New Handbag - Just Felted!

Hi Everyone!

At long last, I have finished felting my handbag!  I started this with the piece I hope to make into a coat, but then set it aside.  The motif on this is made of circles from the prefelt of greens and browns I made last week.  I also added some circles of dupioni silk in bright orange.  Again I used brown batt that I have had on hand for awhile.  It seems to have been thick enough in most places.  However, I added some merino where I could feel that it was thin.  Then that led to adding more merino to blend colors better...and one thing always leads to many others ( :) and so as I said it seems like "at long last" I have finished this!




New Handbag Using Prefelts



Circles Well Felted onto Flap Front



Sparkle 'fiber' that I bought from Kristie at Blue Flag Hand Weaving Studio

 Night All!  Tomorrow I'm off to show-and-tell with my two latest creations.

Janet

A Time to Play

Well it's Sunday...a day of rest and play.  And I did play today.  First I spent some time puttering in the garden harvesting herbs and late blooming flowers.  Then I came indoors and made a yummy pie to take and share at dinner with friends.  But all this was the play of an adult and I want to walk you back in time to when you were about eight years old...full of imagination and wonder at all the wonders of the world...remember?

To that end I want to tell you about another cute shop in Sandpoint, Idaho called A Child's Dream Come True  http://www.achildsdream.com/ .  It is located at 214 Cedar Street, right next to Blue Flag Hand Weaving Studio.  http://www.blueflagweaving.com/

I bet the owner of this store had a wonderful childhood like mine!  This delightful little shop is stuffed to the ceiling with things to create with.  When I was growing up my mother was always working on one project or another and my sisters and I loved watching and getting involved once we were old enough.  Still I don't think my Mom ever had access to some of the wonderful items that are carried in A Child's Dream.  Stepping into this shop made me wish that I could click my heels together and go back though, just so I could play again using Pocket Gnomes,  a Game of Ogres and Elves, Plant Dyed Play Silks, Rainbow Angels Kit, and a Choroi Pentatonic Flute.  Alas it is not to be for me...but maybe someone you know?







Pocket Knomes (They're felted!)



Instead, I will be playing with my felt again starting tomorrow. I have four felting projects laid out: two purses and two pillows.  I can't wait to get started!  But for tonight I am going to let my mind wander back some more to those days of discovery and play...while I knit.

Janet

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