My aim was to keep the energy open-ended and that the focus was always on exploring, making mistakes, and learning through the process of working with the materials and really letting the participants drive the direction of the session. Encouraging a non-judgmental atmosphere where the learners felt comfortable creating freely, without worrying about making a “perfect” outcome.
I also wanted them to try to acknowledge that the act of creating through experimentation might lead to results that are abstract or unexpected, and that’s part of the learning process. Initially, I had thought about creating a session where the participants learnt a specific technique and put that in to practice, such as crochet or macrame I tested this out with a friend prior to the session and realised how complicated they found it and were actually quite stressed about getting the technique right and then thinking about how to create a fabric with this specific technique which led me to think about the nature of the word teaching and the idea that a participant leaves your workshop/session with a new skill, but that didn’t need to be so specific. This made me think about how I work with younger children in my workshops where the emphasis is really on play, exploration and mindfulness, being engaged in something for the pure joy of it as oppose to any particular outcome, I have found this engages them on a much deeper level and in fact they end up often learning more but mainly have a very positive relationship to the materials and subject matter. I mainly stuck to my overview but did not really spend so much time with suggesting or encouraging fabric creation outside of the session, this was really due to time as I gave more time to ‘fabric creation’ element and wanted to leave time for verbal feedback as it had been quiet whilst they were focused on their work. I also would have liked to have encouraged more peer to peer feedback but as the group was small this didn’t feel as necessary as when I was planning.
Session Overview:
A 20-minute microteaching session focused on fabric creation through fibres, yarns, and techniques, with an emphasis on experimentation rather than direct instructions for a creative and engaging way to encourage hands-on learning.
Encourage learners to experiment with fibres, yarns, and techniques to create something unique and personal. The focus will be on discovery and personal expression through materials Framework for structuring the session whilst promoting exploration:
Duration: 20 minutes
1. Introduction (2-3 minutes)
2. Material Exploration (10 minutes)
3. Reflection & Sharing (5 minutes)
4. Wrap-up (2-3 minutes)
1. Introduction (2-3 minutes)
-Introduce Yourself-Share your name, position, why you enjoy working with yarn
Engage Participants-Ask participants if they’ve ever worked with yarn/fibres before and what they know about fabric creation and techniques, if any?
– Set the tone and spark curiosity by explaining that the session is about exploring the creative potential of fabric creation, using fibres and yarns.
– Emphasize that the session is about experimentation, not a structured, step-by-step guide. It’s about feeling the materials, making unexpected connections, and seeing what happens.
– Introduce a variety of fibres and yarns (such as cotton, wool, silk, synthetic fibres, or even unconventional materials like paper or plastic strips). Avoid detailing what each is used for, let learners discover that on their own.
– Briefly mention techniques like knotting, twisting, weaving, looping, or even more tactile methods like fraying and ripping fabric, but again, without giving specific instructions.
-Invite participants to write some words down what they think of what a fabric is? Perhaps even sketching something?
2. Material Exploration (10 minutes)
– Provide an array of fibres, yarns, and other materials on the table. Include a mix of textures, colours, and weights to stimulate curiosity. Add some tools, ‘accessories’ as a way of them connecting the fibres.
-Encourage free play: Invite learners to touch, twist, knot, and combine the materials in whatever way feels interesting. You can offer a few open-ended prompts, such as:
– “What happens when you twist these two materials together?”
– “Can you think of an unusual way to tie these yarns?”
– Avoid dictating specific actions—rather, ask open-ended questions that prompt learners to explore materials in a non-linear way. For example, “What happens when you layer these textures together?”
– Encourage observation: Suggest that they take note of how different materials behave when pulled, twisted, or manipulated.
3. Reflection & Sharing (5 minutes)
– Once learners have had time to experiment with the materials, invite them to share what they’ve discovered.
– “What was your process for combining these materials?”
– “Did you find a combination of fibres or yarns that created an interesting texture or effect?”
– This is less about “right” or “wrong” and more about personal experiences with the materials. Foster an environment where participants can share their thoughts and ideas.
– Encourage peer feedback. Learners can suggest new experiments to each other based on what they’ve observed.
4. Wrap-up (2-3 minutes)
– Close the session by emphasizing the value of experimentation in fabric creation. Highlight how creativity often arises from moments of unexpected discovery and how experimenting with different fibres and techniques can lead to unique results.
– Invite participants to reflect on how they might continue to explore fabric creation outside of the session, either by continuing with these materials or seeking new fibres, textures, and approaches to try.