Fibres Ballarat 2010

I've just spent a week at Fibres Ballarat 2010 [http://www.mannmaid.com.au], doing a class with the Bead Cats, Virginia Blakelock and Carol Perrenoud.  It was a lot of fun and very instructive.  Unlike many beading classes, where you have a set project to make, this was quite freeform.  V&C had samples of various projects we could try if we wanted, or we could work on our own projects with help from them, or make samples of various stitches.  It was a good opportunity to try out different stitches and see what I liked and didn't like.  I also set myself the challenge of using bead colours I wouldn't normally use, to stretch things a bit further.  I hadn't been to a Fibre Forum event before, and it was really interesting to participate in one.  I particularly enjoyed the nightly slide shows by the various teachers, talking about their work and inspirations and why they make what they make.

My samples at the end of the class look a bit like botanical specimens pinned to a board!  They include several flower and leaf shapes, which will eventually be combined into a hair clip, and a length of two-needle right angle weave beading, which will eventually bcome a bracelet.  it's always interesting to see how the same pattern looks completely different depending on the colour and finish of the beads used.  It doesn't look like I did much, but the class wasn't just about sitting doing beading - there were discussions about colour theory, how to get different effects from different finishes, and various other things.  Virginia and Carol also gave us an in-depth talk on how they had made several of their major beaded artworks, and some of the technical issues associated with that.  I'm really quite keen to try doing a beaded collar, so hearing a bit from Virginia about the tricks in constructing them was quite useful.

I also loved the trading hall area, which had several people selling everything from class supplies to books.  I went mad amongst the vintage buttons and the table covered in fabric samples.  I also bought some nacky threads.  This is on top of all the beads I bought from the Bead Cats!  The week ended with a exhibition of all the students work, and it was great to see what everyone else had been doing.  I'm hoping some of the other teachers come back in future years, so I can do classes with them, especially the Kumihimo teacher and Mary Hettmansperger.