50 SHADES OF GREY, FELT!
Online course with Wendy Bailye
Dates to be advised
$295 USD
(USD used as it is an international class, payment plans will
be available
50 Shades of Grey, FELT!
Would you like to:
Develop your creativity
- Learn about the creative process
- Learn how one sample leads to the next
- Learn how to join discordant elements together
- Learn to innovate
- Explore and create with easy guidelines
- Access a range of creativity tools and resources in the class including talks, posters and worksheets
Learn new skills
- Learn the art of sampling and experimenting
- Explore new materials
- Learn new techniques
- Make more innovative felt
- Make better quality felt
- Create work from a sound knowledge base
- Learn to document your work so you can re-create pieces easily
Minimise creative stress
- Remove the creative pressure to reduce your frustrations
- Make samples to suit your own needs
- Welcome sample “failures” as material learnings
- Utilise scraps and materials already in your stash
- Save time and money
- Work at your own pace
- Fit your study and sampling into your life
Make unique work
- Learn simple ways to create from your life experience
- Gain confidence to use new materials
- Become more comfortable experimenting
- Make work that is more your own
- Explore ways to re-create textures and patterns from nature
Enjoy creating
- Learn to play more – play is the basis of creativity
- Gain knowledge and create confidently
- Develop bravery to try new techniques without the pressure of “failure”
- Have fun trying new ideas
Be supported
- Meet feltmakers from all around the world
- Join our group Zoom calls and forum discussions and learn together
- Become part of our private Facebook group and Alumni group
- Chat with me and the other students in the class, as well as past and upcoming 50 Shades course students
About the course
This online class is a process/sample-oriented workshop designed to develop your feltmaking skills in a playful, experimental manner. We will concentrate on textural and surface decoration techniques using a variety of fabrics and fibres in interesting ways. You will learn a multitude of techniques, including mixing and matching fibres and fabrics, that extend your technical skills.
We will limit the colour of the materials used in class to black and white to focus on the diversity of techniques available to you through the interaction of the fibres alone, without the distraction of colour. Integrating these technical skills into your coloured feltmaking after the course will result in more advanced technical design and execution, greater creativity, and an enhanced appreciation for the mediums you work with.
Throughout the course, we will reference my huge collection of felt surface samples in order for you to experience a wide variety of new techniques in shades of grey. You will complete the course feeling inspired to try a huge variety of new techniques and use your great new skill set to fire your passion and creativity.
For those of who prefer projects, you can use your samples (hand stitched together perhaps) to create something wonderful! For those not drawn to black and white, you can always over dye your samples after the class.
Congratulations on creating the best online workshop I have ever seen.
– ALLY M.
Finally, someone teaching sampling – what a great way to extend your own creative direction.
– Anonymous
Brilliant workshop – start of a wild and wonderful journey of exploration. Sampling = learning.
– Anonymous
Why take this course?
Supercharge your feltmaking
This course will help you to be more creative, adventurous, and imaginative in your felt work. Sampling gives you the permission to invent surfaces and designs with a degree of freedom you do not have when doing a project. This course will teach you how to sample in an organised manner, and in a way that helps maximise your learning. Your feltmaking skills will be deepened, your knowledge base will develop, and you will gain new experiences with a range of materials. You will be given instructions, but you will have complete freedom to choose what to sample and what to create.
Make beautiful felt
After doing the class you will have developed a new range of skills to create more beauty and harmony in your feltmaking. Your felt will be more thoughtful and more creative and your skill level will have increased. You will have more confidence to try new materials and techniques and not be quite so afraid of failing! Learning to sample gives you a newfound courage to experiment and each sample leads you to a new learning and outcome.
I think the sampling format and being able to access the whole course at the commencement of the workshop helps considerably in slowing me down, as I don’t feel I have to keep up as with a step-by-step project-based workshop.
I love the recipes to be able to dip into for ideas.
Thank you for being so supportive.
I am so glad to have joined your workshop.
– MARJ L.
I’m having a great time making samples and following some unexpected directions they lead me towards. This class has turned me into a dedicated sampler. It’s remarkable how much more pleasing my finished felt is, and how easily it comes together. And now the process is even more calming for me as well as the felt. Thank you for that reassurance, and for the immense amount of work and information you have put into this course. It will be an invaluable lifelong resource for me. Cheers.
– LINDY.M
Thank you SO much for your wonderful course and for ALL your timely feedback and guidance. I’ve done many online and in-person fiber courses over the years and you are by far the best so far! I appreciate your willingness to share your vast artistic knowledge and your encouragement for creative exploration. I look forward to taking your next online course and have dreams of taking an in-person course in Australia someday!
– KATHY F.
What to expect
Self-paced
This course is designed for you to be able to do completely at your own pace. You will receive lifetime access to all of the lessons and resources from the course start date, giving you the freedom to work your way through the course as quickly or slowly as you wish and to fit it in around your schedule.
What’s included
- Unlimited access to me as your support person and guide for 6 weeks
- Lifetime access to all course content on the Ruzuku platform
- Access to the alumni Facebook group
- Discussions with Wendy and the group via Facebook and the Ruzuku chat forums (it is not necessary to connect through Facebook if you don’t “do” Facebook)
- Multiple Zoom calls with Wendy and the group
- Downloadable and printable worksheets and information sheets
- Felt “recipe cards” to prompt your sample-making
- Bonus creativity guides
- Narrated Powerpoint presentation on creativity and making your work your own
- Shrinkage rate guide and formula
- Design principles and elements charts
- Creativity kickstarters
- Materials list
- Suppliers list
- The opportunity for individual mentoring (please note there is an extra charge for this – many students have asked for this as an option.)
This workshop will keep me experimenting for a long time. So many ideas and options. Fun to be able to share with many creative individuals.
– Anonymous
Great inspirational workshop. Able to adapt techniques shown into felting work, told to try everything, there are endless possibilities, some challenges, and results positive and/or negative are always a learning opportunity.
– Anonymous
[Wendy’s] guidance and patience in the class is much appreciated. I will go away with a wealth of information that will be used for years to come. Thank you, Wendy.
– Anonymous
Course Outline
1. Course Introduction
- Meet your tutor – Video and welcome PDF
- The course and FAQs – PDF
- Getting the most from your class – Video and PDF
- Suggested learning sequence – PDF
- All class PDFs in one file to print
- Sample recipes – All in one PDF
2. The Art of Sampling
- Sampling theory: Why sample? – Video
- How to make a flat piece of felt – Video & PDF
- How to make neat edges – Video
- How to make a great set of samples – Video
- Labelling samples – Video & PDF
- Using a sample template – Video
- Template label to print – PDF
- How to use a sample recipe card – PDF
3. Making Felt for Sampling
- Working in multiples – Video and sample “recipes” PDF
- Good marriages and dangerous combinations – Video and sample “recipes” PDF
- Working out shrinkage rates – PDF
4. Utilising pre-felts and partial felts in your patterns and designs
- What is pre-felt/partial felt? – PDF
- More about pre-felts and partial felts – Video and sample “recipes” PDF
- Using partial felts on the surface of felt – Video
- Making interesting pre-felts/partial felts – Video
- Pre-felt and partial felt – Sample “recipes” PDF
5. Surface decoration techniques
- Cutting techniques in feltmaking – Video and sample “recipes” PDF
- Embossing – Sample “recipes” PDF
- Drawing on the surface – Video
- Mark making and dyeing techniques – Video
- Using free machine embroidery to enhance your felt – Video and sample “recipes” PDF
- Machine stitching and tension guide – PDF
- BONUS: ‘The Art of Embossing’ Wendy’s article – Felt Magazine (Issue 15) PDF
- BONUS: Inventing unique surfaces – PDF
6. Deeper Fabric Explorations
- Cotton muslin and scrim – Video and sample “recipes”
- Silk velvet and devoré – Video and sample “recipes” PDF
- Synthetics – Video and sample “recipes” PDF
- Lace and Doileys – Video and sample “recipes” PDF
7. Material Know How
- Working with fabrics – Video
- Using fabric on the felt surface – Video
- Fabrics – Sample “recipes” PDF
- Working with yarns and threads – Video and sample “recipes” PDF
- Working with fibres – Video and sample “recipes” PDF
8. Bonus Creativity Resources
- Sample ideas (a very long list!) – PDF
- Creativity sample “recipes” – PDF
- Inspirational images of Shades of Grey, Felt! – PDF
- BONUS: Creativity and making your work your own – Video
- BONUS: Principles and elements of design – PDF
- BONUS: Creativity kickstarters – PDF
9. Materials and Resources
- Materials list (essential student requirements) – Video & PDF
- Suppliers list – PDF
- Thank you – Video
I found Wendy’s workshop “Shades of Grey” eye opening. It has enabled me to greatly develop my felting repertoire. I come from a design background and she enabled me to easily apply design principles to my felting. Thank you Wendy.
Finally, someone teaching sampling – what a great way to extend your own creative direction.
Brilliant workshop – start of a wild and wonderful journey of exploration. Sampling = learning.