Fibre Arts Workshops

Fiber Arts Workshops:
Contact Robin to book a workshop.

Beginner Spinning —

Care and Maintenance of a Spinning Wheel, Basic drafting techniques, and twist control. Learn to spin singles yarn for knitting or weaving.
2 hours — $50 per person.

Full per person Workshop fees may be applied to the price of a new Spinning Wheel if purchased during the class.

Beginner Spindling — for spinners on the go —

Basic drafting techniques and twist control. Plying from two spindles or a centre pull ball. Winding a ball of yarn on a nostepinde. Making inexpensive spindles from found materials.
2 hours — $50 per person, including materials.

Spinning Dog and Cat Hair —

Spin a special yarn from your precious pet’s hair. Learn basic spinning techniques and apply them to spinning yarn from your own animal. Learn the special techniques necessary for working with short, slippery fibers and the design considerations for knitting or weaving with hair fibers.

Bring your own wheel or use one of ours. 1/2 day $75, including materials.

Angora bunnies for cuddles and yarn

The Care and Feeding of Angora Yarn —

Find out about the special needs of angora rabbits and how their care differs from other rabbits. Learn how to groom the rabbit during their seasonal molt to harvest their prime, luxury fiber.
Then move to the spinning wheel and learn how to handle this slippery,
soft and inviting fiber using special techniques. —
1/2 day workshop, $75 including materials. Bunny not included but available for purchase.

Learn to weave in an afternoon and make a gorgeous scarf to mark your achievment.

Beginner weaving —

weave a scarf on a rigid heddle loom. Learn the weaving techniques of plain weave, interlocking weft and ghiordes knots while weaving a joyous, unique scarf on a rigid heddle loom in just 3 hours from warp to twisted fringe. You will learn how to apply creativity to the weaving process in free form weaving technique. Your final scarf will be as unique and full of personality as you are.
3 hours, $75 per person including materials.

 

 

 

 

3 D felting — jewelry, scarves —

Wet felt in 3D and make a basic bangle bracelet to understand the properties of wool and felting and then apply what you’ve learned to a larger project — a scarf or hat.
3 hours, $75 per person including materials.

Needle felted teddy bears —

A project for the whole family — using a sharp barbed needle create wool sculptures with personality and class. Felting techniques will be explained and
there will be lots of room for creativity, laughter and fun. Younger children can make a felted ball while older family members work on their teddy bears.
2 hours, $50 per person, includes materials and bandaids. Children 5 and under free, when accompanied by a paying adult.

Wet felting — Spa Bars —

Using both needle felting and wet felting techniques
wrap a bar of natural goat’s milk soap in a sweater of wool and create a unique gift.
2 hours, $50 per person, includes materials for two Spa Bars.

Wet Felting – slipper clogs —

Using both needle felting and wet felting techniques, learn to felt around a resist for 3-D felting.  Create the perfect pair of slippers to fit your own feet. Incorporate design, colour and painterly techniques to make your slippers uniquely yours.  Or felt clogs for a family member.

Full day workshop — $125 including materials.

 

 

Wet Felting — Tea Cosies —

Using both needle felting and wet felting techniques, learn to felt around a resist for 3 D felting.  Create a whimsical tea cosy to express your own personality and adorn your table.

4 hours — $80 including materials

 

Washing Fleece and Fiber preparation –

Learn how to effectively wash wool and mohair and prepare it for spinning using both carding and combing techniques. Try spinning yarn samples with each preparation to understand the advantages of each.
2 hours, $50 per person

Natural Dyes — Take a walk through the woods to the Dye Pot — Learn to identify local plants rich in dye chromophores and tannins. Make a mordant bath and several after dips and dye wool yarns in several sample shades from just 1 or 2 different plants. Learn why natural dye colours evoke mystery and culture and how they differ from chemical dyes.

1/2 day — $75 including materials — July to October only, dress for the weather and wear walking shoes.

The Grand Forks Sunshine Quilter's Indigo Workshop

Natural Indigo —

Witness the mystery of the natural indigo vat. Learn several shibori resist techniques and apply them to the twisting, folding and stitching of two silk scarves or 4 cotton fat quarters. Dye the scarves or fabric in the natural indigo vat and see the
magic transformation of cloth with this ancient dye.
1/2 day — $75 including materials.

Growing a sustainable blue — The Woad Plant and its dye —

Learn about this unique and generous dye plant, significant through out history as the main source of blue dye in Europe till the mid 1700s. Understand how to grow and harvest Isatis tinctoria to get the most from this plant. Learn the details of its unique extraction process by harvesting woad leaves from the Joybilee Farm Dye Garden and extracting its blue dye for yourself. Understand the chemistry of the woad plant and see it transformed before your eyes into indigo blue. Learn how to alter the dye process to achieve several shades of blue as well as other colours such as pink, beige, peach, yellow, red and green from just one plant.
Full day workshop — $125, includes all materials including yarn and dye chemicals. August and September only.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Natural Dye Prints—

Take a walk through the woods and the natural dye garden and learn to identify plants rich in chromophores and tannins. Then skip the dye vat and learn how to make leaf, flower and seed prints directly on silk for a beautifully uncommon, natural dye scarf — a memento of your visit to Joybilee Farm.
2 hours — $50 including materials –July to October only.