About this Event
Let's learn the art of needle felting & then make whatever we can dream up! This is an intro class with an emphasis on visible mending. Expect to leave feeling more connected to yourself & others!
Class starts with grounding breathwork. Then we delve into the art and science of creating a cohesive fabric by repetitive stabbing!
We learn the fascinating why and how behind needle felting, and basic needle felting safety as we practice techniques on a flat surface.
Then, apply what you've learned to create whatever you want! My favorite projects include visible mending*, making felt cat toys & other 3d critters, and earrings!
✨ "So satisfying", "this is addictive", and "I LOVE THIS!" are common proclamations during my needle felting classes.
Class conversation includes identifying the other types of things we felt (feelings!), and talking about where we feel them in the body, with a special emphasis on how we feel when we are creating!
*Visible mending and altering/adorning pre-existing fabric is my favorite application for needle felting. I highly encourage bringing any wool, acrylic, or other fabric blends of sweaters/scarves/etc. that have small holes in them to class to see if we can mend them with needle felting; I've even decorated truckers hats with ugly logos and turned them into works of art. If you want to decorate it, bring it--no holes required.
Leave with an appreciation for the beauty that can be created from rupture--both from your clothes & blankets as well as with the fabric of your own life!
Wool roving, foam pad, and needle(s) provided.
Assuming it's not raining heavily, expect this class to take place outdoors.
Please bring a blanket or anything you need to feel comfortable outside. We suggest a sun hat, and dressing in layers to be prepared for varied temperatures. Needle felting--like most things in life--is even more fun outside!
📍Event Details
Sunday, May 4 · 1:11 - 4:04 pm
$33-55 sliding scale. Give what feels appropriate and great for you to give. ($44-55 is suggested price if you make a pouch which uses more prefelt.)
Additional Details:
Registration required. Registration closes 24 hours prior to the event.
The registration fee is non-refundable unless the event is canceled by the facilitator.
Parking Information
Shakti in the Mountains Website
✨ Laura Marie Blankenship is a native of Abingdon, Virginia who believes in the transformative power of the arts, Mother Nature, and mindfulness practices.
Laura holds a Bachelors in Psychology from William and Mary, but is equally proud of the education she has sought out herself: her 230 hour yoga teacher training, the 1000+ miles she has section hiked on the Appalachian Trail; the 2 years she volunteered on a suicide & crisis hotline; the year she spent a year as a wilderness therapy field guide, and two winters spent teaching ski lessons.
You may know Laura if you attend local live music; in 2014 Laura began painting musicians live in concert under the name "LaMB Fine Art'; she has painted over 200 live music paintings, to the music of River Whyless, Amythyst Kiah, Annabelle's Curse, Leftover Salmon, and 49 Winchester, among others.
Laura has taken felting, painting, & meditation classes at Penland (NC), Snow Farm (MA), and Blue Ridge Fiber Fest (NC), and annually takes classes and teaches at various primitive skills gatherings. She has taught art in public schools since 2022.
Laura's approach to teaching art is "try it and see". At her core, she knows that arts offer us the opportunity to practice experimenting; cultivate confidence in our decision-making skills; and teach us to embrace creative choices both within our artistic projects and in the ongoing, ever-evolving project that is our life, so that we may create something truly new and unique to us. Her students say they leave feeling empowered and safe to be creative artistically, and that they learned the only "right way" to make art is the way that feels right to them.
Learn more here.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Shakti in the Mountains, 409 East Unaka Avenue, Johnson City, United States
USD 22.00 to USD 55.00
