Hanky Panky | Learning to Play with Silk Hankies

2 1/2-hour Zoom Workshop Recordings with Nancy Ballesteros (Perth, Western Australia)

You will gain unlimited access to THREE 2 1/2 hour Zoom Workshop recordings.  We have recorded three unique Zoom Workshops on Learning to Play with Silk Hankies. Each recording covers the same material, but all the recordings will have unique nuances, each offering slightly varied information and unique questions that were asked by the participants. With a single purchase you are free to view any or all of these recordings.

In these Zoom Workshops we explored a unique abstract painterly-like method of working with Silk Hankies. If you liked to finger painting as a child, you should love this method of working with the silk hankies. Many felt makers first experience of working with Silk Hankies is usually one of frustration. My aim is to transform this experience into creative bliss.

Silk Hankies possess unique properties which create gloriously lustrous and textural surfaces when laminated with minimal amounts of superfine merino and silk fabric. We will explore creating a variety of different visual effects with the hankies. Finishing techniques will be discussed to ensure proper quality felt.

Silk hankies traditionally have been underutilized as a source of silk by felt makers. You may ask “what is so special about a Silk Hanky”? A silk cocoon is spun by a caterpillar as one continuous strand of silk.  Each hanky is made from a degummed silk cocoon that has been pierced and stretched over a square frame (resembling the shape of a handkerchief), and then stacked layer upon layer. Hankies have the amazing property of being very strong and behave as a continuous mass, the fibre have not been cut like like in a silk top.