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Workshops

Workshops taking place throughout Fibre Week are always a success.

Please note many of these workshops have mandatory supplies. To ensure that you’re ready for your class, check the the supplies list in the workshop details to know what you need to bring. Full course descriptions and fees are listed below. Registration opens March 1, 2023 @ 8:30am MST.

Friday, June 16, 2023

  • Exploring Blends and Colours in Spinning - Confirmed

  • Beginning Spinning - Confirmed

  • Needle Felt a Landscape or Flower Picture - Confirmed

  • Botanical Printing on Fabric - Confirmed

Saturday, June 17, 2023

  • Twist Control - Spin Thin - Confirmed

  • Twist Control - Spin Thick - Confirmed

  • Masterful Plying - Confirmed

  • Explore the World of Luxurious Fibres -Confirmed

  • Wet Felt a Small Satchel Style Purse With a Flap Opening - Confirmed

  • Traditional Rug Hooking for Beginners - Confirmed

  • Bundle Dyeing and Indigo Fun - Confirmed

Sunday, June 18, 2023

  • Choose Your Own Spinning Adventure - Confirmed

  • Needle Felt a Hare - Confirmed

  • Needle Felt a Succulent/Cactus -Confirmed

  • Beginning Weaving - Confirmed

Friday Workshops

Exploring Blends and Colours in Spinning - Confirmed

Spinners can customize yarn by blending fibres and colours in almost limitless ways, but it’s still important to develop skills and knowledge to use blending tools properly and choose the right fibres and colours for the look you want. In this class, we will cover the most common blending tools and how they are used; how to evaluate and prepare different fibres for blending; and different fibre preparations and ways to spin them.

Type of Workshop: Spinning

Instructor: Vanessa Bjerreskov  

Date/Time: Friday, June 16, 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Prerequisites: Beginner - can spin a consistent singles.

Student Supply List

  • Spinning wheel in good working condition with three bobbins (spindles can also be used)
  • Hand cards
  • Hand combs (optional)
  • Hackle (optional)

Tuition: $195 + $20 material fee

 

Beginning Spinning - Confirmed

Whether you’ve never set foot in the same room as a spinning wheel before or you’ve been spinning for a while and just want a refresher, this class is for you!  Working with wool rovings and tops, we’ll cover the basics of spinning both woolen and worsted singles, plying those singles together, and how to get a balanced yarn.

Type of Workshop: Spinning

Instructor: Christie Schulze

Date/Time: Friday, June 16, 2023 - Saturday, June 17, 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Prerequisites: None

Student Supply List

  • Spinning wheel with at least three bobbins (bobbins optional)
  • Lazy Kate (optional)
  • Sharpie 
  • Notebook and pen
  • Non-slip mat or rug to put under spinning wheel (optional)

Tuition: $295 + $40 material fee

Needle Felt a Landscape or Flower Picture - Confirmed

Needle felting is a method of creating art using wool as your medium. In this workshop you will learn about different breeds of wool and their properties. The felting needle is a sharp, barbed tool that allows us to manipulate wool roving into shapes and pictures. We'll start by needle felting a sample piece to help us understand how the needle works and gain confidence using the needle. Each participant will then put their new-found knowledge to use creating a needle felted picture. 

Barbara Leighton, founder of the Leighton Art Centre, believed that every person is an artist - they just needed to find their right medium. Perhaps wool is yours. Try felting and find out!

Type of Workshop: Felting

Instructor: Leah Cathleen Donald

Date/Time: Friday, June 16, 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Prerequisites: None

Student Supply List

  • 1 bath towel 
  • 3 hand towels (ones that can be used for art)
  • One or more landscape or flower image to create.  Simple images are best

Tuition: $195 + $30 material fee

Botanical Printing on Fabric - Confirmed

Learn how to "print" leaves and other plant material onto natural fabric to create beautiful, lasting one of a kind garments!  We will print an assortment of leaves on fabric to learn the process, then expand our skills to use a dye "blanket" to give the space around the leaves natural colour. 

Type of Workshop: Dyeing

Instructor: Lorelei Sommer 

Date/Time: Friday, June 16, 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Prerequisites: None

Student Supply List

  • Apron to protect clothing
  • N95 mask to provide protection from powdered natural dyestuff

Tuition: $195 + $45 material fee

 

Saturday Workshops

Twist Control - Spin Thin - Confirmed

Are you having trouble varying the thickness of your yarns? Do you want to break out of your default spin? Then learn to take control of your twist! Twist is the biggest factor in controlling the thickness of your singles and plied yarns, so it’s important to get comfortable with varying it in order to not spin the same thing all the time. In this ½ day class we will look at the factors involved in spinning our yarns THINNER, using three elements of spinning we can control: ratio, draft style, and treadling. 

Type of Workshop: Spinning

Instructor: Kara Perpelitz 

Date/Time: Saturday, June 17, 2023 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Prerequisites: Spin a singles yarn

Student Supply List

  • Spinning wheel in good working condition 
  • Spinning wheel maintenance kit
  • Niddy Noddy

Tuition: $99 + $35 material fee

Wet Felt a Small Satchel Style Purse with a Flap Opening - Confirmed

Wet felting is a method of creating art using wool as your medium. This felting method is thousands of years old and has a rich history in many cultures. In this workshop you will learn about different breeds of wool and their properties. We'll start by making a sample piece of felt to help us understand the unique, natural properties of wool and get used to felting around a resist. Each participant will then put their new-found knowledge to use making a small satchel style purse with a flap opening. Wet felting is a hands-on, sometimes messy art process. Wear comfortable clothes that you can get wet and not worry about! 

Barbara Leighton, founder of the Leighton Art Centre, believed that every person is an artist - they just needed to find their right medium. Perhaps wool is yours. Try felting and find out!

 

Type of Workshop: Felting

Instructor: Leah Cathleen Donald

Date/Time: Saturday, June 17, 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Prerequisites: Beginner

Student Supply List

  • Bath towel
  • 2 hand towels (ones that can be used for art)

Tuition: $195 + $30 material fee

Twist Control - Spin Thick - Confirmed

Are you having trouble varying the thickness of your yarns? Do you want to break out of your default spin? Then learn to take control of your twist! Twist is the biggest factor in controlling the thickness of your singles and plied yarns, so it’s important to get comfortable with varying it in order to not spin the same thing all the time. In this ½ day class we will look at the factors involved in spinning our yarns THICKER, using three elements of spinning we can control: ratio, draft style, and treadling. 

Type of Workshop: Spinning

Instructor: Kara Perpelitz  

Date/Time: Saturday, June 17, 2023 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Prerequisites: Spin a singles yarn

Student Supply List

  • Spinning wheel in good working condition 
  • Spinning wheel maintenance kit
  • Niddy Noddy

Tuition: $99 + $35 material fee

Bundle Dyeing and Indigo Fun - Confirmed

Dip your feet into natural dying by learning the bundle dying technique while creating a bandana. While our bundles are steaming we will chat about the basics of natural dying and then I will demo how to create a fructose Indigo Vat. Then we will play with some Shibori techniques and dip a banadana in a pre made Indigo vat.

Type of Workshop: Dyeing

Instructor: Jamie Bowen

Date/Time: Saturday, June 17, 2023 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Prerequisites: None

Student Supply List

  • N95 mask to wear while watching the indigo mix

Tuition: $99 + $23 material fee

Sunday, June 18, 2023

Choose Your Own Spinning Adventure

Every time we sit down to spin a new yarn, we make a series of choices. From choosing the right fibre to tying our finished skein, each choice contributes to the design of that yarn. This workshop will take you through a set of “choose your own adventure” exercises to design and spin that perfect yarn. Depending on your choices, you will end up with one of three different styles of yarn!

Masterful Plying - Confirmed

Plying can be a source of frustration long after people have mastered spinning. Understanding the factors involved in good plying can help you figure out how to achieve tension and consistency and make you happier with your final product. This class covers how to control different aspects of plying, plying techniques, and troubleshooting issues you may be having. 

Type of Workshop: Spinning

Instructor: Vanessa Bjerreskov 

Date/Time: Saturday, June 17, 2023 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Prerequisites: Beginner spinning - can consistently spin a singles

Student Supply List

  • Spinning wheel in good working condition
  • Minimum one empty bobbin
  • Two to three bobbins with spun singles on them (wool preferred but spinner’s choice)
  • Lazy Kate
  • Diz (optional)
  • Spindles can also be used

Tuition: $99 + $0 material fee

Traditional Rug Hooking for Beginners - Confirmed

Learn traditional rug hooking basics such as materials to use, tools, and techniques to work with fabric strips and yarn and make an 8 x 8” wall hanging/mat. Creating texture and interest with a variety of fibres including repurposed fabric will also be explored.  Design your own picture or choose a pattern that’s provided for the class.

Type of Workshop: Other

Instructor: Lorelei Sommer

Date/Time: Saturday, June 17, 2023 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Prerequisites: None

Student Supply List

  • Scissors
  • A simple design that will fit within 8” squared (optional, patterns will be available)

Tuition: $99 + $40 material fee

Explore the World of Luxurious Fibres - Confirmed

Come and have fun spending time working with fine fibres. In this class we will work with wonderful soft and luxurious fibres by taking a look at Cashmere, Camel, Qiviut, and Buffalo. Learn about what to look for when acquiring these fibres and the process to get these fibres ready to spin. Have fun exploring different ways to spin and blend the fibres to make a yarn just for you!

Type of Workshop: Spinning

Instructor: Jayne Deardorff 

Date/Time: Saturday, June 17, 2023 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Prerequisites: Must be able to spin a consistent fine yarn.

Student Supply List

  • Spinning wheel in good working condition
  • Fine hand cards and combs (some will be available in class)
  • Pencil and paper

Tuition: $99 + $35 material fee

Sunday Workshops

Choose Your Own Spinning Adventure - Confirmed

Every time we sit down to spin a new yarn, we make a series of choices. From choosing the right fibre to tying our finished skein, each choice contributes to the design of that yarn. This workshop will take you through a set of “choose your own adventure” exercises to design and spin that perfect yarn. Depending on your choices, you will end up with one of three different styles of yarn!

 

Type of Workshop: Spinning

Instructor: Michelle Boyd

Date/Time: Sunday, June 18, 2023 9:00 am - 12:00 pm 

Prerequisites: Students should be able to spin a continuous single.

Student Supply List

  • Spinning wheel in good working condition (e-spinner is allowed)
  • Lazy Kate
  • 4 or more bobbins
  • Niddy Noddy
  • Scissors
  • Sense of play and adventure

Tuition: $99 + $25 material fee

Beginning Weaving - Confirmed

This class is designed for those who are brand new to weaving, as well as those who want to refresh their knowledge of four-harness loom weaving.  Students will learn how to prepare a warp, put the warp on the loom and how to operate the loom. The "how-to’s" of planning a project, reading a draft, choosing materials and finishing a project will be covered.  Your supplies will include a practice warp and enough yarn to weave a beautiful scarf.

*Loom rental is included with tuition for this class

Type of Workshop: Weaving

Instructor: Tracy La Rose 

Date/Time: Sunday, June 18, 2023 - Thursday, June 22, 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Prerequisites: None

Student Supply List

  • 10 or 12 dent reed and a raddle (optional)
  • Shuttles and bobbins (optional)
  • Hand bobbin winder (optional)
  • Seat cushion for comfort and height adjustment (optional)
  • Threading/Reed Hook (optional)
  • Notebook
  • Pen or pencil
  • Ruler
  • Fabric measuring tape
  • Scissors
  • Large blunt tapestry needle
  • Pencil crayons
  • Ball of string

Tuition: $495 + $65 material fee
*Loom rental is included with tuition for this class

Needle Felt a Succulent/Cactus - Confirmed

Learn to needle felt while creating the perfect plant for those of us without a green thumb. Learn all the basics of needle felting, learn about supplies and try many techniques while creating a succulent/cactus plant.

Type of Workshop: Felting

Instructor: Jamie Bowen

Date/Time: Sunday, June 18, 2023 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Prerequisites: None

Student Supply List

  • None

Tuition: $99 + $20 material fee

Needle Felt a Hare - Confirmed

Learn to needle felt while creating a hare. In this course we will learn the basics of needle felting, chat about tools and wools and learn how to felt over pipe cleaners to create the cutest Alberta animal, the hare.

Type of Workshop: Felting

Instructor: Jamie Bowen

Date/Time: Sunday, June 18, 2023 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Prerequisites: None

Student Supply List: None

Tuition: $99 + $15 material fee