The Workshop

The focus of this 2-day workshop is on designing and making a fashionable Nuno-felted merino wool and silk dress that is a wearable piece of art.

Students will use the instructor’s simple but effective techniques to customize a felting pattern for themselves.

Surface design will be included in the felting process, using different techniques and materials to make a stunning dress.

All materials are included, but you may bring additional embellishments for your dress (wool yarn, locks or roving; silk fabric). Basic felting experience required. No sewing needed.

You will take home a dress that you made, valued at $1,200, along with a zillion billion creative ideas.

BYO Lunch. We will keep you topped up with sparkling water, fragrant teas/coffee supplied along with light snacks.

The Presenter

Charity van der Meer studied fashion and knitwear design at Nottingham University of Art and Design in the UK. She then moved to the Netherlands, where she developed her own unique style of creating garments using felting, sometimes combining felting and knitting in a true celebration of textile techniques.

Charity goes beyond traditional felt making and dress making, exploring endless possibilities and constantly researching new materials and techniques. Her one-of-a-kind creations are breathtaking combinations of natural fabrics, raw materials and organic fibers. Her commitment to the sustainable use of wool inspired her to create the Sharit Ethical Fashion line, which is rapidly becoming a recognizable brand in the Netherlands.

She loves to share her knowledge of garment felting — an ancient method of garment creation — using her own found and tested techniques, and has taught in Africa, North and South America, Europe and New Zealand.