Design-Your-Own Felted or Unfelted Bag
Perfect Fit Technology Case in Stripes:  from Laptop to Smartphone to Kindle to HUGE
Biography of Nora J. Bellows

NORA J BELLOWS

Design-Your-Own Felted or Unfelted Bag
Thursday, October 14, 2010
9:00am - 4:30pm
Class Fee: $115
Class Size: 15 students*Please note : Students must bring MATERIALS as per materials list.*
If you LOVE bags . . . and have always wanted to make yourself the perfect bag, this is the perfect class for you.  Design your own Fabulous Felted or Unfelted Bag! Or tweak existing patterns so they are exactly what you want. . .

This day long class is for the person who wants to create something truly different, who wants to knit "off pattern," or learn more about the process of making a felted or unfelted bag of your own design.  In this class, students will be encouraged to develop their own creativity, and experiment with bag shapes, color combinations, interesting "embellishments," in short to "design" a unique bag.Students will go through the process of conceiving of and designing a felted or unfelted bag using one of three basic methods of construction. Using all sorts of things as inspiration - from natural objects to haute couture bags and hats, to French pastries, to jewelry - students will draft their projects, write a project pattern, put together their own yarn color combinations, and begin to knit a bag and decorations.  Students will learn how to trouble-shoot potential problems and take advantage of design features in addition to learning the basics of felting, blocking (shaping), and professional finishing techniques.

Experience required:  Participants must be comfortable knitting, working on circular needles, and with simple addition, subtraction, and multiplication.

MATERIALS LIST :
Students should bring:  A pencil or pen, an assortment of circular and double-pointed needles, particularly size 11 and 13 for felted bag, sufficient felting yarn to work with, scissors, Tapestry and sewing needles.

Instructor Provides:  Course handouts, instructional & inspirational materials

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Perfect Fit Technology Case in Stripes:  from Laptop to Smartphone to Kindle to HUGE
Friday, October 15, 2010
9:00am - 4:30pm
Class Fee: $115.00
Class Size: 15-20 students

Please note - This Class Fee Includes Materials Kit.

 This class has two main objectives:  1. Make a customized felted case for your smart phone, your Kindle, your HUGE laptop, or all of the above—bring your mobile technology!, and 2. Learn the secrets to fabulous stripes.

After measuring your laptop, phone, or computerized book reader, we will use a fill-in-the-blanks pattern: each student leaves with a unique pattern (or several). The rest of the class will be focused on a fun, hands-on, no-pressure exploration of why some color combinations dazzle and pop while others fall flat.  After a short lecture/demo of basic color theory and an overview of simple knitted color-work techniques to make horizontal or vertical stripes, students will be encouraged to explore their creativity through testing many possible color combinations using simple color work techniques.  While students may bring their own yarn for the class project, 250 yards worth via small balls of yarn will be provided as a part of the class allowing each student to challenge his/her color comfort by choosing colors that he/she might not otherwise.

Experience Required:  Participants must be comfortable knitting, purling, and working on circular needles.

Students should bring:  An assortment of circular and double-pointed needles, particularly size 11, and, if preferred an assortment of yarn colors wound into small balls.Instructor Provides:  A color sample "kit" that includes 250 yds of worsted weight yarn in many colors and wound into small balls for each student as well as the pattern for the Perfect Fit Laptop (mobile technology) Bag.  An assortment of other Noni patterns will also be available for purchase.  


 

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Biography
Nora J. Bellows
 

 An award-winning educator at the college/university level with an MFA in creative writing and a PhD in English Renaissance Literature, Nora J. Bellows began creating one-of-a-kind, felted bags with original felted flowers under the brand name Noni®  in 2001, shortly after discovering knitted felt.  She began publishing her own pattern line under the Noni brand in 2005.  The pattern line now boasts 71 designs, including felted and unfelted bags, knitted/felted flowers, accessories, and garments for children and adults.  The patterns are available in over 600 boutique yarn stores domestically and internationally and have been translated into German, Danish, and most recently Swedish.

Nora's felted designs have also appeared in several publications in the US and Britain, including Interweave Felt, Knitting Today (UK), and Simply Knitting (UK).  She teaches intensive, hands-on knitting and felting workshops across the country.