Felting Workshop

Thursday Oct. 1, 2015 , 5 to 7 p.m.
A group of people sit at tables in a classroom, listening to a presenter standing near a large screen displaying an image. Various materials and supplies are on the tables. The room has bright natural and artificial light.

Laura Grenard, M.Arch '12, led a hands-on workshop on the art of felting, which converts loose wool fibers into a non-woven textile through simple mechanical processes. We had a great time learning to wet felt by hand with wool roving and batts supplied by The McRanch in Dripping Springs. The workshop included a presentation by Laura on the origins of felt and its applications in architecture and art. Heather Sutherland talked a bit about her ongoing research with Claudia Rodriguez on natural dyes at the Materials Lab. By the end of the evening, each participant produced a sheet of felt to take home, and also created a module to contribute to a new piece that will be displayed in the Lab at the end of the semester.