For a trip to Bermuda, most visitors pack sunscreen and maybe a t-shirt; Susan Mills of Bowdoin, Maine packed porcupine quills and felt, among other odd bits and pieces.

Miss Mills is one of several craft instructors who will be teaching at Bank of Bermuda Foundation: Fiber Arts Festival & Workshops at the Kaleidoscope Arts Foundation (KAF) Elliot Gallery on Jubilee Road in Devonshire.

The Festival kicked off earlier this week and runs until December 8.

It includes classes for all ages in felt making, basket making, needle felting, Scandinavian mitten designs, knitting, mixed media sculpture, rug hooking and more, plus demonstrations and a showcase of student's work.

"I had some wacky stuff that I brought in," said Miss Mills shortly before starting her second day of classes. "There was one piece that looked like a weapon, although it wasn't the intent of the piece.

"Part of the work has been impaled. The materials are wood, joint compound and handmade paper. When I was choosing pieces to bring it was with a measuring tape.

"I have never had to bring art for a show that had to fit in two suitcases. I have a minimum of clothing that I used for packing."

Some of Miss Mills' classes will include Felt Inspirations 101, Mixed Media Sculpture and Felted Berets for kids, teenagers and beginners and masters level adults.

Miss Mills' mixed media classes might be perfect for people who find the usual fine arts materials either boring, financially challenging or elusive in Bermuda.

Her classes help people to find alternative art sources through whatever inspires them such as foliage, bits of bone, feathers, wood, paper or other things.

"There were some people in the class who were very familiar with using such materials, and there were others who were doing it for the first time," she said. "I would hope that everyone would find their edge and go outside of that comfort zone and possibly have an experience that they couldn't have in another way."

Miss Mills also be teaching felting, an ancient craft, that has been traced back as far as 4,000 BC.

"I will be using mostly Merino sheep wool today and turning it into felt," she said. "That is done with water, heat and friction.

"The oldest piece of felt was found in East Mongolia, but they feel that felt was used across the planet. Historians think it probably developed when men and women wrapped their legs with leather and then stuffed wool between their bodies and the outer layer.

"The heat, friction and moisture caused felt to form. Then they took it further to purposely make felt. It was also used for armour, and to filter water.

"I make vessels and people ask all the time, 'do they hold water?' My favourite response is 'not long'."

It was her four pet llamas that inspired her to get into felt making. Prior to having llamas, she was more into photography.

"I have llamas and I can take the wool off their backs and stuff it into my mittens," she said. "It takes about three snow storms and then it felts at the end of the mitten.

"Then I just remove it and put more wool. It is the capturing of the air which makes it such a great insulator."

Unlike most sheep wool, llama hair is hollow inside which helps to make it a slightly better insulator.

"I got into felt making kicking and screaming," said Miss Mills. "None of the fiber arts appealed to me. I tried knitting and weaving.

"I would rather put the needles in my eyes than do that kind of fiber art. I found out that felting is very sculptural. The capabilities were immense and very attractive to me."

Miss Mills has shown her art throughout New England and along the eastern American coast.

She also has a line of felt bags and vessels that are sold in New Mexico and in New England.

"What I like about felt making is that it is very tactile and fast," she said. "If you are spinning and then knitting, for example, you could have a weeks worth of time invested in a project.

"I feel I can achieve my defined felting goals in about five hours. I have a very short attention span."

Miss Mills became involved with the Fiber Arts Festival through another Maine resident Gale Bellew, who is helping to co-ordinate it.

"We would like to do this festival every year and have a balance of students from Bermuda and from other countries, said Fiona Rodriguez-Roberts, founder and director of KAF. "We will be having classes in natural dying. And we have an indigo plant here."

She said, so far, the children's classes offered were filling faster than the teen and adult classes. There will also be classes for special needs students.

"We have received tremendous support for our education programme," said Ms Rodriguez-Roberts. "Our classes have won high praise from students — particularly those that we offer for children.

"This Bank of Bermuda Foundation Fiber Arts Festival will offer hands-on learning opportunities for children and adults. The instructors have been chosen from a wide range of disciplines and are all experienced teachers who have art and textile backgrounds."

Miss Rodriguez-Roberts said KAF was particularly grateful to their sponsor, the Bank of Bermuda.

"We would like to thank the Bank of Bermuda Foundation for their generous sponsorship," she said. "What was a great idea is now an exciting opportunity to meet and work with some of the most notable artists currently working in fiber arts."

For a complete listing of featured artists and classes go to KAF's website at www.kaleidoscopeartsfoundation.com, email them at kaleidoscopeartsfoundation[AT]logic.bm or telephone 236-5963.