Workshop: Lifetime Cocoon
Two day workshops held at Bellacouche Studio in the beautiful Dartmoor village of Chagford.
Regular workshops are held here at the studio for anyone open to exploring their relationship with their mortality through the highly creative medium of needle felting.
The focus is on decorating a leaf-shaped coffin or shroud cover; something that reflects your life and passions, and that you can continue to work on if you wish. This can be used to cover a coffin or a shroud.
Costs and Booking (limited to 5 people)
£300 for a two-day workshop on Dartmoor. This includes a felt cover for a shroud or coffin, needle felting pad, tool and needles and tuition with Yuli
Please email us if you would like to be put on the waiting list for the next workshop to be announced later in 2024.
So why is it different to any other needle felting course?
You will be encouraged to gather imagery and materials that help you on your way to decorating a meaningful and beautiful cover, befitting to the person you are. This may be complex or very simple, or could be something that you would want to continue afterwards, and even to involve friends.
You will learn some simple techniques, and can also bring your own skills, such as embroidery if you wish. You will have the opportunity to delve into your own creativity through words and imagery. You can expect to be gently lifted into a new way of thinking about Life.
“Words cannot express the warmth and happiness the weekend has brought me.” Elaine, 2018
There will be an intentional atmosphere conducive of talking about life, death, burial, funerals and ceremony, similar to the very popular Death Café movement, but with the possibility of the unexpected as we work, discuss, share ideas over a more extended period.
“What could have been a very intense and challenging workshop was in fact a wonderful opportunity to learn, to play, to dare in the hands of someone who both is an artist and a true teacher, skilled in both respects. Yuli wants you to design the ideas in your head and enables this to happen with laughter, care and encouragement.“ S. Delfont 2017
“Intimate, moving, touching, delightful and surprisingly fun! A glorious time with laughter, tears and crafting. Wonderful venue.” Katheryn 2023
“Spending a weekend in Yuli's workshop, absorbing her love of wool and learning techniques to personalise a cover was a long-awaited desire of mine. More so was the opportunity to discuss losses and endings sincerely with others within a comfortable environment. It felt perfect that, while working to bring out meaning for one own's cover (life), plenty of time and space allowed us to move closer towards death together." Polyanna 2023
About the workshop space
The studio is on the first floor (sorry, there is no disabled access) with a small kitchen for drinks and snacks. The toilets are on the ground floor, where there is access to a beautiful walled garden. It’s close the the village centre with cafe's, B&B's, hotel and shopping.
Timings
We gather at 5pm on the Friday for a cup of tea and short introductions and brief starter workshop, finishing at 7pm, so you can spend the rest of the evening as you wish.
Includes
felt cover in cream or natural grey/brown
needle felting pad
tool & needles
tuition
drinks and snacks etc
You can choose the dyed wool tops at the studio and pay for what you need. 20g - £2 each, 100g - £7.50, 200g - £15
There will also be some wool embroidery yarns for sale.
About Yuli Somme
I am your course leader. I have been making shrouds since 1999, and co-founded Bellacouche in 2006 with Anne Belgrave. I have been a spinner, dyer, weaver and knitter all my life, and felt maker since 1988. I have taught these skills since the early 1980's, either through private workshops or at Make Southwest.
"Very intense moment of life and creation…. I did not really think about an idea, I came with several images ... What was rich was to see and hear each of us and each implication." Marion, France.
"I'm finding the whole thing of creating a shroud cover in this way quite beautiful for what it is supposed to be aimed for. After all, death is part of our life and we are aspiring to make our lives creative as possible…. To me it felt also important working as a group with such a subject matter, that this created a support for each other, therefor a bond that feels very valuable. I think we all felt that." Marja.
