Robin Blakney-Carlson & Anna Poulos
Artfelt Techniques - 2 Day Workshop
Saturday, October 16 and Sunday October 17, 2010
9:00am - 4:30pm
Class Fee: $200.00
includes materials except
as listed below.
Class Size: 20 students
On the first day we will be making a collaged flat felt, the second day embellishing the felt with hand stitching or machine stitching, needle felting, beading, etc. The emphasis is on creating a non-functional piece, akin to the art quilt.
We will consider surface design through the use of color and texture. We will share embroidery and embellishing techniques in addition to the felting techniques, making this workshop suitable for beginners through advanced feltmakers or stitchers. Visual inspiration will come from nature and a sense of place rather than an attempt to interpret something realistically. This can be very freeing as students explore technique and feeling, and leave behind the idea they have to make a picture of something tangible. It encourages the art phobic to trust their abilities, and people who already love to stitch and combine techniques will enjoy learning new techniques like couching and needle felting. 
Students, please bring the following:
1 small plastic cup (yogurt carton is fine)
1 pail
1 big sponge
2 old bath towels
1 felting mat, 30 x 30 inches (we recommend solar pool bubble type)
2 pieces of thin plastic sheeting, the size of the mat (dollar store plastic drop cloths are fine, not heavy plastic) 
1 piece of sheer old nylon curtain or tulle fabric, slightly larger than 30 x 30" mat
4 felting ties- about 24" long, (cut 3" wide strips from old tee shirts, or legs off panty hose)
1 bar of olive oil soap
small amount of liquid dish soap
plastic apron
2 plastic grocery bags
small pair scissors
2 or 3 large eye, embroidery needles with a point
embroidery floss if you have some, instructors will also have embroidery floss
OPTIONAL: sewing machine, with extension cord & sewing thread in contrasting colors
Register - print and mail form
Register On Line
Robin Blakney-Carlson has been making felt for over fourteen years, and teaches at Florafauna Textile Studio, http://www.florafaunastudio.com located in the historic Shirt Factory in Glens Falls, NY at the southern edge of the Adirondacks. Her work has been represented in exhibitions and galleries in New York and New England. Robin studied at California College of the Arts and Crafts, Munson Williams Proctor School of Art and with numerous master feltmakers. She discovered her passion for feltmaking, after years of intense explorations into other fiber arts, at a family vest making workshop led by her sister, internationally known feltmaker Polly Stirling. Robin found in felt the perfect art form- combining color, texture, and fiber into a process that flows into project. She also finds great excitement in felt as a medium, fueled by her interest in material culture, apparel design and tradition. In her teaching, she loves to communicate this endless creative potential, as feltmaking students open to their own imagination and expressive possibilities.
Robin shares life in Glens Falls with her husband Harry, a Standard Poodle, a Bedlington Terrier, a Maine Coon cat and an American Fat cat.
Anna Poulos
Anna has been involved in needle arts since elementary school. It was then that she learned to knit, crochet, sew, and hand embroider. She is a long-time member of Smocking Arts Guild of America (SAGA), and received their Best in Show award for her original smocked dress design in their national design competition. Anna is a graduate of many Martha Pullen Schools of Heirloom Sewing. Her work has been featured in Sew Beautiful magazine.
Robin Blakney-Carlson introduced Anna to the wonderful world of felting several years ago. Within a year they became studio mates, and this past year joined passions to form Florafauna Textile Studio, LLC. Collectively, Anna and Robin teach workshops in feltmaking, natural dyeing, embellishing, smocking, embroidery and couture sewing techniques.
Anna's love of garment making has evolved to include explorations in texture with machine and hand stitching and needle felting. She shares these techniques with her students to create wonderful designs and textures for embellishing. In recent years, Anna's focus has expanded to natural dyeing and “eco printing". Her love of natural fabrics, texture, color and vintage style is evident in the detail and range of her work.
Anna makes her home in Glens Falls NY with her husband, four children and three German Shorthaired Pointers.
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