Norwegian Block Printed Sheepskin Hat - October 4, 2025
October 4, 2025
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Join Sue Flanders for a day of creating a warm and woolly Skinnfell sheepskin hat. Skinnfell is the Norwegian folk art of sewing and embellishing a tanned sheepskin into a wearable object through stitched and finished edges, printed with wooden block stamps. Sue recently returned from taking an advanced class in Skinnfell techniques at the Rauland Academy in the Telemark region of Norway.
Students will enjoy this traditional Norwegian Folk craft while making a custom fit hat. The students will learn how to cut sheepskin, whip stitch, make a covered seam and finish the hem for their unique hat. Most of the stitching will be done during class, but some students may want to finish the final stitching at home. This class offers a broad overview of this craft, which includes many decorative and useful applications for future projects!
Please note that to complete this project, students need some hand strength and flexibility, as sewing leather is more difficult than cloth. A $40 materials fee covers tanned sheepskin for one hat, leather cutter's needle, thread, hat pattern, instructional handout, use of wood blocks and textile paint, and other necessary supplies.
Students should bring a good pair of scissors for cutting sheepskin, a leather thimble (if you have one) and jewelry pliers, if possible, as these are helpful for sewing leather. Students should also be aware that the textile paint used is permanent, and cannot be washed off clothing. Although the application process is not messy, there is always a chance of getting some on clothing, so dress accordingly.
Tuition: $90
Materials: $40
This course is for students 18+, or students 16+ with accompanying adult
Your Instructor
SUE FLANDERS
(she/her)
Sue Flanders first touched clay her senior year, 1981, at the College of St. Benedict, in St. Joseph, Minn. Under the watchful eye of Sr. Dennis Frandrup, she learned technical throwing skills. Frandrup wouldn’t allow students to keep any pots in the first month; she would slice each “masterpiece" to expose imperfections and lead her students to understand the goals of pot construction.
Sue maintains a studio in Mora, Minnesota and is currently working with white stoneware and firing her pots to cone 6 in one of her two electric kilns. “I get great satisfaction from working every step in the ceramic process”, says Sue.. Her studio name is “Kilns of Flanders”, where she shares the studio with her potter husband, Chuck.
She also enjoys teaching workshops in East Central Minnesota at Sapsuckers Farms, Annandale Art and Textile Center, American Swedish Institute and Avon Hills Folk School.