Felt-making holiday courses in Tuscany

Step, step together we will learn the ancient art of felt-making, whilst telling stories and fairy tales, sipping tea, spirits and wines and delighting ourselves with local culinary delights: cantucci, panforte, almond pastries, cheeses, berries, nuts, seasonal fruits, appetizers and vegan snacks for the most sensitive.

*Costs: € 240 half board (includes picnic in Saturnia) inclusive of course, material and the annual card for the association *LA TENDA DELLA LUNA* for the non-members.

The card entitles you to one year from the date of participation to the events of our Association and some B&B discounts as well as the possibility to use or sleep in the Tipee at certain times of the year dedicated exclusively to members.

The wool used comes from fleeces of sheep shorn by hand, grown by farmers in organic farms respectful and ethical.

Felt is a fabric that has neither plot nor warp, created simply with the work of the hands, soap, water, and natural sheep's wool. The sheep need to be shorn annually and wool excess would be a waste for the land if not used. During the course we will use the technique of needle and wet felting.

May 2nd-5th Course of “felt-painting”

After reading a story together, each one of us will extrapolate the image that most struck her/him and "paint" it with wool.

May 30th–June 2nd Rag Dolls with Felt clothes

Starting from the fairy tale of Baba Yaga we will make contact with our inner and secret little girl/boy and give her shape creating a doll to express our hidden moods, dreams, emotions or feelings to which we would like to learn to give more space. We will use natural and ethical materials. Bring along fabrics and clothes that you no longer use. to make clothes for your dolls.

July 4th to 7th Let’s make our guide Felt Animals

The term 'person' in ancient Greek (per sonam) indicated the mask through which the true voice of the actor resounded. Behind every ego there’s a voice, a soul hiding. And every soul is an animal. Rediscover your most instinctual and spontaneous nature by finding your inner animal and / or guide animals and representing it/them with the technique of felt-making.

August 15th to 18th Tapestry for the Women Tent*

Starting from the myths of Goddesses and Mothers, Priestesses and Queens, Nymphs and Fairies, magical gardens, animals and lost enchantments we will create a collective tapestry dancing barefoot on the wool itself to turn it to felt, to the rhythm of traditional music.

*only women holiday.

---

Septemnber 5th-8th: Dyeing, drying and carding

Through spells, enchantments and alchemies of natural colours extracted from plants and barks collected when walking together through the woods, we will make decoctions in which to dip the flakes of raw wool to dye it. We will then dry it in the sun and card it manually.

3-6 October: Felt hats and headwear

To protect and to warm,

cover and decorate, or to reinforce the art of Dreaming,

since the Nights of Times they were made

woven, worn and given. h

Headwars, hats and hoods…

Some were enchanted, some only beautiful.

Of every kind, shape, fantasy and purpose.

We will make a hat weaving a song.

And then we will wear it on our last breakfast together,

with milk tea and cake.

(never mind if we’ll look a bit silly..)

---

October 31st -November 3rd: the Cloak of wishes*

It 's Samhain, the Celtic end of the year, the magical moment in which the gates between the worlds are thinner. Together we’ll celebrate the shift of Light, this passage from the old to the new year, by creating a felt cloak which we will be able to decorate with woven garments dear to us but no longer used. We shall weave on it our wishes for the new year. We will then all together make a great fire wearing them and we will burn in the flames written on scraps of paper all the things we no longer want in our lives, to make room for the realization of our desires which permeate our enchanted cloak.

*women only course

---

December 19th to 22nd : Felt Slippers and shoes for women and little girls☺*

The Winter Solstice is one of the most powerful natural passages of the year, when we celebrate the return of the Sun with all Its gifts for the Earth and all living beings. We will create enchanted slippers that they may, for those who want and can, give the wearer the power to imagine other worlds or dimensions so to make of our imagination a tangible reality, and get closer to the dimension of light that from the 21st of December will return slowly to shine upon the earth.

*only women holiday

---

Timetable:

---

Thursday:

-Thursday-from 14.00 - Arrival with tea and tart

-6 to 8 pm felt workshop

-8.30 - Dinner with organic products and local wines

---

Friday & Saturday :

-8,30-9,30 am - Breakfast with local products

-10,00-12,30 – felt workshop

---

-4,30-7,00 pm – workshop and snack with homemade

-8 pm - Dinner

---

Sunday:

-8,30-9,30 am- Breakfast

-10,00-12,30 – felt workshop

-13.00 - Picnic in Saturnia and bathing (weather permitting)

-Departure before 18.00

---

We will meet in 2014 January 3 to 6 for Christmas stocking and lots of sweets!

• Accommodation in double or twin room, 2 rooms share a bathroom.

**Meals with organic produce and local wines, without meat. For vegetarian or vegan meals please request upon of booking.

* For information or booking email: bluepigintuscany@gmail.com or call 0039-0564.519109(home) and 0039 388.8387.195 (mobile)