As usual, it’s been a very busy few weeks!
I’ve rebranded my handyed yarn and fibre company, Kattikloo, all ready for FibresWest in Vancouver last week. I still have to make all the website changes and load up the shop, now that I’m back…but it still feels like a major accomplishment to have gotten this far!
I was able to use most of my display units from the studio at the show…so wonderful and easy….and the show was a great success…..we doubled our sales from last year, with equal sales in yarns and felting fibres. I was so happy to bring all of the felting wools and prefelts….to have the intensely coloured yarns that I dye, and also the walls of felting supplies, which is most true to my creative heart! This was a dream from last years show…and so great to have realized that goal!
I hardly spent a minute in the booth though, as I was teaching all day on both days of the show. My wonderful friend Rachel talked with all of our fabulous customers, and I am so grateful for her company! Every other year all of my boys have come with me, and they don’t enjoy fibre talk half as much as Rachel does…so all around a good plan!
I have no pictures from my first class in nuno felted vests….but my 10 students were wonderful, and their finished vests, amazing….We used sheer, handdyed silk gauze and extra fine 19 micron merino rovings in a vast array of colours….the finished results were superb and I think everyone was pleased with their results…and a little surprised at the ease of construction. Great students, great fibres and great felting…..
(In the getting to this class there was a little incident with a long train and a very large roll of bubble wrap that I may tell you about separately!)
The second class was a shibori class of 12. It is an idea I developed for an article in Living Crafts magazine last year. It was quite delightful to teach….a refreshing departure from full on felting or dyeing, but a process which certainly has applications in both. The last 30 minutes of fulling provided a fun balance to the time spent stitching traditional nui shibori patterns in the habotai and chiffon silk scarves.
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In addition to feltable yarns, we added silk organza, prefelt and silk ribbon elements. Experimented with shibori and yarn to create three dimensional shaping and texture. One of the best parts of workshops- the new directions that emerge as we share…Lots of fun- room for creativity and application in other textile crafts. The finished results were fantastic. No finished pictures- I’m sorry…It is a challenge to get picures while teaching, and also of finished items in thses short, one day classes.
Thank you to everyone who came…to my classes and to my booth at the show. Thank you to Rachel for being my super salesperson! And thanks to Brenda from Penelope Fibre Arts for organizing such a warm, friendly, and inspiring show once again!
Warm wishes,
Fiona
Hi Fiona, great to hear from you : you have been BUSY !
Lots of beautiful yarn and the workshops must have been fun !!
Have a Happy Easter weekend. Love