Gettin' Batty — Saturday Afternoon

Gettin' Batty — Saturday Afternoon

Nov 14, 2026, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Instructor: Q Wirtz

Spinners, felters, and fiber artists! Have you ever wondered: What is an art batt? How might you make one? What can you do with it, and why would you want to? How does a dog comb come into the fiber-prep picture? And what in the world is a rolag? If so, come card with Q and learn answers to those questions—and more. Yes, we ARE batty for batts—and we think you will be as well! Students will leave with the basic skills needed to create art batts, knowledge of some handy creative-carding tools, and fibery clouds of various kinds designed using ingredients from the unique Foldout Cat Fiber Buffet and created using hand cards, blending boards, and drum carders.

Skill Level: Beginner

Class Size: 1–12 students, ages 12+ (students must be tall enough to reach the drum carders and able to focus for the duration of the class)

Materials Provided: Use of instructor's hand cards, blending boards, and drum carders, plus access to the Fiber Buffet of Merino, Angelina, silk, bamboo, locks, and other fibers to build multiple beautifully eclectic clouds of fiber. Students will also go home with a pet-comb hand card/burnishing brush to keep. Blending boards used in class will be available for purchase if desired (not required) at its conclusion.

Students Must Bring: No participant-provided materials required — just bring your curiosity, willingness to learn, and patience with the process (and with yourself).

Meet Your Instructor: Liza Q. Wirtz, better known as Q (aka the Chief Feline), runs multifaceted fiber-arts business The Foldout Cat from her home studio in Alabama with the frequent and welcome assistance of partners Fiber J and Maker J and the help of a fluctuating number of cats. Q has been weaving freestyle since 2015, carding art batts and rolags since 2018, spinning since 2018, and dyeing since 2021. She teaches freestyle weaving, art-batt carding, and basic experiential e-spinning with the same philosophy that infuses her practice: create from your heart, make what gives you joy, and put beauty into the world. Q wholeheartedly believes that everyone's an artist and that giving people access to fiber-arts tools and learning lets them prove it to themselves.

I understand that classes are non-refundable. If a class does not meet its minimum size, refunds will be issued within 7 days after the festival to the original form of payment.