Gualala Arts Workshop
Wearable Art Felted Vest
Instructor: Carin Engen

Saturday - Sunday
March 8 - 9, 2008
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Register by:	February 25, 2008
Tuition:	$90 members; $100 non-members
Materials fee:	$40
Materials List:	Old bath towels, bits of yarn, ribbon, lace, 1 gallon plastic container, scissors, hand sewing needles with eye big enough for yarn.
Age:	12 and above, process is strenuous
Class size:	minimum 5; maximum 12

Saturday you will make a rectangular piece of felt using Carin's hand-dyed Merino roving. She has 24 colors to choose from, plus she brings lots of stuff to inspire the students. You will learn how to add bits of yarn, thread, fabric and lace to your felt to create texture, design and color.

Sunday you will make the felt rectangle into a vest that custom fits. There is little sewing and by taking advantage of the shrinking quality of wool you can create shapes that are perfect for your body. . . no vests that fit like a box in this class!

You will also cover needle felting embellishing and Carin will have felting needles for sale. Please note, this class is suitable for beginner felters.

About Carin Engen

Art is like magic to me. The process of making a thought turn into something that can be held in my hand is what I love. It amazes me. Once finished, I have no desire to reproduce it. The magic is no longer there because I know what it looks like. Needless to say, production work is not for me. My creative and experimental passion has lead me down lots of roads and as a result I have become proficient at many fiber art techniques. I use the knowledge I acquired during my art journey in my felt. I continue to explore the world around me for design inspiration and follow my ideas to make one-of-a-kind felted items.

I was lucky to be born into a family of very creative people. I was influenced by all of them. I grew up next door to my grandparents. My grandpa made beautiful inlaid work tables, some with geometric designs made to look 3D by the grain of the wood and the placement of the pieces. I remember watching him working very patiently with tweezers to place each very tiny piece of wood in its place. I spent lots of time with him in his shop, too much time if you could ask him.

My grandmas didn't make quilts but they both sewed beautifully. I think I got my love for patterns from my grandpa. He made me see them. The women in my family taught me quality. My grandpa taught me to play. Both of my grandmas were named Emma. When I was a little girl I thought when you became a grandmother you changed your name to Emma. I also thought that everyone on the Earth was creative and thought about and did the same things that my family did. My grandparents owned a dairy farm with 150 cows each named after a flower. My grandpa built his house and all the out buildings. My parents built the house I grew up in and my mom created a wonderful garden, planting every tree and flower. We were always creating something.

The Gualala Arts Center, located at 46501 Old State Highway in Gualala, CA,
is open weekdays 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and weekends from noon to 4:00 p.m.
Please call (707) 884-1138 for more information, or email info@gualalaarts.org.

Serving the coastal communities of northern Sonoma & southern Mendocino Counties.