Children and adults will come together at North House Folk School from Feb. 15-19 to learn how to felt wool to make bracelets or to make, among other items, rugs and woolen mosaics.
The Northwoods Fiber Guild will once again teach fiber-art classes to children and adults during the annual Northern Fibers Retreat at North House Folk School in Grand Marais. It is the seventh year for this fiber-filled event, which will take place Feb. 15-19.
The retreat is a collaborative effort of three local organizations in Cook County, which includes North House Folk School, Grand Marais Art Colony, and Northwoods Fiber Guild.
A popular program designed specifically for families at the retreat is the “Fiber for Kids” classes offered by NFG members on Saturday, Feb. 18 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. It features a variety of hands-on fiber projects for kids age 7 and up. Participants young and old get to experience fun with fibers – and each other – in a unique learning environment. The morning goes by quickly with six different projects set up at six work stations.
This year, students will learn how to felt wool to make bracelets, weave yarn on circular discs, create mini books with assorted papers, design one-of-a-kind Suminigashi ink printings, learn Kumihimo braiding techniques, and construct a tangram puzzle with felt. Everyone leaves with at least four completed projects.
The tuition for these classes has not changed for seven years. The cost is still $15 per adult/child plus $5 for each additional child. There is a 25 percent local discount, as well as scholarships available.
The NFG instructors involved with the kids’ program are Nancy Backlund, Karen Kobey, Susan Lappi, Denise Martin, Penny Ortmann, Lorrie Oswald, and Kay Rosenthal. Several other guild members will also be teaching adult fiber courses during the five-day retreat. Adult classes include Woolly Critters Intro to Felting, and Sculptural Felting by Elise Kyllo; Beadweaving Deerskin Bag by Marci McIntire; Penny Rugs & Woolen Mosaics by Karen Smaby; and Flowers & Fauna of the North Woods by Jo Wood.
The NFG members will be hosting a fiber “Show & Share” session on Friday, Feb. 17 at the Art Colony from 7:30-8:30 p.m. All are welcome to attend and enjoy tasty desserts and beverages.
For more information about all of the courses and community gatherings going on during the 2017 Northern Fibers Retreat, contact North House Folk School at (888) 387-9762 or visit the website www.northhouse.org.
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