CRAFTS
Getting more out of your wool
Meet OUR Crafter – Kate
Our Collectif aims to host various talented crafters across different disciplines throughout the year. This time our guest crafter is Kate Smith who is an amazing textile artist.
She teaches wet felt making, needle felting, natural dyeing, silk painting, batik, spinning, beginner’ s rigid heddle and tapestry weaving.
She has an honours degree in fine art from Falmouth School of Art and a postgraduate art teachers certificate from Cardiff.
She lived for 20 years in Cornwall after graduating, with a 15 month stay
in Japan. It was in Japan that she learnt the Japanese arts of Kendo, dance and wood block printing.
Back in the UK she worked as a self employed artist and craftsperson designing and making smoking dragons. Somewhere in the world there are 28 tons of resin cast pastille burner dragons and garden sculpture.
She moved back to her childhood home town of Derby with her family for a few years where she juggled raising two sons, artwork, novel writing and a brief spell as a bus driver before a life changing accident sent her in a different direction.
Introduced to spinning, weaving and feltmaking by her mother, a long time member of the Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers in Derby. She found that textile art played a huge role in her recovery and in 2009 she moved to Central Brittany for the tranquility, music and crafts. She now divides her time between Brittany and the UK.
She is co-founder and president of the Central Brittany Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers and teaches textile arts professionally, selling her artwork online.
Find her on:
Etsy.com:Katesmithfeltmaker
Folksy.co Katesmithfeltmaker
Also on Facebook Marketplace: Her work can be seen on her Facebook page and on Instagram. Kate Smith Feltmaker (@katesmithfelt)
OUR Craft courses
Eco Dyeing – 1 day
About This Event
With this one day course our craft instructor Kate will teach you which local and garden plants give the best colours and imprints, and you will also learn the basics of printing fresh leaves and flowers onto paper and fabrics.
Outline of course
Time: 10.00 – 17.00
After introductions and coffee, we will start the course by explaining the order of the day.
We will take a walk through the garden and around the local area to discover which plants can be used in the dyeing process. We will then break at 12.30 for a home-made lunch using fruit and veg from the potager. After lunch we will learn how to print on paper and fabris, and finish the day with a delicious home baked cake and coffee or tea.
**All paper and fabrics will be provided.**
Comfortable shoes should be worn as you may be walking through woodland or long grasses to collect your own leaves and flowers, although some will be provided on request.
2021 Dates
- Wednesday 30th June
- Saturday 17th July
Number of places: 6
PRICE: €90
Indigo Dyeing – 1 day
About This Event
This is a full day course where Kate will take you through the art of indigo dyeing. This is one of the oldest forms of dyeing and is almost magical in the way the green dye turns to blue when exposed to the air. Indigo is the famous dye colour of blue jeans and the most popular dye for Japanese kimono and Jakarta.
Outline of course
Time: 10.00 – 17.00
This one day course will teach the basics of both the technique of pre-reduced indigo dyeing and of shibori tie-dyeing.
We will start with a coffee or tea as Kate explains the order of the day. Refreshments will be available throughout the day. We will break at 12.30pm for a home made lunch, using fruit and vegetables from the potager and finish the day with a delicious home baked cake and coffee as you chat over the day and view all your creations.
Students should wear old clothes and bring thick rubber gloves. You will be working outside. You can also bring spun wool or pieces of cotton, linen and silk for dyeing, although some of these will be available for you to use on the day. You will be able to take home all of your dyed fabrics.
2021 Dates
- Saturday 19th June
- Sunday 4th July
Number of places: 6
PRICE: €90
Needle Felting – Toadstool – half day
About This Event
This half day will be led by Kate Smith, a felting artist. It will be an introduction to the basics of needle felting in 3D. She will teach you how to safely handle the needles, adding colour and shape while achieving a good surface and density of wool.
Outline of course
Time: 13.00 – 17.00
You will be welcomed with tea or coffee as Kate introduces us to all the tools and materials we will be using.
We aim to have at least one finished piece to take home, with the opportunity to make more if you pick the skill up quickly.
The day will finish with a review and questions, and Kate will show you some of the amazing sculptures she creates using this art form. Home baked cake and tea and coffee will be available late afternoon.
You will be inspired to develop your skills at home after the course, so we will send you home with enough for you to play and practise on your own.
2021 Dates
- Sunday 20th June
- Sunday 25th July
Number of places: 6
PRICE: €60
Create a wet felting hat – Half Day
About This Event
You will spend the afternoon with Kate Smith who will teach you the art of wet felting where you will be making a hat to take away and embellish as you wish.
Outline of course
Time: 13:00 – 17:00
All materials will be provided.
We will start off with a welcome, introduction and refreshments as Kate maps out the plan for the afternoon. This is quite a physical art as it involves vigorously rolling wet fibre in order for it to create the felt. You will be standing over a table with soapy water, however the effort is worth some of the stunning results Kate will help you create.
We will finish the afternoon with a well deserved cream tea with delicious homemade cake, coffee or tea.
You should wear clothes that you don’t mind getting wet, close fitting or short sleeves and waterproof shoes or sandals. Waterproof aprons are handy, but not essential.
2021 Dates
- Sunday 13th June
- Sunday 11th July
Number of places: 6
PRICE: €60
GET IN TOUCH
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.
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