Once a year Waverley members volunteer their skills to run short tutorials for both beginner and experienced quilters. There are so many talents within our group, it a great way to pass on tips and to ask questions. While this happens all the time on an informal basis, the skill’s day gives the tutors get a chance to really think about how they do things, plan a short presentation and then teach a small group. Many of our newer members got to know a few more members as of course it was a very social occasion.
This year the topics were Felt Medallions, Embellishing with Embroidery, Quilt Borders and Quilt-As-You-Go Hexagons.
The tutors Julia, Christine, Naomi and Joyce had as much fun as the participants and it was a challenge to move everyone on to their next session.
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- tutorial group
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- borders discussion
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- felt medallions
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- felt medallions
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- embroidered embellishing
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- embroidered embellishing
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- embroidered embellishing
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- QAYG hexagons
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- borders
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- borders
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- borders
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- borders
Fun with Felt
On the Sunday we ran a half day children’s workshop, the participants had to come with an adult and so there were also 8 grandmothers and 12 children ranged in age from 6 to 12, four were boys and the rest girls.
The class discussed the properties of felt, made some felt with wet felt process, added embellishments and more wet felting and then sewing with commercial synthetic felt.
First we made small felt pieces using merino slivers inside a sandwich bag. The photo shows the card that was covered in wool at the start, and the finished piece after felting and fulling. They were quite amazed at how much their piece shrunk.
Then one big piece was created on a sheet of prefect with wool slivers, silk and other bits and pieces. Then it was all hands in to massage the wet felt. They took turns at the rolling stage while they worked on their sewn piece.
The sewing choices were two styles of pencil case or a brooch. With the assistance of a grandparent they all quickly got on with pattern cutting, adding decorations and stitching. Many quickly they got up to speed with blanket stitch. Notice that some of them are fully lined as well. The little flower brooch is an original design as is the truck on the yellow case.
