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We had a great afternoon, and were delighted with our felted birds. Jo has a wealth of knowledge, which was evident in each process, and the workshop provided us with the skills to develop our own projects. Many thanks!!
Never having needle felted before I hadn’t appreciated what time it takes to produce all the marvellous creatures for sale in shops.
Had a really enjoyable day learning a new skill and making a hare that I am very proud of.
Jo was very patient and encouraging, really good
Tutor . As only 2 of us on the course we really had 5 star tuition.
Jo is such a skilled teacher. She made everything and anything seem possible. My sister and I treated one another to the course. We were both complete beginners and had no idea what to expect. By the end of the day we had each made a piece that we liked and had learnt a lot. The studio is lovely and Jo fostered a relaxed but productive atmosphere. I would recommend this course to anyone.
Jo was really welcoming and patient with 2 complete novices. We both left with pieces we were very happy with and a desire to learn more.
A surprise 1 to 1 class due to cancellations. The experience was a very high standard with excellent teaching. I felt that all my questions on how to do the felting were answered . The teaching was far above what i had expected. I left feeling accomplished with a dog that my family said resembled my photos.
Brilliant. Great step by step explanations. Made exactly what i wanted and lots of colours and wools to choose from. Tutor is knowledgeable and helpful. Couldn't ask for better experience.
I was bought this class as a mother's day present from my son. I have done some felting before and needed help to progress with my skills. Despite also having a complete beginner in on the same day, Jo tailored her teaching for both our needs and guided us to create our own individual pieces. With lots of different materials available I was able to experiment with textures and fabrics in a way that I can't at home, giving me insight into what I might want to try in future. I left with a piece of work I am very happy with, and some new skills and ideas. A fun and informative class. Thank you Jo
I would highly recommend this course for anyone with even a passing interest in learning to do this craft. Jo is very knowledgeable, enthusiastic and inspiring to her students. Amongst other things she shared the fascinating history and the technical details of the materials which are surprisingly varied. Not requiring the manual dexterity of many fibre crafts, this makes it very accessible so it is possible to complete a rewarding project within the day. I had a lot of fun and a great opportunity to unleash my latent creativity. Thanks Jo!
Response from Phinefibre:
Thank you Joy, for writing such a lovely and detailed review which is very much appreciated.I can wholeheartedly recommend this day for anyone curious about wet felting!
The studio is bright and welcoming and has an amazing array of materials available to explore and use. Jo is both a talented artist and a very able teacher: her style is warm and supportive and she skilfully guided us through the processes of felting at our own pace. After that we were free to create whatever we had in mind: there was plenty of inspiration in the studio to help develop those ideas and Jo gave just the right amount of input to each person to keep us all moving forward …and produce pieces that were significantly better than we might have hoped as beginners! Being able to experiment with so many different wools and textures in one day was a real bonus. Overall a very relaxing and enjoyable day!
A great course in a nice environment, which provides the basic skills to start needle felting animals. I really enjoyed the day and look forward to making more animals.
Fabulous day with lovely people in a relaxed setting. Learnt a lot and actually produced a half decent dog at the end of it! Thoroughly recommend.
Jo is a very talented artist and creator of all things beautiful so when I visited her at her lovely bright studio at the Birchcliffe Centre in Hebden Bridge I knew I was in for an interesting and fun day! Jo has an abundance of recycled fabrics ribbons and wools of every kind but if you are conscious about using ethically sourced textiles then don't worry because Jo is a great Eco warrior and promotes her passion with pride for using all things that are sourced ethically like her luxuriance of animal wools and fibres.
Jo tries to recycle as much as she can so sets her students up, each with a set of simple basic tools to help you create till your heart is content. Jo's approach to mentoring is very relaxed and enabling students to be as free as you like for this type of process. For me it was about being free to explore and compose two small abstract pieces which I didn't really have any pre conceived idea of what I wanted to do other than I was inspired by a visit to the seaside so wanted to incorporate textures and shades of blues that's all. My other piece was just a fleeting thought as I drove in and was inspired by the route into Hebden Bridge, and the sunshine sweeping and creating a veil of intense light over the many alternating shades of green of the rolling hills. I lay down my fibres most precariously in some areas but also added some fibres which represented my responses to my passing thoughts.
Jo taught some very useful skills and pitches her mentoring style to suit your pace of learning. I learned how to lay out fibres, and the science behind the magical process of binding them together using the tools. I learnt how to choose types of fibres and how different textures and colour can enhance your little masterpiece. I also did some throwing which Jo demonstrated. Yes you literally throw your felted piece repeatedly on the floor and it doesn't fall to bits, amazing!! It was very satisfying believe me! All in all a fantastic day with Jo, I learnt so much and can't wait to book another workshop when I'm free. I intend practicing at home and Jo also has some recommendations of where to buy some wools and fibres. The tools are easy and cheap to buy too if you don't already have them hanging around at home. Thanks again Jo you're brilliant!
A really good introduction to felting. A wonderful venue and knowledgeable teaching. Jo was very patient and the end result was beyond what I expected. encouraged me to try another dog at home
Had a lovely day doing Jo’s course. Jo is clearly very experienced and enthusiastic about what she does and fortunately for us, knows how to teach felt making to beginners.
She had lots of wool we can use in many beautiful colours. Everyone made amazing felt pieces. It’s also a really relaxing process and very satisfying to create something so lovely to take home.
I also felt I got a good understanding of the process, which was an added bonus.
I totally recommend this course with Jo. She is also very warm, friendly and helpful and makes everyone feel welcome. For a one interested in art and felt making, this course is not to be missed.
No cheating here! Learn how to tranform rolls of carded wool into sturdy freestanding models without the need for pipecleaners or wire! I felt like I was sculpting with wool, and it was totally absorbing and therapeutic (we could barely stop for our lunch break!). As a total beginner, I was amazed with what I achieved under Jo's excellent guidance. I learnt that although you can buy any number of needles and needle felting gadgets, in reality, you don't need much more than a couple of needles, a felting mat and some wool. I feel that I now have the confidence to tackle my own projects and can't wait to get started. The course is extremely good value and in the 6.5 hours, all attendees completed their projects and were delighted with the results. No extra charge for materials, and you can bring your own lunch, which suited me. I would highly recommend this course, Jo is a great teacher and I'm keen to try one of her other courses.
This was an excellent course ... Jo gave us all plenty of tips and ideas with clear instructions at each stage. She also balanced this by allowing each course member to have the freedom to create their own individual ideas.. and offering advice and support along the way. A wonderful relaxed studio atmosphere too I had a great day...
I had a great day on this course with fellow felters and Jo was a brill teacher. Inspirational surroundings and a wonderful selection of wools and different fibres to work with. I was so pleased with my felt picture and if anyone wants to learn the art of felting, this is the course for you.
Loved the course and its content and the studio is fabulous. Can highly recommend to everyone . I cant wait to go back and do more.
Fantastic tuition, great atmosphere, thoroughly enjoyable course. Venue was easy to find with plenty of parking, beautiful building, hot drinks, fruit and biscuits provided by our lovely instructor Jo, will definitely attend more of Jo's courses, I was a total beginner but now have confidence to felt animals at home, brilliant!
This is a great course if you want to have a go at this craft for the first time, or even if you have done some before. With Jo's expert guidence you can leave after the single day with a finished animal - made to a high standard. Jo's method is very sculptural so you gain confidence in building your model from the ground up - no cheating wires or frames that you would find in starter kits ! Its a great way to spend a day, very good value, a great teacher and a lovely venue. Highly recommended.