Saturday, June 29, 2013

Portugal wool felt workshop 葡萄牙羊毛工藝交流

My wool felt workshop in Portugal was fabulous. Truly brimming with new skills and inspirations.  The Serra da Estrela sheep, so called "Bordeleira" in the farm are wonderful and their fleece are fantastic to work with.  My week in the farm was wonderful.    
我在葡萄牙不一樣的羊毛工藝交流 .
優美山莊田野, 美酒餐飲與來自不同地區的朋友共同學習, 好享受的文化與技巧交流.
The workshop was held in the ecological farm amid the olive groves in central highland of Portugal.

Participants from the US, Spain, England, Portugal, Sweden and me from Hong Kong.  On the first night welcome dinner...
Wow, I love cat, she greeted us as well.

Next day felt artist Nicola Brown started instruction and demo.

We started on different projects as we decided.

I was making a beret with nuno felt skills.  The silk fabric was my own dyed euc leaves.

All our days in the farm were super with blue sky though hot.

Lunch in the sun was great feel and comfortable

Each day served with breakfast, 2-course lunch and 3-course dinner with wine

The first day I completed the beret

Next day a fish bag with handle.  Indeed I intended to make a jug with handle but come out not so proportional I turned it to this look.  So call it the "fish bag".  Making wool felt is flexible that wet pieces can be changeable to something unexpected.   (I don't mind but I can't do custom order !!) 

Following days were handbags with 3D textural surface mixed with decoration of local raw fleece.  I like to work with the long and short fleece.  A very special combination.

The brown silk scraps were eco printed by myselt.  This is truly OOAK.

Without needle this technique of making a textural surface is wonderful.  A little purse with long rope is cute. 
Again a simple bag with long raw fleece.  The fleece is super white after felted.

A sculpture with curl tail, embellished with flower

3D vessel with mulberry silk.  My first trial to make the firm rim and shape.  Turnout good.

A session to watch local sheep shearing in the same farm.

My rug done with the  fleece just shorn.  Though took some time to pick the bits.  I like to do a small piece.  Love the texture, the brown fleece is particularly soft.  I call this a "black & white sheep". 
We've done lots creations in the week.  Time to show the local village people how wonderful the wool are.

Nuno felt scarf, iPad case, sculptures, vessels.... 
Corner of my works - handbags and beret.
Rug of raw fleece by Ann, rope necklace by Cynthia and hat by Conchita. 
These are amazingly done by Heather, Ann and Estela. 

Variety creations, some are done by the girls.

 Eco print and dye are part of the works showcased. 
Tie marks on wool felt and euc leaves are impressive. 
Nuno felt scarves are beautiful 
Sandy's nuno felt scarf looks like a pretty flower patch. 
The hanging demo by Nicola is awesome 
Eco print & dye on silk or wool felt are great 
I was glad to share the tying on chiffon 
String marks and eucalyptus prints 


My other way of using the "dark fabric" (with iron mordant) to transfer prints on another silk fabric. 
Nikki's silk fabric with local oak leaves and strong euc prints. 
We'd a visit to a wool processing factory and museum. 
In the factory we're introduced quality of wool. They're very well to felt and good price.  I bought 4 Kg home.    
 These are part of the projects I made during workshop.
My travel to Portugal was quite a fabulous interaction with international participants to broaden my wool felt skills and creations.  Next journey going on in Spain with good friends.  Will have another post about the exceptional scenery of Andalucia......

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12 comments:

  1. Looks like a wonderful trip with wonderful projects!

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  2. WOW....what a great learning, sharing trip and thanks for all the great photos

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  3. Fantastic blog post....What a fantastic week!!!! Thanks so much for all of the marvelous photos...So many wonderful creations!

    If you have time at some point, might you give a little more information about transferring the prints onto another silk? And, if I'm not being too greedy...a little information on getting those beautiful string marks....yours are always so lovely.

    Thank you so much...I'd wished that I could go to Portugal prior to the workshop, and now seeing all of the photos, I really, really wish that I'd been able to go ;-)

    Big hugs,
    Dawn

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    1. Thanks Dawn, you're sweet. Portugal event was such a great fun. I'm glad to share whatever I'm or you're interested in. My previous post has mention the method of iron fabric mordant, here http://terriekwong.blogspot.hk/2012/09/poetry-images.html Hope this helps. For the string marks it is of folding and bundling method. I've a picture of simple steps. Will send you sep. mail. Hope I could write something about string marks with pictures later to share with all.
      Terriea

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    2. Thank you so much for the photos, Terriea....And, I'm heading right over to read the post that you reference ;-) You're such a great help. Hope that you're having a great day.

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  4. A workshop followed by an exhibition - and such an exhibition! Well done to all!

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  5. Wow, you made many beautiful items at the workshop! Looks like everyone worked very hard to get a lot completed during the workshop. It's always great to spend time with other artists, isn't it?

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  6. What a wonderful trip you had and so lucky to be among people who share the love of beautiful OOAK creations. There is always something new to learn and new techniques can be passed on between everyone there. I am so glad you enjoyed yourself and can't wait to see what else you will share with us. Thank you my friend,
    Susanne ♥

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  7. It's great to see all of your lovely projects again, Terriea!!
    Your 'dyeing tutorials' were amazing and your teaching methods were so well thought-out and organized. Thanks, again!
    One small correction though...the table with my raw fleece bag was filled with Ann and Estella's work, not mine. :)
    XO--Missing you!

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    1. Thanks Heather, you're sweet. Corrected with thanks. Hope to see you again somewhere. Your generous tutorials are great for my future works.
      Love you.

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  8. My teacher Nicola Brown is so kind and has been trying to post comment here but somehow unable to upload. She sent me message and asked me to post below. Thank you so much Nicola for your amazing teaching. We learnt and enjoyed so much.

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    Hi Terriea, I'm not sure if my first comment got lost over the airwaves so here goes with another attempt. Thanks a million for being such a good friend and a wonderful workshop participant, it was very special to have you, Heather, Estela and Sandy as returning guests! The felt you created was stunning as always, beautifully designed and beautifully finished. Our week together was very special, thanks so much for being so generous with your knowledge about natural printing and dyeing, everyone absolutely loved your demonstration and the fabulous results!!! I'll treasure for always the beautiful notebook and amazing scarf you gave me, thanks yet again! I hope that we meet up at another international event sometime soon, until then lots of love from Ireland. XXX Nicola

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