Did it work? Let's Find Out!

Good Evening!  What a day...woke up to rain...LOTS of rain...it was so wonderful to listen to it gushing down the drains.  Reminds me of our days on our sailboat, Sapphire.  Very soothing and peaceful.  And after getting the morning off to a good start I went into my 'studio' aka: the living room, to check out the results of my efforts last night to felt my circle prefelts onto a brown batt background.

I had separated my two projects, leaving the purse for later and just worked to finish what I hoped could be a coat, shawl, wrap, skirt or who knows what!  It went okay, but I did find that places where I had two layers of fabric generally didn't felt well - too thick. 



Close up of felted circle shows how fabric shrunk in and exposed wool below.



Here are four kinds of fabric plus a ribbon and yarn - all well felted.

And in some places the fabric only partially felted so I finally ended up pulling some off as they just were not going to be on securely enough.  And some that stayed on well ended up quite a bit different size than the felt circle of wool underneath them.  Still all in all not a bad deal once I was done.  I still hope to make a coat.  The batt ended up a bit thin in a few places so might have to use a lining for better wear if I make a coat.  I have it pinned into a coat shape.



Front of Coat in Progress




Back of Coat in Progress

So for future reference for a higher quality product I know that: 
I need to use thinner cloth than some of my samples; especially if I plan to overlap them
I could add some very, very thin layers of wool over the top of the circles to help secure them
I should work even slower so that things get more thoroughly attached before I full the item. 

The circles motif itself still looks to be a good design and what I have is certainly a usable product so I am happy!  Tonight there are thunderstorms all around and over us.  Quite thrilling since I don't have to be out in it, nor worry about the anchor dragging.

Janet

Christmas in October

I love Christmas! Really I do...especially when it comes two months early! Let me explain. There is a wonderful place called Pacific Northwest Art School.   http://www.pacificnorthwestartschool.org/  I have attended classes before. The instructors are top notch and the staff tremendously helpful. And on Tuesday this week they released their class registration for 2012. Today I got my verification that I am officially enrolled in two classes. Yea! So Merry Christmas to me...and happy birthday...happy anniversary....ground hog day... You get the picture. So read on and find who I will be working with this next year...


Jorie Johnson lives in Japan and will be here to teach us her art methods in making felt clothing. I have a book she co-authored with another great felter, Chad Alice Hagen, titled Fabulous Felted Scarves. Jorie has an exhibition of her work in Vancouver, BC, Canada which opened October 14 and goes through November 15th.  http://www.maiwa.com/home/workshops/111213.html  She is a part-time instructor in Japan's universities and also teaches in the USA, Europe and Asia. If your like me, and unlikely to make it to Vancouver to see her exhibit there, her works are in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum, de Young Museum, Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Bank of Boston, Nuno Corporation, and in tons of publications! For inspiration her website is http://www.joirae.com/ Check her out.

Sharon Costello was the first instructor I ever had in the world of felt and I enjoyed her teaching method a great deal. She only makes it over to the west coast from New York every other year or so. Next May she will be here to teach us how to make felt vessels. Sharon, like Jorie, has been in the world of felt for the past two to three decades. Sharon has studied in Turkey, Scandinavia and the USA and is now an expert who shares her knowledge with others. She is also the organizer of Felters' Fling, a week long fiber retreat and teaching school where she brings instructors from the world around to help American felters learn new techniques from other parts of the globe. She has published books, produced two teaching videos and had her work featured many times including on the Home and Garden Television Network. Her website is http://www.blacksheepdesigns.com/

So looking forward to working with these two wonderful people...can hardly wait!

Janet

Another Day

From good ole' Merriam-Webster we have:
EXHAUSTION: the state of being exhausted.  EXHAUSTED: to tire extremely or completely.

That's me! I am done in...not enough sleep for three nights running did it.  Still I did manage to do a bit of work on a custom handbag order while on the road with Hubby in Spokane today.

Took a nap after returning home.  Got up for dinner and after I post this I am going back to my ever so soft and warm bed.  See ya all tomorrow!

Janet

Will it work?

You know those times when you wished you could just chunk the old alarm clock out the window?  Today just happened to be one, though luckily it improved as the day progressed!  Once I did listen to the alarm and get up and going, I found myself sitting in the doc's office, and I was reminded why I like knitting so much!  It's the one part of my fiber work that I can take with me where ever I go...well almost everywhere.  And it is relaxing. (sigh)  Try it if you haven't - you just might find you like it too!

Anyway once back home, I swapped out my needles for my scissors and finished cutting circles from my prefelt.  Recently, I read about a method I hadn't tried yet and I was anxious to give it a try. Soooooo.... I laid out my batt and then put my prefelts down for my design.  Two new things here: using batt instead of roving (loose wool) and using prefelts for my design instead of forming it out of loose wool.  Will using batt be faster?  I hope so.  Will it still produce the soft, supple yet strong felt that I desire?  I hope so!  Will my designs still be intriguing and eye catching?  I hope so!

Part of the reason I was so dreading the alarm this morning was because my mind had been swirling ideas and images all night long.  Many thoughts about what to try FIRST kept popping into my brain. Ugh!!!  I just needed to get some sleep.  Well anyway, I decided to first try a handbag - felted all in one piece.  And just because I couldn't see wasting the rest of the table space, (Gotta a big roll of bubble wrap so I may as use it right?) I also laid out a cape or maybe what will become a coat... Before leaving for my evening class, I had time to wet it all down and roll it for 20 minutes...

Beginning of a cape or coat.

Handbag using prefelt

Tomorrow is a busy day...off to Spokane for errands...so maybe no felting.  We'll see!

Janet

More on Textures and Colors

Good Evening...well after another busy day (it seems life keeps getting in my way so that I never have as much time to felt as I would like) I finally got back to my felt table. I told you yesterday that I would be showing more of my Fall colors work. I have made a series of wearables with the theme you will see in this evening's pictures. I made this capelet with super soft merino roving. I put into that mix some pockets or "windows of wonder" that contain all sorts of textures and colors. Unfortunately my picture doesn't begin to show you how wonderful all that is.  There are shell beads, sequins, fibers of every sort all tucked inside - and it moves when you walk!

I also beaded along the edge with seed beads, pounded copper disks, and faceted jasper beads (more textures). Then a good friend of mine, who is also a silversmith, set a beautiful piece of Utah Jasper into a focal piece/pin (colors). I added dangles with more jasper and crystals.





Copper disks, seeds beads and faceted jasper

 

Today, however, I was working on a whole new series in Autumn colors. I have put all my tables together and covered them with a blended mix of merino and silk in greens, brown and a pinch of red. Next, I laid pieces of different textured fabrics in themes of brown, gold or green down on top of the fiber and felted just until my fabric would not fall off easily.  This is a prefelt. Then I cut circles out of the prefelt. 

Prefelt in Summer/Autumn Colors

These will become the focal pieces of what I hope to be: a coat, a purse, and perhaps more items.  But that is a project for another day. Good night all!

Janet

Colors and Textures



Fall Colors on our Tree

 Felting is all about interpreting colors and textures and so I am constantly noticing them. Today while walking my dog home I found time to snap a quick (somewhat grainy) photo of the beautiful tree in our backyard that has turned a bright crimson red.

And while working at the Bead Stampede yesterday I found all the patterns of the stones catching my attention. Shapes too make their way into my brain.



Beginning of a felt flower



I was looking back at some of my earlier handbags tonight and I have a few photos of those to post for you.  I was needle felting my bags first and then wet felting them to add durability. I made a series of these bags with an unusual shape and interesting opening.  The summer and autumn colors making their appearance again! 



Flower Felted to a Bag Flap



I call this bag my "Sunflower Bag". 

It is sold and hopefully living a happy life in another place. Tomorrow I will show you some of my newer work reflecting fall colors, stones and texture in the form of a capelet...stay tuned!

Janet