Exciting Times We Live In
teriberry Comments 16 comments
There are so many exciting things happening at them moment, where do I start…?
The New Studio
This one has been an emotional roller-coaster, flip-flopping between ecstatic excitement at the thought of having my own light, bright area where I can work and teach to feeling overwhelmed by living in a topsy turvy mess, never being able to find anything because it was moved to make space for builders to work or because the cupboards where it normally lives have been ripped out…
I have been working out of our double garage since we moved to New Zealand 3 years ago and while the space is (just about) big enough, it has almost no natural light (its still quite dark, even with the lights on), it’s drafty and very cold in the winter. A purpose-built, insulated studio is long overdue 🙂
I’m not convinced ensuite paddling pools will ever catch on…. The builders have had to remove some of the weatherboard cladding to pour the concrete floors, leaving us with 2 walls that are no longer waterproof, so every time it rains we end up mopping the bedroom floors… It rains a lot in Auckland!
I have plans to install large cupboards with sliding doors along the wall nearest the camera, there will be two large laundry sinks on the right hand wall with drying racks over them and electrical sockets (with retractable leads if I can find some) in the middle of the ceiling.
What is the one thing in your studio that you wish you had or couldn’t live without?
Auckland Felters Group Exhibition at the Franklin Arts Centre
Resilience – The Fibre That Connects Us
We have hired a gallery space at the Franklin Arts Centre in Pukekohe for 3 weeks. The exhibition will actually open on Tuesday June 18th but our main opening event will be on Saturday 22nd June.
We will have traders selling various fibres, felting equipment and finished felted items, felting demonstrations and free “have a go sessions” as well as live music all in a beautiful centre with a lovely cafe.
Places on the “have a go” workshops will be limited so please arrive early to book your place and avoid disappointment. The event will be open from 10 am.
Everyone exhibiting has very different styles, you will get to see an eclectic mix of wet felting and needle felting, 2D and 3D art works, textural pieces, homewares and wearables.
Lots of Teaching and Fairs!
When I started teaching face to face again (after the lockdowns ended) I pictured maybe one or two classes per month but I have been blown away by the number of requests I received from groups and individuals to host extra sessions this year. Most of them are open to everyone but places are limited, so please drop me a line if you would like to join any of the classes.
Here are some photos from a few of the most recent classes (I keep forgetting to take photos):
Two of the students from the hat class made a short video too, you can view it here.
I have several big fibre fairs coming up too:
This Thursday (9th May) is the Cambridge Fibre Fair:
And Saturday May 25th is Woolfest’s 10 year anniversary – if you can only get to one fibre fair this year – I highly recommend this one! There will be about 80 traders selling everything from raw fleeces to yarns and knitwear and everything in between, along with crafting equipment, demonstrations of a wide range of fibre crafts and of course the eternally popular pre-loved equipment stand. Entry is free.
Southern Hemisphere Felters Convergence 2025
Is coming to Auckland!!
I am so excited to be attending my first SHF Convergence I could burst! But confess I never expected to be organising the first one I would get to attend!! At least I have some awesome partners in mischief, Christine Roxburgh and Jenny Forrester along with the amazing Auckland Felters.
We have booked The Parnell Hotel and Conference Centre and Hotel and we’re confident we will be able to secure the school across the road for wet felting activities too. This combination of venues proved to be a hit at the 2015 Convergence. We have been talking with some incredible international tutors about what they could share with us, I so want to tell you who they are and what they plan to teach but until we have contracts in place I really can’t…. but I am sure you will be impressed!
One of the most wonderful things about Convergence is the generous sharing of ideas and techniques, while the headline tutors are certainly a key part of that, we also have a small army of volunteer tutors who give up an hour of their time to share an idea or demonstrate a technique. I have to say, I am just as excited to attend some of the volunteer sessions as I am the headline tutors! We have already received some really intriguing offers but are looking for more to fill all of the time slots, if you plan to attend Convergence and have and idea you’d like to share or a technique you can demonstrate in under an hour we would love to hear from you! Please contact us here
If you’d like to be among the first to hear who our fantastic tutors will be, you can sign up for email alerts about Convergence here.
Dates for your diary: Thursday (registration will open in the afternoon) 25th September to Monday evening 29th September 2025.
Hope to see you there!
16 thoughts on “Exciting Times We Live In”
Wow, you have been staying busy! I would love to have a brand new studio but I’m sure the building and waiting for it is painful. Storage and a good height work table are the most important things in my studio. I would love to have a sink/water but not a possibility now. I have learned to felt with less water so that I don’t need to bring much water into the studio. Good luck on your upcoming fairs and I’m happy that your classes are going well.
Thanks Ruth, I have been feeling the pressure these last few weeks and suspect the worst is still to come when they rip out the bathroom and kitchen and of course we are headed into winter too. Must stay focussed on the end goal! I suspect I will never have enough storage but at least sinks and running water are on the plan, having to ferry water back and forth sounds like hard work, I don’t envy you that!
Exciting and busy read. I love the heads, I keep being drawn back to them. The hats are wonderful.
Thanks Marie, it feels like I have been working on those heads for years, it will be a relief to see them finished and assembled together….
Would love to see piccies of your new studio when it’s finished!
Sarah Ritchie’s needle felting is gorgeous and your stall is very inviting so you should turn a penny or two profit 🙂
Good news about the high demand for your teaching – word gets about.
Thank you ladies – I’ll be sure to post more photos of the studio as it progresses. Sarah’s work is incredible, she has a website and IG account if you’d like to see more. She is very talented and has a natural eye for colour and design.
I’m glad you’ve found your feet in New Zealand, and what a very exciting life you are leading. I am particularly impressed that you are organising the SHF Convergence.
As for your new workshop, I can definitely see why you are excited about it. Though, I’m amazed that your newly poured concrete floor didn’t get christened with animal or bird footprints across it.
It sounds as if you’ve had fun planning the workshop layout. If it’s not too late, you might consider having 2 or 3 wide, deep drawers from floor level up to worktop height instead of cupboards. It will be easier to get to stuff at the back just by pulling out a drawer rather than getting on your hands and knees and pulling stuff out. The one thing you need is usually right at the back! When we were having a new kitchen fitted a few years ago, heavy duty drawers as wide as a double doored cabinet had just come in and I’m so thankful that we went for those, because these days the floor gets further away every time I have to bend down for something.
I really like the idea of electrical sockets with leads from the ceiling. It sounds very useful in a wet work area. My husband, who wired up what was his workshop and is now mine, put in lots of double electrical sockets at just above benchtop height (again, no bending). His tenet is “you can never have too many electrical sockets.”
I’m looking forward to your progress pictures.
Ann
Thank you Ann – totally agree with you about drawers! We are renovating the kitchen too (suckers for punishment!) and I want to replace most of the cupboards with drawers of various depths and install as many sockets and as much benchtop as we can. It will be fab when finished but I would love to be able to hibernate for the next 3-4 months!
Wow you are busy and throwing building and renovation on top is a lot to deal with. A bit late for my favourite part of my studio, the centre floor drain. Lots of shelves to store wool so you can see it. It’s easy to forget what you have when it’s in a box. A big table you can walk around. Mine is 4 feet(1.2 metres) by 8 feet(2.4 metres). My hubby made it for me. We bought folding table legs than added to top. A microwave. A fast way to warm something up (wool or tea).
Ooh yes, a floor drain that is appealing but as you say a bit too late now and to be honest I don’t think it will help the resale value of the house if a family wants a play room / granny flat rather than a studio, but I can see the attraction, especially if I make more pottery.
I do have a kettle in my current workspace but also have my eye on our current microwave. Perhaps I should get one of those microwave cabinets when we order the kitchen units….
I’m a big fan of those folding trestle tables, they take up minimal space when not in use and are easy to transport for markets and teaching events, I push 2, 6ft tables together if I am working on something BIG.
Thanks Ann, lots to think about!
Blimey it sounds like it’s all go over there Teri! It’s great that everything is working out for you and you’ll be well sorted with that new studio! One thing I wouldn’t want to be without in mine is the spin dryer. My felt comes out almost dry and it helps with the final fulling too.
oh a spin dryer, that sounds lovely but not sure I can justify the expense when the washing machine is just a few feet away, but of course the spin dryer is so much quicker!
I can’t believe that it is already 3 years since you made the bit move Teri. I feel that time has flown but then again, lots have happened since then.
The studio will be amazing and it will be fabulous to have a custom built ‘cave’. I hope you will soon forget (or at least get to laugh about) the leaky roof.
Your students have produced beautiful pieces (I am not surprised that you are in demand). Best of luck with the fibre fairs. Convergence sounds very exciting! Great times lay ahead. Enjoy!
Helene x
It’s funny in some ways I can’t believe it has been 3 years already but then I feel so settled, its like I have always lived here…
We did a walk around yesterday planning where the electrical sockets and light switches will go, it suddenly feels very real, even though there are no windows / doors or proper walls yet! I can’t wait until the building / reno work is over and we can start enjoying the house again 🙂
Wow! That’s one ambitious project! I’m going to answer your question right off: a small refrigerator and toaster oven. Because, I would be so happy, I’d never leave. We are looking at downsizing; a home on one level and hopefully a little bit of property. Brian wants a pole barn for his old car, and I am dreaming of a small out building for visiting fiber friends. I saw the perfect place, but it was already sold before we could bid. I can’t get the idea out of my mind…so it must be in the stars!
Your fiber exhibition is exciting as well. I am not surprised that your workshops are in high demand. Your online felted hat course is still my favorite of all time. I was speaking of it, just this past week! I think it is because of the detail you provide, and I was able to share the experience with Brian. It was during Covid, and we were trapped inside…and my mother was able to share in the fun we were having. I need to thank you again, for offering such a wonderful opportunity.
Happy sales, and enjoy your amazing new studio.
Capi (and Brian too!)
Thank you Capi (and Brian), it is tempting to install a fridge and toaster (I’m already planning for a microwave but that will really be for fibre not food)…. but as you say, I might never leave!! 🙂
Best of luck with finding your forever home, it sounds idyllic! Looking at other people’s houses was the fun bit for me – I confess I still receive the search emails and occasionally drool over the “property porn” listings 🙂
I expect you will be in a similar situation to where we were 3 years ago, we found a beautiful property with a view and quiet location but the kitchen was very small, the bathrooms were nearly 30 years old and the dark, drafty garage would have to make do as a studio space until we could build a new one.
Thank you for you very kind words about the Concertina Hat Class, I am so pleased you enjoyed it and discovered lots of helpful tips.