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When a suri llama breeder asked Jan McArdle and me to conduct a felting workshop at her studio using suri llama fiber, my first thought was that I didnt think suri fiber would felt. Because my mantra is there are no failures in felting, I wanted to make sure this wouldnt be my first! Jan, too, was skeptical about suri fibers felting properties, so we had the breeder send us samples from two suri fleeces to see how it would work with various felting techniques.
I have to admit I was amazed at how beautifully it felted! Both Jan and I saw a definite difference in the felt produced from suri fiber compared to many other fleeces with which we had worked. The felt from both samples that were sent had a real luster and shine to the finished product. We tried felting the fiber to silk gauze, and we created felted pieces of varying thicknesses. We felted other fibers to a suri base, and we needle-felted suri locks to wet felted pieces. It was fun to experiment and convinced us that suri fiber had great potential for all sorts of felting projects.
The group of friends assembled at the studio the first Saturday in December was a whiz-bang group of artists, and the energy level was high before we even began. Only three of them had ever felted before, but they were all eager to learn. Aside from fiber of various kinds and colors stockpiled all over the owners studio, several friends had brought items and embellishments to incorporate into the finished products. They were like kids in a toy store; just itching to be given the go-ahead to play.
After we provided the basic felting instructions, everyone went off in a different direction, creating bags, scarves, pillow tops, wall hangings and vessels. Some used only suri fiber in their projects, and others combined fibers and colors. Some used only wet felting techniques, while others needle felted or sewed embellishments onto their creations.
We provided a number of felting books to give people ideas and serve as a starting point, and they bounced ideas and suggestions back and forth throughout the entire day. It was an enjoyable group because no one was intimidated by anyone else or by their own lack of felting experience. Whatever crossed their minds, they tried, and the results were outstanding.
By the end of the workshop, suri fiber had proven its worth as an artists medium as much as any painter's acrylics or potters clay. Each artist created original works truly worthy of display or sale to the most discerning customer. It was a great learning experience for me as much as anyone else. It was just the inspiration I needed to felt a few last minute Christmas gifts
A llama owner since 1988, Sheila Fugina started felting about eight years ago to help expand the market for her fiber. She and her husband Britt live near New Richmond, Wisconsin, where Sheila leads her countys 4-H llama project, serves as president of the Llama Association of North America, and writes for Llama Life II magazine and several camelid newsletters. She is active with the national Camelid Community gathering, is a member of the Camelid Working Group dealing with permanent animal ID, and each spring Sheila helps coordinate Llama Magic, a major educational and marketing event at Lake Elmo, Minnesota.
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