aking, Soap making, hand-crafted, cold process herbal, natural soaps, supplies, creativity continuum,creative art and design including fashion, sewing, heirloom products, tools, essential oils, near chicago, school and gallery,creative art instructon, free parking, chicago area school for instruction in fiber arts including spinning, weaving on floor looms, weave, woven,looming,near chicago in Westmont, Illinois, IL, beaded braids, betty burian kirk, hinsdale, oak brook, darien, clarendon hills, indian head park, burr ridge, la grange, wheaton, glen ellyn
~Click here to jump down to our Glass, Fiber & Crafts Camp Sessions~
Instructor: Tammy L. Deck
Kids age 7 and up (grown-ups, too!) are invited to join us for a fun learning opportunity in the art of felt making while working on a project they'll be proud to gift to someone special. Kids will learn how to make make felt over a form... cut it free and finish it by hand sewing beads and attaching a cord. Felt making is a magical, natural method of turning wool fibers into a fabrics... all we use is soap, water and a bit of rubbing. All materials included.
Click the button to view Crafts Campers
We have taken most of our classes for kids and combined them for a great week of creative exploration. Kids may invite their mom to sign up for this class, too!
On Monday, campers will learn how to collage a journal cover using recycled and found materials and then go on to learn how to spin yarn.
On Tuesday they will ply their hand spun yarn with another yarn and go on to dye it using kool-aid then they will block print a T-shirt (please send a cotton shirt to class that day).
On Wednesday, kids will learn to knit and start working on a small project using the yarn they created... they will learn to twist cording and make felt beads.
On Thursday, they will learn how to use a bead-weaving loom and create a beaded bracelet... then go on to bind and finish their journals.
All equipment and materials will be provided. Ages 10
through... grown-ups. Campers should bring a sack lunch each day (we have a small
fridge and micro)
Camp Meets: Mon, Tues, Wed & Thurs from 9:30am to 3pm
Click the button to view Fiber Campers
Campers will learn the entire weaving process while creating their own Chenille Scarf during this 4 day session. They will measure and paint their warp with dye on the first day. On day two, they will rinse their warps and hang them to dry while they learn about felt making and make a felt cell phone / IPod carrier (see photo above). Day three will be spent setting up a rigid heddle loom and begin to weave their scarves. On day four, they will complete the weaving and finish their scarf. Ages 10 through... grown-ups. Campers should bring a sack lunch each day (we have a small fridge and microwave).
Camp Meets:
Mon, Tues, Wed & Thurs from 9:30am to 3pm
Learn to knit or brush up on your skills. Learn to cast on, knit, and bind off in this class... the basic skills needed to create those long, narrow scarves that are so popular. Trial yarn and needles will be provided during class time. Tammy will help select the appropriate yarn for your project(s)... select a scarf, a small fold over purse, or a wash cloth (yarn & needles purchased separately).
One session of 2 hours. Kids will learn about different fibers, how to comb them and spin them into a yarn suitable for knitting or weaving. Kids will keep the yarn they spin and will receive a simple spinning hook to take home. They will also try their hand at spinning on a drop spindle and a spinning wheel. Ages 10 and up.
One session of 3 hours. Kids will learn how to set up and use a bead loom to design and make items such as: friendship bracelets, chokers, head or hat bands. Beading materials for a bracelet supplied. Kids get to keep the bead loom and extra beads for a project at home. Ages 11 and up.
Kids will make their own collage journal during this 2 session class. During session 1, kids will collage the front and back cover using tissue, foil, ribbons, painted papers and more. During session 2, kids will bind their journals using twine, ribbons, sticks, beads and feathers. Most materials are supplied, but kids are encouraged to bring photos (or color copies of photos), bits of ribbon, paper, dried leaves or personal (mostly flat) mementos that are okay to be converted permanently into their journal cover. Ages 8 and up.
One session of 2 hours. Kids will design and cut their own block and then go on to transform one T-shirt by block printing various designs and images using permanent textile inks. Each child must bring their own 100% cotton shirt... all other supplies are provided. Ages 9 and up.
Date: (please call 630-963-9573 or
email if interested in this class)
Make a neck scarf on one of our rigid heddle looms. In this 5-week class kids will learn to plan and measure cotton chenille yarn for their project, thread the rigid heddle, wind the yarn on and weave their scarf. We may even be able to throw in a knitting lesson, too. Kids should bring a lunch each day (micro and fridge available). All supplies included.
Ages 9 and up.
Date:
(please call 630-963-9573 or
email if interested in this class)
Click the button to view Elizabeth & Evan weaving
Kids (and grown-ups, too!) will learn beginner level, basic techniques to make candles from scratch during this 1 1/2 hr workshop. Each student will pour 1 specialty to bring home that day and 1 standard mold (picked up at a later date). Safety topics will discussed and practiced. Students should dress in old clothes and bring a quart size cardboard creamer/soy milk or O.J. container to class.
Date:
(please call 630-963-9573 or
email if interested in this class)
Click the button to see girls with their finished purses
1 session of 3 hours. Kids will design and make their own flat felt tapestry as they learn the age old technique that turns loose wool fiber into a fabric. It's amazing to see a pile of fluff turn into a flat piece without the use of glue or sewing.... the kids have fun walking on it in a tub of warm, soapy water and feel the magic that happens under their feet! (they leave with cleaner feet than when the arrived!) Material and equipment supplied.
Ages 8 and up.