Name: Sculptural Needlefelting: Animals on Wire Armatures

Class Duration: Friday, September 12, 2008, 1:00-4:30 PM

Fee: $45.00 ($55.00 after September 5)
You can register by mail, by e-mail, by phone (510/843-7280), or in the LMLT museum shop. Payment is required at the time of registration. 
Printable Registration Form

Class Location:
Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles
LacisMuseum.org
2982 Adeline St.
Berkeley, CA 94703
510-843-7290

General Workshop Description:
Wool has been recognised for eons as a weather resistant fiber.  In this class we’ll be creating animals about 8-12 inches high/long. Their wire “bones” will allow them to assume and sustain positions. A basic model allows students to make whatever animal they wish.

Ayala’s classes are set up for folks who have not yet experienced the delightful possibilities of this versatile fiber, and also for those who are already conversant with wool. All will be inspired at their own entry level!

Materials:
Materials to be provided by the instructor (cost to be included as part of the class fee):
A small kit with a felting needle, some other small tools, and a little printed sheet covering basics and schematics; wool fiber for construction and embellishment, any other little tools and materials necessary for the project at hand.

Materials for the student to bring from home:
1. scissors! MUST have!
2. a piece of soft foam or sponge, 3” thick, at least 6” x 6” (like a soft carwash sponge or scrap from an upholstery shop)
3. a couple of old bath towels, the kind you’d borrow from the family dog
4. a tray - school lunchroom size is fine - or an 11 x 17” baking pan
5. 2 plastic produce bags

Most of these materials, and additional supplies and equipment, can be purchased at the museum shop.

Instructor:
Ayala Talpai has spent her entire life making stuff, making do, and doing well. This happy obsession with creativity led her to the first fiber innovation since the Stone Age: felting needles that can turn wool into a sculptural medium. Having taught woolwork to people of all ages and abilities all over the place, Ayala has also written two authoritative and utterly charming workbooks on needle felting, with a third in the back of her mind. You can make the acquaintance of some of her creatures in the shop, and if you like them, you won’t want to miss the opportunity to meet Ayala herself in September. The class will be limited to 10 students, so if you are interested, be sure to sign up soon!