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Friday 4 September 2020, 9-11am BST (British Summer Time, London, UK)

Virtual Workshop, hosted on Zoom, by Aidai Chochunbaeva

Aidai Chochunbaeva is a graduate of KGUSTA Institute and a master of felt production. She has been teaching since 2006 in Kyrgyzstan and internationally in Kazakhstan, Russia, USA, India, Australia, Iran and Australia. Her work has been exhibited in regional and international craft exhibitions and at fashion events in the USA, Malaysia, Thailand and Turkey.

Achievements include receiving four WCC/UNESCO Award of Excellence certificates for craft production as well as producing scarves using the nuno-felt technique for Eileen Fisher (2017).

Outline of the workshop
Aidai will begin the workshop with a short introduction about her herself and her work, followed by the history of the Kyrgyz felting traditions and “ala-kiyiz” technique. She will introduce you to the raw materials and tools used and will demonstrate the technique, leading you through the process to help you create your own felted mat.

Materials list (not provided)
Steady table with the water proved desk. Recommended size is anything bigger than; 1.2 x 1.5 (width) and 0.8m (height)
Wax-cloth for the table desk if it is not water proved
1 meter long ruler for measuring size
Flat chalk
Scissors
Latex gloves
3 x buckets for cold, hot and mixed water (10 litres each). If hot tap water is available, 1 bucketful is enough
Ladle
Rolling pin (or plastic tube, or rolled terry towel) 4-5 (diameter) x 1m (length)
Piece of the soft white cotton fabric (1x1m)
Piece of the thin synthetic fabric kind of bridal veil (1x1m)
Odourless soap
Steam iron
Carded merino sheep wool for the mat basis of dark colour (200 grams) 
Carded merino wool of 4 different colours (50-70 grams of each colour) 
Hot water (20 litres)

The colour of the wool used for the mat basis is usually black or brown, as coloured patterns are more clearly visible on a dark base. Colour palette of wool for the mat patterns can be of traditional bright contrasting colour combinations such as burgundy-blue, white-black, yellow-brown, or of different nuances of the natural sand colours.

Workshop Cancellation Policy
All places reserved on workshops are non refundable, however, if you let us know you are not able to make a workshop you have booked at least two weeks prior to the event, we will re-advertise your place and refund your fee as long as we are able to sell your place and the workshop is fully booked.

If you require additional information about this workshop please contact Catherine Harris, events@selvedge.org.