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Classes in Felt and How to Register I give introductory classes in wet or dry or needle felting. A two and a half hour class is $45. The whole day is $90 and includes lunch. We will cover wet and dry or needle felt. I provide the materials. It is a great day to come to the farm and work in my studio. I have found that scheduling a class is the biggest problem. I need a minimum of 4 students. Get a group together and email me and we will find a time that works for us. There is a class scheduled for Friday, June 25. Please email me for details and registration.
Upcoming Events May 20-23, 2010 Be sure to see our article in the April/May issue of Country Magazine www.country-magazine.com and the Alpacas Magazine (Official Journal of Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association) Winter 2010 issue. About Us
My Alpaca felt combines all the things that I love. I love my 43 Suri Alpacas, I love color and I love nature. There is an organic exuberance with my hand dyed Alpaca fiber. It feels like a combination of cashmere and silk. There is a spiritual connection between these gentle animals that we have birthed and raised and the composition of the felt work. The felt process is a wetting down of the fibers with soapy water and slightly agitated; the microscopic barbs, similar to Velcro, which are on all fibers, hook together and allow the creation of scenes that are both visual and tactile experiences. The finished product is much more sturdy than it appears. The last step in the felting involves throwing the piece on the table as hard as you can. It is much more durable than it appears. I also paint in oils. My oil painting has grown tremendously with my experience in felt and my felting has grown from my oil painting. I need to pinch myself. I am living a life I had only dreamed of . I didn't dream the details....but being able to work on my art all the time, that has been the dream since I was small. My husband Ron and I are both retired. We live about 45 miles west of Chicago near Elgin, Illinois. We started our Alpaca adventure in 2003 with the purchase of 2 females. We were looking for something that we could do together. We were both widowed and were brave enough to re-marry in our later years. This created a combined family of 9 children all blessedly grown with their own homes and families. We had tried the winter home in Florida, but it just wasn’t for us. We visited a local farm and then an Alpaca show and met people who were our age and had farms. We had no farm background. Ron’s pre-retirement business was in wholesale and retail candy and I had a small interior design firm. But these gentle and serene animals stole out hearts and there was no looking back. We upsized to an 1875 farmhouse, long on charm and short on mechanics (no A/C, propane gas, our own well) and 5 acres of land. We call it a farm and once it was, but there was no barn anymore. The house is remolded and the fencing and new barn are all done. The Suri Alpacas are here and definitely part of the family. Now I am combining my love of painting and my love of the animals. The Alpacas hold my heart. The wisdom of the ages and a sparkle of curiosity combines in their expressive eyes. I feel a wonderful connection to them. We care for them, food, shelter, assistance in birthing or health issues when necessary. We train the babies to be easy to handle and go into the show ring and they give us this indescribable fleece with an annual hair cut in May. When someone asks why we do this, I just hand them some fleece and they melt with appreciation. Now working with the hand dyed Suri Alpaca fleece in my tapestries, I combine my impressionist painting style and love of color with my Alpacas. So we work together in a daily partnership. This must have been how the pioneer women felt about the livestock they partnered with. I need to pinch myself. I am living a life I had only dreamed of . I didn't dream the details....but being able to work on my art all the time, that has been the dream since I was small. Now the grandchildren number 17 and are all thriving, loving and terrific. We just celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary and the herd on the farm is up to 45 Suri Alpacas. How deeply blessed we are.
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