Felt fabric-making workshop in The Barlow
By Jane Vick
Good morning all! Happy Wednesday! How has everyone been? Quite the heat wave we’ve been experiencing. I spent most of my working hours last week poolside—ah, the luxurious freedom of being a writer. Pounding the keys to the dulcet tones of water splashing and cocktail shakers is more than alright with me. The word count is high, the tan coming right along!
I missed everyone last week, but am glad to be back and excited to share this week’s Look, which is interactive! Get ready for The Little Wool Workshop, hosted by local artisanal textile mill JG Switzer. Located in The Barlow in Sebastopol, JG Switzer produces handcrafted blankets from wool sourced from one of the oldest operating mills in England—a farm that also carries a Royal Warrant for supplying interior fabrics to Windsor Castle! Much of their wool is milled in their Barlow workshop, and all their products are designed, cut and sewn by hand onsite.
Cool fact about wool: This ancient natural fiber is closely linked with humans throughout history. The earliest wool clothing found has been dated to between 4000-3000 BCE, and small statues found in Iran depicting sheep, dated to around 6000 BCE, suggest that it was around this time that sheep began to be bred by Persians for their wool. Its receptivity to dye, springy durability and soft texture make it an ideal fabric.
Learning to felt wool—the process of turning raw sheep’s wool into fabric—is an awesome way to dial in to the history of textile and reconnect with a slower process of fabric-making! The Little Wool Workshop entails a 30 minute tour and hands-on discussion of wool, and a 30 minute fabric-making session. While waiting for fabric to be ready, I highly recommend lunch, at either Blue Ridge Kitchen or Fern Bar. Fabric can be picked up about an hour after the session, and used in a variety of different ways, including pillow cases, dog or cat mats, washcloths and more.
Take this felt fabric-making workshop in The Barlow Friday, June 10 from 11-12pm. $60 per person, visit www.jgswitzer.com to register!
Looking phenomenal, everyone.
See you next week!
Love,
Jane
