Feltmaking at Ford First School
Thursday, 16 June 2011

Feltmaking in Schools
9 local schools have been visited by Anna Turnbull and Paula Constantine, 2 artists experienced in feltmaking, to involve the children in working with wool from local breeds of sheep, collaborating on the creation of a number of felt wall hangings.

The finished hangings have been displayed in their schools and in various community locations over the summer including The Glendale Show, Berwick Slow Food Festival, Etal Show, Kiknewton Show, The Glendale Festival, Bamburgh Show, Belford Show, Horncliffe Harvest Festival, Crookham Community Lunch, Belford Harvest Festival, The Cheviot Centre Wooler and a Heritage Music Event in Wooler.

Hugh Joicey C of E First School, Ford, Year 3
The class had already created drawings of their visit to the ‘Children’s Countryside Day’ and were to use these as the basis for their individual designs for the felt wall hanging.
The first step was to redraw their pictures in wool, selecting fibres prepared from a variety of local sheep breeds
A wool fibre outline was laid down first.

It was then in filled with various coloured wools to create a wool picture.

Each child also added their own background.

A large background of wool fibre was laid out on bubble wrap, and then their individual pictures were placed on top.

It was all sprinkled with warm, soapy water, then covered with more bubble wrap and sheeting, and tightly rolled around a pipe. At last the felting could begin as the children took turns to roll the piece.

Every now and again the piece was checked, then turned and rerolled to create even shrinkage as fibres worked their way together to create a piece of fabric.

More rolling, outside this time, singing accompaniment as they worked.

More rolling, outside this time, singing accompaniment as they worked. Finally it was unwrapped, rinsed and dried, and their creation admired.