Hanky Panky | Learning to Play with Silk Hankies

A 3-hour Zoom Workshop with Nancy Ballesteros (Perth, Western Australia)

In this 3-hour Zoom Workshop we will explore a unique abstract painterly-like method of working with 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. Specific fulling 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 in a silk top.

COMING SOON

AUD$95 – Coming Soon