The Musée des Maisons Comtoises presents Woolstock: a themed day dedicated to the wool industry! Come explore our various workshops, where you’ll learn about every step involved in making a garment.
From shearing to carding to sewing—by the end of the day, you’ll never look at your socks the same way again!
For this first edition, two experts will be on hand to talk about their crafts and answer all your questions: Patricia Descours—Les Alpagas de la Loue, an alpaca and llama breeder—and Guillaume Millot—Tissage de Séquanie, a master weaver. During the event, we’ll also be hosting a participatory weaving workshop, and the resulting piece will be displayed at the weaver’s studio following the event.
Activities from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Wool Felting: What could be worse than tangled hair? And yet this technique of extremely intertwining fibers through kneading will allow you to create your own wool felt fabric during a workshop!
Wool Dyeing: You’ll learn how to dye wool with plant-based dyes using madder. Identifying, harvesting, and using madder will no longer be a mystery to you.
The History of Shearing: You’ll learn everything there is to know about shearing animals. Why are we so interested in wool? How is it done, and what products are made from it? You’ll also have the opportunity to visit the museum’s sheep pen!
The Wool Industry: There are many professions related to wool. There is a vast array of processing methods and applications in our society that are incredibly diverse. We’ll introduce you to the stages of processing, the trades involved in manufacturing, the machines and tools used in working with wool, as well as the products that result from it.
Spinning: In fabric production, every step is important and must be carried out with care and expertise. Spinning wool on a spinning wheel produces a uniform thread several dozen meters long. To ensure the thread is perfect and ready for the weaver, the wool must first be washed and carded! Come discover the craft of the spinners of yesteryear!
