SHOES, BOOTS AND BAG WORKSHOPS WITH NATALYA BRASHOVETSKA

ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW HOW TO MAKE STYLISH OUTDOOR BOOTS AND SHOES LIKE THE EUROPEANS WEAR?

HERE'S YOUR OPPORTUNITY.

There is already interest in the South island, and if youa re in the North island and interested in attending this workshop please email heartfeltbernice@gmail.com

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST FOR MASTER CLASS WORKSHOPS 

WITH NATALYA BRASHOVETSKA

MAKING SHOES, BOOTS AND BAG PROPOSED FOR 2018

My name is Barbara King and I am a Creative Fibre member in Canterbury and belong to Southern Felters. I have approached Natalya in regard to her being able to hold workshops in New Zealand. Natalya is doing three workshops in Australia later this year and travels around Germany, Paris, London etc teaching these classes.

The boots and shoes made in the workshops are just like any outdoor shoes or boots you would buy, solid soles with heels, heel boxes at the back, innersoles, tongues, laces etc.

It would be advantageous to possibly hold workshops in Christchurch, Marlborough and the North Island.

If anyone is interested in attending or arranging workshops in their areas, please contact me.

At this point we are looking at October, November 2018

Her Facebook page is GriNat and that is also her Etsy name should you wish to look at more of her work

Natalya Brashovetska- Proposal for Master Classes

Master Classes Options

1.                   "Boots and a bag" – 5 days. Please see below for more information.

2.                   "This boots are made for walking "- 3 days. During this lesson, students would only make boots without a bag.  In order to assemble boots, felt must be dry.

3.                   “Shoes on a block". 2 days. This is an easier version of my master class. Felted shoes must be dry overnight to be assembled with other shoes accessories.

4.                   “ Shoes plus bag” . 3 days. During this lesson,students would make shoes and bag.

Master Class Description

First Option. Boots and a Bag – 5 days, 7-8 hours a day

This master class allows students to create two products in a short time, boots with laces and a matching hand bag.

A. Making Felted Boots

Students will learn:

1.                   how to take measurements and build the template;

2.                   how to use this pattern for the production of various models of boots in the future;

3.                   how to make boots with laces, which is a more complex model, and based on this knowledge, the students easy then can make other models of shoes. Explanations on this will be given during the class.

Natalya teaches not only how to create various models of felted boots based on one pattern, but she also teaches master skills of classic shoe maker adapted to felted boots, thus creating felted orthopaedic shoes. This involves creating felted shoes with a good level of foot support, having inner soles and stiff shoe back (heel box). This is a complex shoe making technique, but it is most solid way to make felted shoes, which have been tested by many of Natalya's clients during many years.

  B. Making Felted Matching Bag

Students will also create a hand bag using Natalya's universal template.

This template allows to create 4 different bags. We will be creating one bag during the master class. However, students will receive instructions how to create another 3 versions of bag using the same original template.

Number of Students: 10- 12 due to a complexity of a master class. Natalya likes to work with her students on a basis one to one giving them lots of her attention, keeping a close eye on all processes involved due to a complexity of a shoemaking process.

Description of a master class Boots and a Bag

First Day:

·         Taking measurements;

·         Constructing template including wool shrinkage, making felted samples for shrinkage calculation and to determine the thickness of the felt for boots in making;

·         Making a Sketch;

·         Making the template for the bag.

Second day: BOOTS:

      • prepare layout on a resist;

      • Wet the layout and start to felt on the resist by rolling. Working on the boots shape, use the shoe lasts to shape the boots, than shape bootleg. Correct all mistakes.

Third day: working on BOOTS AND BAG.

·         Finish the boots: - Making heel box for boots - remove shoe last from boots;

·         Make a start on a bag: - Prepare layout of wool, start to felt with the resist inside, work on shape, continue rolling.

Fourth day:

1)                  Bags: - Giving the final shape to the bag

2)                  Boots: - Installing the heel box to the shoes - Installing the insoles in the shoes - Preparing the boots to put on the soles - Attaching soles to the shoe.

Fifth day:

1)                  Finishing touches to the Bag: - Installing accessories on the bag, Lining the bag.

2)                  Boots: - Installing Accessories on boots -Stitch Soles on boots

5.                   The specific of making felted boots is complex and requires few days. Boots must be completely dry in order to continue working with accessories and to assemble all boots parts, sole, hill and insole. This is the reason I run master class creating two products boots and a matching bag. We first felt boots, leave it to dry, meanwhile felt a hand back. When the boots are dry, we then spend one day to finish boots and a felted back installing all accessories.

Description of a  master class “ This boots are made for walking”

First Day:

·         Taking measurements;

·         Make templates for boots;

·         prepare layout on a resist;

·          Wet the layout and start felting on the resist by rolling.

Second Day:

·         Working on the boots shape, use the shoe lasts to shape the boots, than shape bootleg. Correct all mistakes

·         marking the spots where the accessories are to be installed on the boots.

·         remove shoe last from boots.

·         Preparing heel box.

Third day:

·          Installing the heel box to the shoes.

·          Installing the insoles to  the

·          Attaching soles to the shoe.

·         Installing accessories on the boots.

·         Stitch Soles on boots

Workshop space specifications:

For each participant, we need a table size of 120 by 90 cm, as a working area, and a small space for keeping materials. It would great to be able to adjust the height of  all tables. To demonstrate my work and samples I will need two tables of the same size, or one bigger table. We will need hot water during workshop.

Natalya Brashovetska short CV

D.O.B 05/25/1973

Place of birth: Ukraine

Address: Cyprus Agiou Damianou, 4B Strovolos 2054 Nicosia

Email: natalya_brash@icloud.com

Facebook: Natalya Brashovetskaya Facebook Page: "https://www.facebook.com/GriNatbags/ Site: http://grinat.net/en/ Shop: https://www.etsy.com/ru/people/natalyabrashovetskay?ref=hdr_user_menu http://www.livemaster.ru/grinatbags?view=profile

Phone: +35797620949

Natalya about herself: I was born in Ukraine and have been living in Cyprus over ten years. I have always been creative and was making clothes even when I was a child. 

Currently, I work as a medical theatre nurse during the day and feltmaking occupies nearly all my free time. I am a self-learner. However, I have been also attended master classes which help me to polish my feltmaking skills developing my style and own technique which I have been teaching in various European countries.

Feltmaking for me is not just a hobby it is a life style, which helps me to control my stress level due to extremely tense work I do and connect with many talented feltmakers around the World. It lets me to express myself  and fly my creativity, creating not just beautiful but functional footwear. I also like to create matching items, such as footwear, bags and scarves. 

Wool and feltmaking became a major part of my life. My world of wool has no limits for me and my creativity, just unfortunately, there is limit in time. I can confidently say that I am experienced and highly skilled craftsman, feltmaker and a shoemaker. Quality is a major and first priority for me. Felted shoes must be very durable. This is not an easy process, often no one believes that my shoes are handmade.

I have also been searching a long time how to create comfortable shoes. After numerous experiments, I found this method, which I also teach during my master classes.

Amongst all feltmaking articles I have been designing and creating, felted bags and especially boots became my passion and  became a priority amongst other felted items which I am able to do very well.  When I started felting, my goal was to create not just beautiful shoes but functional and durable. For this purpose, I developed my own technique. It is a balance of classic shoemaker craftsmanship and felting. With my technique, you will be able to perform all the steps of creating shoe without involving a shoemaker, achieving orthopaedic shoes.

 I also have been designing and created felted clothes, bags, shawls and scarves using various felting techniques during self-learning and learned while undertaking few master classes learning from the best well known feltmakers and designers.

I have been promote feltmaking and shared my knowledge and experience running various feltmaking workshops, master classes  and taking part in various exhibitions. Please see information below. 

Materials Required:

I can offer two options:
 "student box for shoes"  the cost is 25€ and
"boots student box" the cost is 30€.

Inside you will have :
SHOE BOX:  price 25€
Soles
Innersoles
Heel box
Leather lining
Eyelets
waxed thread
thread
Cotton gaze
Awl-hook
Plus delivery costs.

BOOTS BOX:  price 30€
Soles
Innersoles
Heel box
Leather lining
Eyelets
waxed thread
thread
Cotton gaze
Plus delivery cost.

Plus there will be the cost of the wool. The wool requirements are:

·         Boots and Bag 1.5 kilo

·         Shoes and Bag 1 Kilo

·         Boots only 900 grams

·         Bag only 600 grams

If we can arrange the workshops for next year it gives you an opportunity to put away $10 a week or so rather than paying out a large sum of money at once!

Please see below example photos of the items made in the workshops:

PLEASE CONTACT ME AT heartfeltbernice@gmail.com if you are interested in either attending a workshop or arranging for a workshop in your area and require further information.