Class Schedule
Please click the REGISTER HERE! link under each class description to register online.
Click Here For Workshop Information Sat, June 22nd, 2013 NEFS is excited to announce this exciting full day workshop! Elena will not only introduce different styles of felted flowers, but also go beyond by demonstrating ways they can be used for various home decor. Learn how to create curtain tie-backs, felted vines for a kitchen valence or special event table runner, summer wildflower curtain strings and more. The best thing about this class is that you can drop in more than once to work on a completely different project! Come join us - making flowers all day long will put you in a very happy frame of mind! Participants have the option of using our Short Fiber Merino Wool with its rich color palette to explore color mixing, wet felting methods and strategies for creating a variety of shapes. To add definition and embellishment, students will learn to merge fine threads and silk with the felt. Elena Gibson is a fiber artist and art educator with over 15 years experience. Originally from Slovakia (Bratislava), she is residing in West Hartford, CT with her husband and 3 children. Her work reflects her diverse background and interests in design with a focus on jewelry and interior decorative pieces. Her work can be also seen in Farmington Valley Arts Center in Avon, CT. Click Here For Workshop Information Saturday, June 29, 2013 Enjoy the magic of sculpting with wool as you create an original doll measuring about 12” tall. With only a basketful of wool, a few needles and a piece of foam you will be only a few hours away from a doll sculpted out of wool. It just takes a few dollmaking techniques to make your doll come alive. Sheila Mancino lives and works in Southampton, MA. She as been an educator for over 30 years. Click Here For Workshop Information Tuesday July 9th, 2013 Learn from the artist behind the exciting new book Feltalicious: Needle Felted Treats to Make & Give. In addition to the basic tools and needle felting techniques, you'll learn about color blending and how to make your felted sculptures shine. You'll create realistic, mini felted foods that look good enough to eat! Wessel was born in 1981 in a small, yet notably artsy town Click Here For Workshop Information Saturday July 13th, 2013 Learn from the artist behind the exciting new book Feltalicious: Needle Felted Treats to Make & Give. This class will be an introduction to the joy of needle felting with a focus on fruits and vegetables. Create a still life by learning the tools, techniques, color mixing, and "painting" that can be done with wool. Wessel was born in 1981 in a small, yet notably artsy town in Western Massachusetts called Northampton. As both of her parents were artists, it did not take her long to realize that she too wanted to do something creative. Click Here For Workshop Information Sat July 20th, 2013 The creation of a felted vessel is a dynamic and magical experience. Taking a few handfuls of fiber and transforming them into a sturdy, functional form is truly an addictive activity that requires only a few basic pieces of equipment along with soap, water, and fiber. Once the technique is learned, various shapes, colors, and surface textures provide limitless possibilities! By pinching and pulling, the vessels can be shaped in myriad ways. Ribs, waves, and flowing curves can be achieved with minimal effort and a few binder clips. In this full day, introductory course students will learn to create a vessel using the resist technique. Shaping and adding dimensional elements will be introduced. In addition to teaching visual art at the secondary and post-secondary level, Carolann Tebbetts has had her work featured on both the DIY Network and HGTV. She has published in several art journals and magazines and is pursuing an MFA in Fiber Art. Carolann's felted vessels are currently being shown at the Westboro Gallery and in a juried Massachusetts Educators' exhibit at the Transportation Building in Boston. She has been felting since 2003: most recently exploring nuno and 3D resist. She felts almost daily at her home in Shrewsbury where her studio overlooks Lake Quinsigamond. REGISTER HERE! FELTED VESSELS WITH RESIST Click Here For Workshop Information Tuesday, July 23rd, 2013 Join Chris White as she teaches you this clever hat making technique. Feltmaker Beth Beede is credited for creating the hat on a ball method after experiementing with balloons to make hollow felted vessels in the 70s and 80s. Other felters independently developed similar techniques, but the Beede Ball is best known. Learn the simple process of making this modern classic into a hat, vessel, or more! Please note that this class requires standing most of the day. Chris White is the owner of Magpie Designs Felting Studio and New England Felting Supply in western Massachusetts. After teaching for a number of years, she now concentrates on a few national courses and gives workshops for guilds and other groups. Chris has been felting professionally since 2001 and has worked in a variety of techniques with internationally known feltmakers. Founder of the Northeast Feltmakers Guild, she has also written about felt for various publications and served as guest curator for felt shows. She is the author of Uniquely Felt, (Storey, 2007). Click Here For Workshop Information Saturday, July 27th, 2013 Using Nuno felting techniques, be prepared to be elated as you transform layers of hand-painted silk and silk ribbons, sumptuous merino wool roving and other novelty and silk embellishments into gorgeous flowing fabric. During the felting process, the wool fibers migrate through the weave of the silk and entangle, pulling the silk and any other embellishments along with them as they shrink. This results in an incredibly lightweight garment that drapes the body beautifully. In this one-day workshop we will cover design, layout, felting, fulling and finishing creating your own art-to-wear. Beginner and experienced felters are welcome. Nancy Dorian is a fiber artist residing in Northampton Massachusetts with a degree in Interior Design and Fine Arts minor in Ceramics. Her company now & ZEN art to wear emerged from the belief that joy comes from doing what you love. Pottery, stained glass and jewelry are a few of her mediums, but she now works primarily with fiber. Nancy has taught fiber arts in many venues including Rhinebeck Sheep & Wool Festival, New England Felting Supply, WEBS, Holyoke Community College, Fletcher Farm School for the arts and craft and Bead + Fiber. She creates one-of-a-kind artwear using hand-painted silks and gossamer Nuno Felting techniques. Her work has been spotlighted in The Daily Hampshire Gazette, The Republican and Preview Massachusetts Magazine and can be found at galleries and boutiques coast to coast. Find out more about her at www.nancydorian.com . Click Here For Workshop Information Wed-Fri, Aug. 7-9 2013 In this three day class you will learn how to make a nuno butterfly art tunic, which can also be worn as a skirt or shawl. You will be given all the tips and techniques needed to help make your own unique piece. Also, you will be shown different types of silks and how to lay out merino roving in combination with lovely embellishments including silk hankies, tussah silk, bamboo, and various novelty yarns. We will spend the first part of the class exploring and examining different types of butterflies, as well as drawing out your desired pattern on paper. We will discuss how to choose colors for both the topside and underside of your piece as you learn how different wool colors effect or change the color of your silk. You will learn how to make the "eyes" found on the wings of some butterflies to incorporate into your piece. Samples will be made to further illustrate the color changes, so you can get an idea of what you will be making on a large scale. This is a rather large project but with a 3-day workshop you will have ample time to plan and layout your project along with the felting and fulling process. Fiber artist Jean Gauger creates unique art-to-wear nuno pieces as well as home decor,journals, handbags and framed art. Originally a knitter, she discovered wet felting and has been hooked ever since! Click Here For Workshop Information Saturday, Aug. 10th, 2013 Create a lightweight scarf in only a few hours and learn about the fastest-growing technique in feltmaking. Nuno is just one of many feltmaking techniques, but the amazing lightweight, highly textured fabric that results is rapidly gaining attention in finer galleries and the fiber art world. Easy to learn, nuno involves felting a small amount of colored merino wool into a pre-existing fabric (usually silk). Please note that this class requires standing most of the day. No felting experience is necessary. Fiber artist Jean Gauger creates unique art-to-wear nuno pieces as well as home decor,journals, handbags and framed art. Originally a knitter, she discovered wet felting and has been hooked ever since! Click Here For Workshop Information Mon. to Thu., Aug 12-15th, 2013 About 5 years ago, Jean Gauger saw her first blue morpho butterfly at the Butterfly Conservatory and thought it was the most fascinating butterfly she'd ever seen! She knew she had to make something using the artistry Mother Nature had put together; and she had a few ideas brewing! A 4-day Felted Yardage Intensive she'd taken gave her the courage to work on a large project. After having come across a butterfly cape in a felting book, she decided to use her own methods and colors to see what she could come up with. After many hours of patient rolling (and having a feeling she may have something special on her hands) the Blue Morpho Butterfly Shawl was born! Fiber artist Jean Gauger creates unique art-to-wear nuno pieces as well as home decor,journals, handbags and framed art. Originally a knitter, she discovered wet felting and has been hooked ever since! Click Here For Workshop Information Saturday, Aug 17th 2013 In only a few hours learn about nuno felting, the fastest growing technique in feltmaking while creating a beautiful, lightweight scarflette. A shorter version of a scarf (measuring about 11” x 38”) the scarflette will be made out of a piece of silk gauze or silk habotai on the bottom with merino top and pieces of silk on the top to create the nuno collage effect. You will also learn how to make ruffles along the edges of the scarf as well as a beautiful, nuno flower brooch to wear alone or with your scarflette. Nuno is just one of many felting techniques, but this amazing, lightweight, and highly textured fabric is rapidly gaining attention in finer galleries throughout the world. Nuno involves felting a small amount of colored merino wool into a pre-existing fabric (usually silk). Please note that this class requires standing most of the day. Easthampton fiber artist Jean Gauger creates unique art-to-wear nuno pieces as well as home decor, journals, handbags and framed art. Originally a knitter, she discovered wet felting and has been hooked ever since! REGISTER HERE! NUNO SCARFLETTE Click Here For Workshop Information Sept. 21 - 22, 2013 Learn to felt a beautiful nuno scarf that is hand dyed using only the natural pigments and colors found in plants. On day one you will make several samples using wind fallen plant material as you learn about eco-printing, the complex natural dyeing technique of laying out leaves on fabric, bundling and boiling the fabric to produce stunning results. On the second day you will learn to nuno felt your scarf by laying merino top on silk, felting and fulling. Once your scarf is felted you will lay out your leaf design and finish your eco-printed scarf. Eva Camacho-Sánchez is a crafter and feltmaker born and raised in Andalucía, Spain, now living in western Massachusetts. Camacho learned to create from her mother, who grew up in a poor, rural village, and had no choice but to make her own clothes, sheets and other textiles in the 1940s. Her passion for creating and the importance of self-sufficiency was instilled in Camacho at an early age, though my artistic passion only came alive when, as an adult, Camacho discovered the amazing qualities of wool and the wonderful art of felting.
BOTANICAL PINS
with Elena Gibson
9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
$75 plus materials, approx. $25-$40
Beginner FriendlyREGISTER HERE FELTED FLOWER DECOR!
GO LARGER WITH NEEDLE FELTING: DOLLMAKING 101
with Sheila Mancino
9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
$95 plus materials, approx. $20-$25
Beginner friendly.
PAINTING WITH WOOL: NEEDLE FELTED CHEESEBURGERS with Kerri Wessel
5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
$25 plus materials approx. $20
Beginner Friendly
in Western Massachusetts called Northampton. As both of her
parents were artists, it did not take her long to realize that she too wanted to do something creative.
Register Here! Needle Felted Cheeseburgers
INTRO TO SCULPTURAL NEEDLE FELTING: FRUITS AND VEGETABLES with Kerri Wessel
5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
$60 plus materials approx. $20
Beginner Friendly
Register Here! Felted Fruits and Vegetables
FELTED VESSELS
WITH A RESIST
with Carolann Tebbetts
9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
$95 plus materials, approx. $15-$30
beginner friendly
HAT ON A BALL TECHNIQUE with Chris White
5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
$75 plus materials, approx. $25
Beginner friendlyRegister Here! Hat On A Ball Technique
RIBBON FELTED SCARVES
with Nancy Dorian
10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
$95 plus materials, approx. $10-$25
Beginner Friendly
NUNO BUTTERFLY ART TUNIC, SKIRT,OR SHAWL
with Jean Gauger
9:00 am. to 5:00 p.m.
$330 plus materials, approx. $70-$120
Nuno felting experience required
NUNO COLLAGE SCARVES
with Jean Gauger
9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
$130 plus materials, approx. $25-$40
beginner friendly
NUNO BUTTERFLY JACKET
with Jean Gauger
9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
$450 plus materials, approx. $80-$180
$225 deposit required (non-refundable after 3/11/13)
nuno felting experience required
NUNO SCARFLETTE WITH FLOWERS
with Jean Gauger
9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
$130 Paid in Full (non-refundable after 7/17/13) Materials Approx. $25-$40
Beginner Friendly
BOTANICAL PRINTING ON FELT
with Eva Camacho
9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
$195 plus materials, approx. $35-$50.
$95 deposit required (non-refundable after 8/20/13)
beginner friendly
GENERAL CLASS INFORMATION
NEFS offers workshops at all skill levels throughout the year. Classes range from day sessions with NEFS staff to full 5- day workshops with nationally and internationally- known professional feltmakers.
Class registration: Class registration is done online. Some classes require full payment at the time of registration, but for most, a deposit will be requested to hold your place. The balance of the class fee will be due at the end of class along with any material costs. You will be notified upon registration about details pertaining to the class including materials lists and cut off date for the return of your deposit. Classes that are cancelled by NEFS are fully refundable.
Inclement Weather: Because everyone has a different idea or what constitues bad weather and because some students will be traveling from outside the Pioneer Valley, NEFS will only cancel a class when driving is not possible due to severly inclement weather in the greater Easthampton area or if the instructor is unable to travel to the facility. Please make the necessary arrangements for yourself if inclement weather is forecasted in your area.
Refunds: Refunds for any given workshop can be granted up to one month prior to the workshop date. A refund deadline is based on the deadline NEFS must transfer funds to pay the instructor we have booked. In addition, once we reach this date, we have secured the classroom booking over competing workshops, private hire and determining employee staffing. However, it is very possible to find a replacement student from our waiting list. We will do our best to assist you with this.
Materials: A materials list will be emailed to you upon registration or in plenty of time before the class. Materials fee are due at the end of class.
Arrival and Parking: It’s important to arrive on time. Please make sure to check local weather and maps and always leave extra time to find us if it’s your first trip to the shop. Our expanded storefront space is now open! There is free parking on Cottage Street and a public parking lot directly across from us. If you need to unload supplies, you can drive around the back of the Majestic Theater Building (via Pine Street or Orchard Street) and unload into our back door. Parking in this lot is not permitted however so you will need to move your car to Cottage Street once you are done.
Food: During most classes, take-out lunches are ordered, but you are also welcome to bring your own food to class. We have a refrigerator and microwave. All food, drink and snacks should be confined to the kitchen area of the classroom space.
Lodging: There are many places to stay in the Easthampton area. Some suggestions include Park Street B & B in Easthampton, The Knoll in Florence, Penrose Victorian Inn in Haydenville, Twin Maples in Williamsburg, Flower Hill Farm B & B in Williamsburg, and Dar State Forest Campground in Goshen. There are a number of hotels on Rte. 9 in Hadley, including Comfort Inn, which is about 10 miles from NEFS.
Mention us and receive a discounted rate of $80 (plus tax) a night at The Quality Inn, 117 Conz St., Northampton, MA 01060 (413) 586-1500.
