Course Description

Join Charlotte Lyons for her first course here at the Jeanne Oliver Creative Network!

I grew up with my grandmother’s motto, Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without. When I started hooking rugs in the 80’s, the process began with collecting wool clothing to deconstruct, felt and then cut into strips for hooking. After awhile I had a house full of rugs and so much wool, I started exploring new ways to use it.

It wasn’t long before I discovered felt appliqué and the beautiful range of pieces I could make for our home from such humble beginnings. As the years went by, the ability to repurpose fabrics and materials grew in importance. To my own craft and also to the world at large where upcycling is easier than ever. We love to rummage at flea markets, thrift stores and even trunks of sentimental pieces to discover bits to repurpose. In this course, simple stitching, stamping and design transform fabric into three unique and lovely modern textiles.

Techniques Taught in this Course

-How to reclaim fabric from a garment or repurpose a sentimental bit
-How to felt wool in the washer and dryer
-Ways to design your own decorative motifs
-How to create a folk art pillow with felt appliqué
-How to use different textiles and values to build a monochromatic collage
-How to carve a stamp and print your own fabric
-How to use simple stitch techniques to add dimension to your work
-How to build a portable sewing box
-Pattern making
-Textile design
-Slow stitching
-Stamp carving and printing
-Kantha stitching
-Embroidery
-Stitching
-Applique
-Creating folk art imagery
-Transferring design elements to fabric
-Making wool felt
-Making a wool tassel
-Upcycling fabrics
-How to use color value to balance design
-Training your creative eye
-Deconstructing clothing to upcycle
-Collecting fabrics to repurpose
-Building a portable sewing kit
-Fabric assemblage and stitching
-Constructing a pillow and sachet
-Constructing a fabric wallet
-Printing your own fabric design
-Making an embroidered buttonhole
-Finding inspiration in textiles
-Repurposing found textiles
-Making fabric yoyo’s

Learn to look at textiles with new eyes and make something modern to cherish.