the challenge topic of  'Shaken Not Stirred'. Forms are due 25 September and items are due 2 October.  We have our next felting meeting on 3rd October and I am happy to collect items then for delivery to the organisers (I know its a day late but many of us are away that week anyway).  More information and contact details are available in an earlier post. 

Halswell Community Market

Southern Felters is hoping to have a site at the Halswell Community Market later this year. The plan is to use the site to promote Southern Felters but also to give our members an opportunity to sell felted items directly to the public.  Site bookings haven't opened yet for later this year so we cant confirm the date yet but this is an advance working so felters can start thinking about and making things for our stand.  We are hoping for a date in November.

International felting day- 3rd October

Felt United's international felting day is on the same date as our next felting day - October 3rd 2015.  The theme this year is "home" and felters are encouraged to create something related to 'home' and post it on the felt united website.  More information and photos from last year is at http://www.feltunited.com/ 

"Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home."  Matsno Basho

Linda Irving's felt from last year.  The theme was "Peace"

Meeting dates for 2016

We have booked the hall for 2016 so you can put the following dates into your dairies now.

Feb 13th​, Mar 19th, Apr 30th​, Sep 3rd​, Oct ​1st, Dec 3rd​

Woolfun day

The local Christchurch Woolfun group are continuing to meet this year.  Their next days is August 8th Saturday, Anytime between 10 am and 4 pm.  (The next planned day for your dairies is September 12
  
They say ...Come and sit by the fire and enjoy a relaxing day working with wool with like-minded people in a small group.  Coffee and tea provided.  Bring your lunch and your "crafty" project.  June, July and August sessions all at 397 Marine Drive, in Charteris Bay, next to the Charteris Bay Yacht Club. 40 minutes from the square. For information ring Philippa on 3294 677 or 027 224 2421.

Another great felting day

Our August felting day was a success with fine weather and a good turnout.  I will attach a handful of photos below.  Several of us are going to the Southern Hemisphere Feltmakers Convergence in Auckland in October.  We need to make a scarf each and post it up to Auckland.  The scarves will be exhibited and the we take a different scarf home. 

Victoria attempting a yarn scarf

Anne using carded wool

Jane making one of her distinctive scarves with silk bits

Ann getting in on the scarf making too

Anna and friend

 

August 1st - our next felting day

Put 1st August into your dairy now.  Victoria has offered to demonstrate how to make a cell phone, tablet or laptop cover.  Let us know in advance if you are interested so Victoria can come prepared.  This project is suitable for beginners or more advanced felters.

Southern Felters are meeting at Halswell Hall between  9am and 3pm. Bring your lunch.  Wool is usually available for purchase.  There is a $10 door charge to cover the hall hire.   

Call to design the 2017 festival logo

The logo for Creative fibre's festival 2017 is yet to be decided.  This is being held in Christchurch.  The organising team are looking for a logo that represents us as fibre artists and crafts people here in Canterbury. This logo will be on posters, bookmarks, and any festival publications.  Three is a prize for the winning entry. Please sent your entries to Margaret Logan 2/126 Wilsons Road South, Christchurch 8022 or  t.mjlogan@xtra.co.nz by Monday13 July.

A selection of photos from our recent four day felting event at Glenroy, Photos by Anne Dougherty

 

Don't forget the felting day this Saturday

Saturday May 23th Halswell Hall Starting 9am.  Isla and Pauline have offered to show people how to make a flat piece of felted fabric.  This is a great opportunity of you are new to felting to learn how its done.  Bring your lunch, money to purchase some wool and $10 towards the hall hire.  Experienced felters and old hands welcome as well.

Come and see our exhibition

ITS ON NOW
Beckenham Library
Sunday 19 April to Friday 8th May
Southern Felters' own exhibition