(402) Fabulous Felt and Nuno-felt Hats
Such a dilemma…so many hats and only one head! Which hat style will you choose? Fun, whimsical, or classic? The choice is yours. During our felt exploration, there will be ample time for experimentation, as well as inspiration, as we create fabulous felt and nuno-felt hats.
Our hats will be created over a template (flat resist), using wet-felting techniques. We will focus on techniques, concepts, and patterns, using both open and closed resists (and some using multiple resists), to design our sculptural felt hat creations. Felting with a resist will produce a seamless, hollow form for the hats that we will be making, and it is also a technique that you can later use for purses, vessel making, etc.
We will use fine Merino wool tops, with the option of incorporating lightweight silk fabrics for nuno-felted hats. You will love the artistic possibilities, with functionality as an added bonus. I will bring an assortment of patterns for our workshop.
Instructor:
Experience Level:
All Levels
Maximum Class Size:
12
Materials fee:
$20 covers plastic laminate material for two patterns, plastic resist materials, hat patterns, and written instructions.
Student Supplies:
Most of the supplies can be found at Living Felt. Use this link to go to a list of items tailored especially for our MAFA Felt and Nuno-felt Hats workshop participants
- Merino wool top/roving. You will have time to make two hats. Depending upon the hat that you choose to make you will need 4-6 ounces of wool per hat.
- 24-inch wide bubble wrap (small bubbles), two pieces, minimum size of each: 24- x 48-inches (if you are unable to find wider widths, you may use duct tape narrower widths together on the smooth side.
- Wet-felting synthetic mesh fabric 1/2 yard.
- 2-3 old bath size towels and a plastic trash bag to carry home wet towels.
- A plastic beach pail or bucket to hold water.
- Bar of olive oil soap or mild dish soap (blue Dawn).
- Laundry sprinkler bottle or Ballbrause water sprinkler.
- Pool noodle or plastic PVC pipe (you will only need the size of half the length of a pool noodle, so if it makes it easier for packing, feel free to cut it in half).
- Simple sewing kit with needle and thread, sharp scissors (for felt and plastic), tape measure, stainless steel pins.
- Notebook, pen, and a Sharpie marker.
- Optional: If you wish to nuno felt, bring lightweight silk fabrics such as silk chiffon and/or lightweight beaded silk fabrics (look for beaded silk dresses from the thrift shop to use for this. Check the label to make sure that it is silk. Polyester fabrics will not work).
- A styrofoam wig/mannequin head or a simple wood hat block (with a standard head/crown form) in your head size.
- Optional embellishing fibers, such as dyed silk fibers, dyed silk hankies, etc.
- Optional: A set of bed risers to raise the height of the table to a more comfortable working level.