Dawn following Horst's directions to attach a roving skirt to a ready prepared bodice
Dawn and I had the most AMAZING time in Streetsboro, Ohio with Horst, Jess, Gina, Choxie and Panzer, Choxie and Panzer being a Pomerarian and a Corgi respectively!!! We can’t thank them enough for their warm hospitality and Horst’s mother for all the wonderful sweet deserts she brought every day, peach cobbler, apple crisp, cheesecake with cherry topping, German chocolate cake and some tasty and seasonal pumpkin cookies, reading through this list it’s amazing that we didn’t return to Michigan 2 stones heavier than we arrived late on Monday afternoon! I know from all the emails and Facebook comments I am recieving that you are really looking forward to seeing some of our photos from the visit so here goes with just a couple and as soon as the Kalamazoo workshops are finished (I had a marvellous time today) I promise to write a longer post and share the finished dusters (THREE!!!) with you. I do hope to add some more pictures to my Flickr account tomorrow evening but in case I don’t have time after the complex bag workshop is over please bear with me as I still need to prepare my presentation for Monday night’s talk to the Kalamazoo Weaver’s Guild! To give everybody some background information (for all of you who are SO envious out there in cyber space!) we started our ‘Horst Couture’ induction on Tuesday morning by learning how Horst attaches an organic style duster bottom to a partially felted bodice, watched as he wetted it out, worked with personally adapted electric sanders, rinsed to remove the soap, dyed the duster by hand (he is a master colourist!) and then fulled the dyed coat in the tumble dryer before removing it to a fanfare of trumpets just ready for Dawn to model and me to take some photos! The second day when Horst was off teaching we prepared HUNDREDS of various attachments for the next few dusters (petal like attachments, leaflets and loops) and spent some time that evening working out exactly what we would be doing on the following day as well as watching while Horst dyed the bottom of 8 sleeveless vests in preparation for further work the next day. It would also be fair to say that we prepared 5 large bags and 4 ‘pocklets’ but equally true to confess that not all of these worked out exactly as we planned. We nearly died laughing when we discovered how disasterous some of these bags (purses) turned out to be but more about this and loads more photos to follow in the next post when the KIA workshops have finished!!! I also can’t resist adding another photo to today’s duo, Dawn modelling a fun fur hat which we just happened to find in Horst’s studio and I’m sure you will agree looks absoultely stunning when modelled by her!
Dawn looking absolutely stunning!
- Dawn modelling the amazing finished duster (which now sits proudly in her closet ready to be worn to the Weaver’s Guild meeting in Kalamazoo MI on Monday night!)
I would have killed to be a little mouse with the both of you when you were with Horst. I look at what he has created and in my mind, there are so many questions as to how he got it all together. I will be anxious to see more photos and dialog. I know the both of you are having a great time together, and I am sure you are almost on creative overload……………..
Carole Dysart
I can’t wait to see these photos…as it seemed that there was one being taken on every movement that was being made! Again, I had such a great time and wished that we could have felted all summer long together…to think of all the creations we could have accomplished…now I return to the studio…very lonely already, but great memories that I still find myself laughing over. I will post photos of the other duster…and it won’t be dyed ORANGE!!! I am going to make a gown with a train like your duster…I loved that one!!!
How inspiring your trip and learning is Nicola – wow. Eileen and I loving all the updates here in Ireland. I might send this post onto Leonie, I’m sure Esme would be amazed. Keep on creating
Good evening Nicola, and of course Horst, too…
Wow! Didn’t know I looked so, ummmm, unique in that hat. Why, I must say, I’ve never seen anything like it in my life:-) Oh, the fun we had…I’ll be chuckling for a long, long time. What an absolutely amazing visit. Thank you Nicola and Horst (and family, too) for a truly great week.
Hugs,
Dawn
It seems you had the best time of the world, so happy for both.. all three of you.
I would love to see Dawn wearing the duster to the guild meeting and hear all the oh’s and aaah’s! ..and see the duster and her smiling face from up close myself.
Thanks for sharing your creations from working with Horst with those of us taking the KIA class this weekend! It has been so inspiring learning from you, and it’s always so good to be reminded by pros such as you that there is more and more to learn! That’s what I love about felting, it’s an ancient craft yet still so new in how it can be created and manipulated. You are a great teacher, Nicola, and I can’t wait for another day of learning today!
[...] has some fun with Horst; has some more workshops and plans to head off to [...]