The Felted Wool Blanket Master Class begins Tuesday, October 1! If you’ve been wanting to learn how to make a felted wool blanket of your own or for a gift, now could be the time. To learn more or to enroll, click the button:
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Last week, while in the midst of settling the final pieces for launching the Felted Wool Blanket Master Class, I got an email from Marina.
Marina was a Fall 2018 student and was writing to say she was heading back into the course materials (lifetime access!) to begin her third blanket. This made me do a little happy dance :)
As I wrote her back, I spontaneously asked if The Green Sheep could feature her in a blog interview to help people learn how the class might fit them. She generously said yes.
So here’s Marina, along with photos of the adorable blanket she made while in the class. Welcome, Marina!
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Joan: Marina, tell us a little about yourself, what you value, and what makes you you.
Marina: I think of myself as a maker of things and a life-long learner. I grew up in France in the 60s when cooking from scratch and making things by hand was valued. Whenever I make something, whether it’s food or a garden bouquet or a quilt or a knitted gift, I want each thing to be something people use and gain joy in every day. Then I feel nurtured and alive!
I gladly share what I know, and I am grateful that I have found equally sharing folk along the way. I see a newfound respect for handmade things, I see a time when we will have less stuff and finer objects, made with love and caring, and that fills me with optimism!
Joan: What was your sewing background before taking the Felted Wool Blanket Master Class?
Marina: I have been sewing on and off since college, from making household furnishings to clothes, then simple quilts, at first. I am also a gardener, and like to pull my areas of interest together, like when I made pin cushions with the log cabin quilt design and filled them with lavender from my garden. (Gardening is, by the way, much like quilting and blanket making: color work, on a grander scale!)
Joan: Would the course materials be appropriate for someone who may have sewn a bit in the past but who considers themselves still a beginner?
Marina: I think the course materials are appropriate for anyone who has a basic understanding of how to operate a sewing machine and has had experience with simple assembly.
Joan: What caused you to choose to sign up for the Master Class?
Marina: I came across your work through Pinterest, I believe, and I was so impressed with the aesthetics, the quality and the thoughtfulness of your blankets that I started following this blog. I jumped on the opportunity to take the class because I love the idea of repurposing beautiful textiles. I think of it as a modern version of the quilting tradition to make do, to be thrifty and creative at the same time, and to create something new from something that has served a previous purpose.
I was particularly impressed with the concept that the master class would be available to use indefinitely, since I knew I’d need to refresh my memory after a hiatus when the garden, or knitting, or quilting, takes first place.
Joan: You described so well the value in being able to go back to the curriculum! I found that to be true in online classes I was in—that’s what caused me to offer the same.
In the course, I encourage class participants to not be afraid to experiment. With two blankets under your belt now, can you share what you learned from the process of doing and experimenting?
Marina: That is some of your best advice! Working with felted knitted woolens is at the same time more challenging and more forgiving than working with woven materials, with which I am very familiar. The only way to make progress and get comfortable with the process is to do—I think that is true of all crafts. Be brave and do it! Truly, what could seem daunting is not if you follow the step-by-step approach, get your first blanket done, and then plan another.
Joan: I’m so glad to hear you’re going back to the course materials as you start this THIRD blanket—it tells me the curriculum has longevity. What can you gain from the course again at this stage?
Marina: After the master class was finished I went through it twice more in the process of finishing my first blanket. What happens, as you get more familiar and comfortable with the process, is that little things pop up that you may not remember the first time. And I can assure you that I will refer to the master class video every single time I make the binding! I found with your method that everything you recommended matters, and if I follow your advice, I don’t steer too far out of line!
My first two blankets have a lot of graphic detail. They were gifts to newborns and I wanted them to be as much play mats as blankets, fun and cozy. The bonus appliqué advice at the end of the class was enough to give me the confidence to “do and experiment” there as well.
My third blanket I hope will recall my garden. Swaths of color, paths, a timber frame garden house, a huge hedge, a woodland in the back ground. Right now I think it will be a more abstract design, more impressionistic than literal. In that project I am going through the master class again to focus on improving my techniques: better seams, tidier corners, using some more challenging felts, such as thicker material and textures.
Joan: I’m eager to see what you do next! What attracts you to working with wool?
Marina: I have spent so much time handling material that I really value the hand feel of wool, especially felted wool. I also have an affinity for what comes from nature. One of my dearest friends raises alpacas, and working with fiber that I have seen literally seen grow is very inspiring.
Joan: Thank you, Marina, for spending this time talking to me and to the readers. It was a pleasure working with you in the class, and it’s been an extra treat here for me to get to know you better!
I LOVE this blanket! Absolutely gorgeous!!!