I know you've been waiting for this!

Ukraine!!!! 

This mosaic was just on the side of building almost given no prominence!

I was based in Kiev for my stay and was able to wander the streets in the evening and marvel at the incredible architecture of this very old city. 

 It took me a couple of days to find my feet really. There was real culture shock but I really warmed to this place. I would have loved to stay longer. I've started making a cabbage salad I had there (recipe by taste alone) it takes me right back. I anyone has the true recipe I'd love it.

The view from my hotel balcony.

The workshops here were 1 day each and built on the skills acquired from the day before. We began with interpreting images in felt.

Just putting in some other shots

This was apparently a short escalator on the metro

Day 2 was hats. The women were so much fun and really began to discover that language is not such a large barrier to getting to know people. I had a lot of fun.

I just love this shot of Anna

Day three was small sculptures and my mind was stretched helping them to interpret their ideas into a template shape that would work for their plan. I did not manage to get photos of them all unfortunately but here are some.

I had such a memorable time in Kiev and my sincerest thanks goes to Oksana who started the whole European trip by just asking me to come!! All it takes is an idea.

Roads in Kiev

I was moved by this place. Immersed in this historic place you begin to wonder how events came to pass and  how life was here not so long ago. It seems a lot of handcrafts have been lost as whole villages were moved and looms and spinning wheels left behind. There is a vibrancy here that will be making it's mark on the crafting world in the not too distant future.

Denmark makes it's mark

As I  said previously I had the most incredible week in Denmark. It was a change of pace after teaching 4 workshops where I got to play student and play I did.

Can you believe this photo. I think they must have the best hollyhocks in the world there. These were outside the tiny house Hans Christian Anderson grew up in. His whole house would fit into my kitchen. Makes you think. After wandering around Odense I traveled out to Glamsbjerg and began one of the feltyest weeks a gal can have. Europe is seriously talented in felting terms and some of the best were all there. Felt in Focus has been going for a few years I think and seems to have grown in success each year. The food was great and the people even better. We had a fashion parade and unfortunately my camera didn't cope with the light or the speed of the models so here are the best.

My first workshop was with Lisa Klakulak.We worked on jewelry items and looked into how felted a partial felt can be. This was interesting and we pushed the boundaries on what can and can't be felted in to another felt surface. Even though we were making jewelry we all seemed to make some rather large pieces.

As you can see we used the sewing machine to help define areas of our work. Lisa is a great teacher with a depth of knowledge on wool fibre and how it behaves. I have some ideas on how to use this process as adornments to my work. Below are some examples of what I made.

We got to go into town on day three to wander the shops and see the felt exhibition. This was a collection of work from some of the teachers and other Dutch feltmakers. Great to see so much felt on display at once.

My second workshop was with Elina Saari She has developed some amazing needlefelt products, some of which we used to make scarves and jackets using her techniques. This was a whole lot of fun and she has such tremendous enthusiasm it was impossible not to be caught up in it all. She likes to felt in the sauna and standing above the work is her preferred viewpoint. So up onto the tables she would leap stretching and milking the felt.

It's a bit hard not to feel a little drab in comparison! Below are the samples of my work made with her. The scarf I prefer as a hat. We had a bit of fun dressing up for the final night with all our scarves on our heads.

I have made some great friends from this week and really enjoyed the camaraderie achieved with "my own kind" A special thanks to he Irish, Danish and Dutch feltmakers who befriended me and kept me up way too late!  Denmark is well worth the visit and so beautiful. Check out the blue of those flowers

Beginning at the end

I've decided to blog from my last workshops and end at the beginning. Perhaps this way there can be a new beginning elsewhere?

Tulip in Amsterdam

There was 2 amazing workshops in the Netherlands with the workshops named Garden to Garment. It was a good title as the plants came from the participants gardens and the beautiful garden of my host Dorie
I am grateful to India for blessing me to work and teach in her methods and I have added to the immense respect I already have for her work, when working with plants from Gardens in the other hemisphere! So much to learn and I would love to have more time to explore all the potential of their colours.

 We wrapped and printed wool and silk on day one . You can see the patented Pam method of wrapping tightly if you hands aren't strong enough, just tie the end to a door handle and use the weight of your body to pull against. We combined samples and stitched and felted garments in day 2

I managed a couple of days to get into Amsterdam. Those canals are so beautiful and the tall buildings on each side let this girl know she wasn't in Kansas anymore.

Netherlands, happy, tired and content

Well I am drinking some amazing home made Grand Marnier at Dorie's and reflecting on 2 amazing Natural dye workshops. We have ooohed and aahhhed over unwrapped wool and silk samples and revelled in the colours of a Eurpoen garden. The Stokroose (hollyhock) was an amazing colour and Henni came with some real meekrepwortel (madder root) which coloured like some incredible red worms. The samples we felted together to create some wonderful walking art.
 I go tomorrow to meet with Elis to wander the streets of Amsterdam before I head home to the land down under and my beautiful boys.
Then I will have to organise the zillion photos I have taken and select a few to document the trip better for you.
No mean feat I assure you
I will fly for about a day to get home so forgive me if it doesn't happen straight away.

Denmark

I have just had one of the the most wonderously felty weeks ever in Denmark. I have been to Felt in focus No-one but another felter would understand such a gathering. Maybe Treckies would. I was able to meet some of the wonderful people who visit my pages and of course meet other teachers as well. It was like being amongst felting royalty.
I had one workshop with Lisa Klakulak. Wow I can see how she gets such a beautiful finish on her work. She has a really solid understanding of the material and brings it all to bear on the work. Wait for the photos!!
Next was Elina Saari She is a pocket rocket! Such enthusiasm and passion about feltmaking you could not beat. She and her parrot were very great fun. It was really amazing to use her products she has developed herself. You will love the photos from that one.
Tomorrow Amsterdam and the next chapter of an Aussie feltmaker abroad. Stay tuned

Kiev

This has been the most different place I have ever been and yet again the feltmakers are such warm and thoughtful people. I must look different as people seem to stare at me. Perhaps it is my clothes. Very Blue Mountains. Kiev has so much history seeping from every drain hole and steeple tip. The cathedrals and palaces. my god there must have been a lot of money here at some point.
We have been felting 3 days now with wall hangings, hats and sculptures. I am exhautsed but the walking about 100km round town last night did not help. I thought I would just see a few things but I could always see another thing up ahead. It doesn't get dark till about 10pm so there is a lot of night life.
Tomorrow Demark! A new adventure and time to put the learners hat on. Till next time.

Update minus pics

I have so much to tell and will go into more detail with pics when I return home. I am now in Germany for my last night before heading Ukraine. Wow I have found out I love to travel and felters are the most friendly and hospitable people you could wish to meet the world over.

Ireland  is such a beautiful country!!!  I passed so many amazing old ruins I began to get a bit picky about which ones I would get out the camera for!!  So much history and such a story to go with it all. Dingle has certainly had the hand of some god upon it for it is certainly blessed with beauty.

The Irish students were both warm and giving and I hope to see some photos of the dry finished work soon.I had adventures on the return with my first time at driving 140kmhr to get the car back in time!!!!

In Germany  I have had an asounding time with some great felmakers. I am honoured that these people felt they had something to learn from me. 3 days of some incredible hat making. I learn so much from teaching. They take me to places I may not take myself.

More from the next time I have time.
Pam

Bags are packed?

Hmmm. Think I bought too small a bag. But what to leave behind? I'm on attempt 3 of packing. Today it must be done though as I fly off tonight for 6 weeks of excitement with all my new friends!!
I shall miss my beautiful boys, it will definitely be a testosterone zone while I am away. I'm sure the time will fly and I will be back bossing them to tidy rooms in no time.
Not sure when and where I will be able to blog when away or if I'' be able to upload pics. So be assured that when I can I will keep you posted.
If you are coming to Felt in Focus Denmark please seek me out and we can catch up.
Catcha soon!!!

Want one of these??

I will be in Germany Xanten, very close to the Netherlands Border. soon and if you think you would like to join us for three days of wild and wooly fun making crazy hats then contact the beautiful Britta I will be there for 24th, to 26th June

J.R. style dress and wild beanie

I wanted to get some photos of this one before it goes off to Sydney tomorrow. A late night stitching in the lining, but happy in the end. The beanie is a corespun a little overspun to get great long twisties. The final out fit has some long fingerless gloves in the same wool but they are still in concept phase. Had to get pix today as my model has a life!! and was unavailable tomorrow. I am hoping the gloves will add the elegance with the length and the grunge with the thickness of the yarn and fingers popping out.