Gourd Box
We'll start with some nice thick gourds, and give them a stain and wax finish. We'll practice carving on scraps, and then you'll carve your design. There are no limits to the design! Graham will saw along the lid line, and then you'll clean the innards out, and make the insides smooth. Voilà! A sweet box to keep something fine in. There will be various sizes and shapes to work with. It's a noisy, dusty project; bring a mask, and hearing protection. Materials: $7-10, depending on the gourd.
Enameled Jewelry
We all need a pair of those “go to” earrings! Use a torch and enamels to do just that. Learn to enamel copper washers to turn into your new favorite hoops! The best part is that if you want to make more at home you can with this easy method using a torch and powdered enamels. Make two pairs if you would like! Add some sterling silver ear wire to complete your designs. Material fee $12. Check out MaryAnn's etsy shop for inspiration! https://etsy.com/shop/artisanbeadsplus
Sewing Bags
We'll be making the poolside tote from Noodlehead! What better project for the slog of March than one that will have us imagining lake trips with fresh beach towels? Christina will guide us through pockets and linings and handles and interfacing. You will need to bring your machine with you to FLAIR and I'd put this in the "adventurous beginner" category. Not your first time driving a sewing machine, but you don't need to have sewn your wedding dress. Supply list will be provided by the teacher prior to the workshop. Supply fee $10.
Metalwork Jewelry: Recycled Silver Rings
Recycle silver scraps by melting them down and turning them into the focal point of a ring. Choose a letter, shape or texture to create your very own custom piece. In this class, you'll make your own ring band from sterling silver wire and solder your element to the top. No previous jewelry making experience needed. You will learn forming, shaping, stamping, soldering and some different ways to recycle your scrap metal! Supply fee: $10
Dried Flower Wreaths
The most satisfying craft! Plenty of Posies will bring us oodles of their finest dead flowers and we'll arrange those crunchy beauties into wonderful wreaths! A great way to explore color and texture combinations, and each one comes out stunning and unique! You can also go rogue and make a swag or alternative shape for your wall. $55 supply fee.
Kumiko Woodworking
Kumiko is a type of traditional Japanese woodworking used to create decorative infill on shoji screens. Mastering the art of kumiko takes patience and excellent hand tool skills, but modern woodworking tools and some clever jigs help make basic kumiko accessible to all of us. In this workshop, we will cut and assemble a beautiful kumiko panel which is yours to take.
$30 for the kumiko supplies. If you want to purchase a frame to mount it in, those are $40. You can bring fabric for the backing of the frame. Solids are great. Shiny fabrics are extra special. I will have milk paints to paint the frames, although if you have other paint/stain ideas, you can bring them. And finally, if you want to purchase a jig and strips to make more kumiko in the future, the jigs are $75, strips are $30, and frames are $40.
Jersey Knit Leggings
Learn how to sew with knits and make your own pair of girls’ or ladies’ leggings! You will learn techniques for working with knits including cutting out, sewing seams, and topstitching for a professional look. We will use the Jalie Stella Pattern, which is simple and has an elastic waistband. You must know how to use your sewing machines, how to straight stitch, backstitch, and how to follow a seam allowance. You do not need previous experience with knit fabrics. Supply fee $32, and fabric specifications will be sent by the teacher prior to the class.
Book Binding: The Wooden Coptic
Learn how to bind this historic and beautiful book with wooden covers. The binding allows the pages to lie flat with durable hardwood covers— we’ll be using walnut boards. The class will focus on sanding boards, preparing signatures, and sewing the whole book together. All levels of experience are welcome. Supply fee: $15 for prepared boards, $20 with DIY board preparation (includes practice wood).
Optional board preparation class (1-2 hours)
Learn how to drill the holes for the Wooden Coptic Binding! This includes a bit of precise (yet satisfying) measurements and drilling into the covers for the book.
Holey Gourd Buffet
Graham is back with an array of gorgeous gourds to choose from! You can make nightlights, a pendant lamp, or a globe light! This fun and noisy project involves a lot of drilling, and dust! Luckily we all own masks nowadays. Supply fee $15-30/gourd-ish. You will have time to do two night lights or one larger gourd project, most likely.
Printmaking
We will make lino-cut prints on paper and fabric. Experiment with two color prints if you like! Bring design ideas and any special papers or clothing you'd like to print upon. Brayers, cutters, ink, some paper, and linoleum blocks will be provided. Supply fee $10. We'll also have access to the FLAIRina library of blocks, so get psyched and bring extra undies!
Bag Sewing: Poolside Tote
Noodlehead designs the best bags! This poolside tote is a great size--perfect for towels or whatever else you plan to sneak into the swim club. Lots of custom touches can be added, like zipper pockets, additional custom pockets, or a key ring! You will need a sewing machine you can bring to FLAIR, and you'll pick out your own fabulous fabric with instructions from Christina. $10 supply fee.
Woodworking: Parquetry
Branch out into new territories with Maria Klemperer-Johnson! Veneering is the process of applying a thin layer of beautiful wood to the surface of a more utilitarian substrate. We often associate veneer with cheap furniture from the mid-century or Ikea, but in fact, veneering has a long tradition in high end woodworking and can allow you to use beautiful wood that otherwise would be structurally unsound (think burls) in furniture. Specialized veneering techniques include marquetry, "painting" pictures or organic shapes with veneer and parquetry, creating geometric patterns with veneer. We'll be creating some small parquetry panels using a variety of wood species.
Basketry: Bark Containers
In this class we will make containers out of pine bark. You’ll learn the basics of when and how to harvest the bark and get your fingers sticky as you fold and sew together a unique and naturally expressive vessel. Pioneers--we will expect you to make these for us during the End Times, m'kay? Supply fee: $15
Twined basket
In this class we will work with iris leave and corn husks, transforming these soft materials into a robust and beautiful basket. You’ll learn about the harvesting process, the technique of twining and a couple variations you can incorporate into your individual creation. Supply fee: $15