Review: First Felters Meeting at Braunsbach

For the first time there was a felters meeting in a small town with only 2500 habitants. The very open-minded mayor Frank Harsch has come across felt in 2011 for the first time when a group of felters displayed their creations in town. Thats when the idea of the first felters meeting was born. The meeting should include an exhibition, a sales room, a fashion show and workshops. Claudia Büshel, Doris Kunz and Ella Ziegler developed a holeistic concept. The mayor and Anne Kleiner who works for the local government supported their concept substantially.
12 exhibitors presented their creations among which there where clothes, jewelry, interior designs and accessories, sculptures and tapestries. The community did not look at the felt as an exotic trade, in fact local craftsmen and forgers added their own furnitures, frames and jewelry to the felted creations.
The great choice of workshops was was well received among visitors: »Objects« with Lydia Rump, »Skirt or Top« with Kerstin Scherr, flowerscarfs with Evi Hermann, cushions with Susanne Regen and »Fancy Felting« with  Delia Grimm. The workshops were well-attended and the participants spoke highly of the content of the workshops. Proudly they displayed their own creations.
Material selling and the enriched hands-on program was also well-attended, not only by children. The eldest participants was a 90 year old visitor who felted passionately with her grandchildren.
One of the highlights of the weekend was the fashion show. 12 felt artists from the area displayed their creations. A whole range of different fashion was shown on the runway; soft and rustic, filigree fabrics and interesting material mixes, cheeky colorful and fancy classy designs. The fashion show was amazingly inspiring for more than 400 people who visited.
The hosts of the event had the idea in mind to give people who are interested in felt the opportunity to dive into the matter.
The first Felters Meeting has been of great success and we will see if there will be the Second Edition of it soon.
Claudia Büshel, Doris Kunz, Ella Ziegler

Die erste Hohenloher Filzbegegnung fand von 12.–14. Oktober 2012 in Braunsbach statt.