a life of felt

Archive for the ‘Felting’ Category

Time to panic?

Saturday, July 30th, 2011

It may well be time to panic. In less than two weeks it’ll be time for Art in the Pen show as Skipton cattle market. I really enjoy this show it always has fantastic exhibitors and it’s kind of fun to be in such an unusual venue. This year however, due to getting involved in the fibre business, I’ve been somewhat distracted and am not nearly as far on with preparations as I should be.

I’m not completely panicked yet but I can feel the level rising with each day. Sometimes you can have a really productive day felting and if that happens I’m sure it’ll turn it all around for me but in the meantime it’s uncomfortable.

The good news is that if you’re anywhere near Skipton on Friday 12th you are cordially invited to the preview from 7-9pm. the show is open both Saturday and Sunday and at only £1 entrance fee it’s a great way to spend a few hours.

Wish me luck.

Little brown pot

Sunday, July 17th, 2011

I’m on a roll!!!!! More felt made that I like oh so much it’ll be hard to part with it. In this pot I’ve used grey Jacob fibres on the inside and black Jacob on the outside. Yes I know it looks dark brown, it is dark brown but in the sheep world black sheep are usually actually a very dark brown and not a true black.

Jacob is a British wool fibre that takes longer to felt than Merino but it has a lovely texture and the natural dark brown colour is lush. The sheep themselves are mottled white, brown, black.

I adore the shape of this pot and have to admit to sitting cuddling it this morning. You may have noticed that it has a glass inner. I prefer to model my felt around glass or ceramic vases, not because it gives a defined shape but because I can’t bear to make vases that can’t be used. This way I can recycle pots and vases which have passed their best and upcycle them into a new usable art item.

Aren’t the coloured curls gorgeous? They’re Blue Faced leicester. Most people are familiar with Wensleydale or Teeswater curls which are much larger and longer but most have never used BFL fleece. These have been hand dyed and I think they give fantastic texture without stealing the show as the bigger curls are wont to do.

Too good not to show them twice! I’ve heard rumours of these being available at a local supplier soon and will let you know if this happens, I highly recommend giving them a go. What’s more, they still have a lustre to them.

Tags: 3D. wet felt, british wool, handmade, jacob, vase, vessel
Posted in Felting | 2 Comments »

Reminds me of rust

Friday, July 8th, 2011

I love rust, the colours and the textures. Fishing boats with mixtures of peeling paint and rust are my absolute favourites and it was this I had in mind when I was laying out the fibres for this little notebook.

The reds, oranges and browns are also quite autumnal so I used a leaf design on the front in nuno felted organza.Th process began by stitching into the fabric before it was laid on the fibres. At the pre-felt stage I stopped and added some extra stitching and then added more once felting was complete.

Extra texture is supplied by hand dyed Teeswater curls in turquoise, yellow and brown. There’s also space dyed roving and some silk fibres on a merino base. Using organza in nuno felting gives scrummy textures, much bigger than using natural fabrics.

Not sure I’m going to be able to convince myself to sell this one. If you’d like to make your own I’m running a workshop on Saturday 22nd October in which you’ll make an A5 sized cover.It’s one of my favourite workshops and the notebooks make great presents which can be used year after year.

Tags: 3D. wet felt, merino, notebook, teeswater
Posted in Felting | 2 Comments »

Remember this?

Monday, July 4th, 2011

In May I showed you this little blue pot

I’d been playing around with the shape and couldn’t decide what to do. Some of you were kind enough to respond with suggestions and Kate suggested putting beach glass in the holes. It’s taken me a while to find the time but here it is.

I decided to put the beach glass on the outside rather than in the holes and I like the finished piece. The brown beach glass looks good and I’m so pleased to have found a use for some of it as I seem incapable of not collecting it.

I was chuffed to find a thread that matched and it does look good on the gravel. Thanks Kate.

Tags: 3D, beach glass, blue, merino, wet felted
Posted in Felting | 3 Comments »

Blush

Saturday, July 2nd, 2011

There’s not been a lot about felting in the last week or so and there is a good reason for that, it’s called life. I’m sure some of you will be familiar with it. You get up, your day is planned and it starts to fall apart almost immediately and never recovers that day, or the next. But at last I can show you a piece of felt which I made two weeks ago and have finally found opportunity to photograph.

This is all part of my move towards working more with British wool fibres. The inner two layers of the vessel are hand dyed Blue Faced Leicester and the outer two layers are Wensleydale. Wensleydale is a gorgeous rich cream colour, long staple and a great lustre. As a coarser wool it’s slower to felt than some but I actually like the texture of some of these wools and combining them with easier to felt fibres like Blue Faced Leicester really helps to speed it up.

The eagle eyed amongst you may also have spotted that I’ve added an extra fibre to the outside, it’s milk protein fibre which adds more lustre. Wish I’d put a little more on really but it looks better in the flesh than on the photo.

I’m not overly fond of the pink fibres I dyed but they do work very well to give a bright splash of colour to the interior and it contrasts well with the subtle blush colour seen from the outside. As the fibres have felted the bright pink has shown through the Wensleydale to give subtle colouration. I designed it with flowers for the exterior and I wanted those to be subtle too and not have bright pink showing.

I made a Blue Faced Leicester sandwich pre-felt i.e. Wensleydale fibres, then Blue Faced Leicester, then more Wensleydale and some milk protein. It’s given me the same colour in the flowers and I’m very pleased with them. I hand stitched the flowers on after felting and there are baby pink seed beads in the centres.

Tags: 3D, Blue Faced Leicester, wensleydale, wet felted
Posted in Felting | 4 Comments »

Must see at Woolfest

Saturday, June 25th, 2011

Here are a few things which I think are a must see at Woolfest this year.

This is an Ouessant lamb the smallest sheep breed in the world. Not the best picture of a lamb but it illustrates just how small they are. Although the lambs are fatter, I reckon my large male cat is longer than the smallest lamb I saw yesterday. It was so small it kept escaping under the metal fencing!

I was very impressed by the work of Ruth Lee, she had some really unusual work on view. Definitely worth a look. There isn’t a website I can show you but Jan Lee Brown’s work is large, chunky and very impressive, I’ve not seen anything like it before. It’s public work through which she tells stories.

Jenny Barnett’s work is a combination of felt and ceramic plus some wonderful needlefelted animals.

It’s the first time I’ve seen a male felter at Woolfest. These trilbies are by Jamie Lewis who also makes pebbles and some real fun animals. There was so much more, but these are the ones that caught my attention.

Tags: woolfest
Posted in Felting | 2 Comments »

Woolfest

Friday, June 24th, 2011

I went to Cockermouth today for Woolfest. Usually, I’m so virtuous taking with me a list of items that I need and not buying anything else, not quite sure what went wrong today. I intended to buy this recycled plastic fibre, it makes great sheep and clouds.

I intended to buy this crab fibre. Soft, silky but with a ‘funny’ odour, I’ll let you know how it felts in.

BUT then I was tempted into these coloured nepps, they’re great for adding texture

and ditto these Gotland curls – lovely colour

Imagine my surprise when I was further tempted to this hand dyed Merino in fabulous soft shades so unlike my usual brights

AND then these Polwarth fibres. Polwarth is a breed created by crossing a Merino with a Blue Faced Leicester and then that sheep with a Merino. The fibres are soft and slightly lustrous – I’ll let you know how they felt.

At which point I thought Enough!, BUT then went on to buy this magazine

It’s an Australian felting magazine which is quite interesting but I don’t think I’ll purchase it again as it’s rather pricey.It does have a lovely idea for turning a wrap into a waistcoat style garment which I may try out – watch this space. My big fall from grace happened in the first five minutes when I bought …………………….. an organic Gotland sheepskin rug

Aren’t these the most fabulous curls and so soft to the touch. I can’t bear to put it on the floor so it’s on the sofa where I can snuggle up to it. My wonderful husband took all this in his stride for which I’m very thankful.

Tags: woolfest
Posted in Felting | 5 Comments »

Commission fulfilled

Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011

I was recently requested to make a flower brooch on commission in one of my favourite fibres, natural grey merino. It’s a lovely soft grey with natural mottling and it felts really well.

I thought whilst I was making one I might as well make two!

The shiny bit in the centre is throwsters silk waste, my favourite silk fibre. All I’ve got to do now is go and finish off everything else that’s waiting – sigh!

Tags: brooch, grey, handmade, merino
Posted in Felting | 1 Comment »

In The Garden

Sunday, June 19th, 2011

You may remember I had work in a felt exhibition at Bradford organised by IFA (International Feltmakers Association) The exhibition of felt works from Region 10 (that’s Yorkshire and Northumberland) is continuing it’s tour in Kendal at the Signature Gallery from 1st July to 27th August.

The Signature Galley is a lovely venue in a lovely part of the world and well worth the journey to visit it. We have been lucky to secure such a venue in July and August, the peak time for visitors in the Lake District so we are hoping to attract a wide audience.

Opening hours are:
Monday to Wednesday 9.00 – 5.30
Thursday 9.00 – 3.30
Friday 9.00 – 5.30
Saturday 9.00 – 5.00

If you can make it up on Saturday 2nd July you’ll be welcome to meet the artists and share a little light refreshment between 11.30am -1.30pm I hope you can make it.

Posted in Felting | No Comments »

New shop items

Sunday, June 12th, 2011

I may have been quiet for a few days on the blog front but I promise I have been busy and photos will follow soon. In the menatime I am trying to work my way through a few large number of items that are waiting to be put into my shop. I’ve managed some today and here are just a couple.