2020 Arizona Fiber Arts Retreat

2020 AFAR Workshop: (back row) Colleen Murphy, Sharla Peterson, Louise Love, Maona Grabscheid, Kathy Lohr, Joanne Nunn, Patti Dowd; (front row) Mali Pistiner, Kim Buchheit, Karen Billideau (not pictured: Gayle Starr and Shannan Cambern)

Last week's 9th annual Arizona Fiber Arts Retreat (AFAR) was a fantastic success. This event, hosted by the talented and generous Kimberly Hatch, brings together fiber lovers of all stripes to share ideas, learn, discover new tools and methods, purchase fiber and other goodies, and enjoy being with kindred spirits. I was honored to be able to teach (with the help of my ever-supportive hubby) a full-day workshop with an amazing group of students. We cut out botanical shapes from pre-felts (ala Matisse) and felted them into our vessels with great results. Every finished vessel was unique and lovely — just like each workshop participant. Thank you to all who attended my workshop and for all who make AFAR the incredible fiber event that it is! See you next year (Save the date: Jan. 13-16, 2021) :)

AFAR's 2019 Vessels & Votives Workshop

We just got home from the 8th annual Arizona Fiber Arts Retreat in Prescott, Arizona. 2019 was a banner year for this fun and information-rich event! It's a place to make new friends and connect with old ones, meet master instructors and talk shop over lunch, enjoy a fashion show, and take an incredible fiber-related workshop or two (e.g. weaving, needle- and wet-felting, shibori and indigo dyeing, naalbinding, and more!). The word has spread and workhops filled up almost immediately... so mark your calendar if you want to get in on this in January 2020! I was lucky enough to be able to teach another Vessels & Votives class this year with an amazing bunch of creatives. We worked hard and had some good laughs... and everyone walked away with a beautiful handmade vessel or votive that they were proud of. Great job, everyone!

Felted Botanical Vessel

I just wet-felted and finished another round, botanical-themed bowl in preparation for the 2-day Vessels & Votives Workshop which I'll be conducting here at the Grand Canyon in October. With a finished size of 10.5" (h) x 14.5" (diam.), this smaller format seems more manageable for a beginner-intemerdiate level class. Working with pre-felts can be challenging for those who've never felted before, but with so many other surface design options available, I know class participants will have no problem decorating their vessels. If you are interested in a weekend immersion class where you'll explore felting both small- and large-sized vessels using resists, as well as learn to dye wool roving with acid dyes, then sign up now! Class size is limited to just 12 participants. Come learn in one of the world's most beautiful wild classrooms!

Felted Botanical Vessels

I just completed this large, round bowl and added a second layer of stiffener to the tall vessel, then had them photographed this week. The round vessel is approximately 12"(h) x 17"(diam.); the tall vessel is 24"(h) x 7"(diam.).  This work is a continuation of a series entitled, "Botanical" which utilizes pre-felt cut-outs along with Merino top (100% wool). The round piece will be available for sale at the upcoming Flag Wool & Fiber Festival with some of the proceeds benefiting the event. The Festival is hosting several fiber arts workshops the weekend of June 2-3, 2018, including my 1/2-day Vessels & Votives workshop where you'll learn to make mini versions of the round vessel pictured above. Learn more and sign up here.