Little Projects
Thanks a lot to Marilyn for filling in for me the other day when I wasn’t well 🙂
It seems like I’ve got a lot of small or half finished projects on the go at the moment. I’ve been collecting glass beads to make a fulling board for the Well Being centre classes. I thought I finally had just enough to do one, so started on that, only to find I ran out of glue!
It still made a nice photo along the surface though:
One thing I did get finished was making some resists for vessels and pods out of the foam I got recently, you can tell which one I used for the bird pod last week:
I took them to the felting/fibre group yesterday and and we ended up with a round bowl, a wide bottomed vase with narrow neck, a bird pod, and a garden den for frogs which inspired the idea to make oven gloves! Here are the other resist shapes:
One thing I did finish a few weeks ago was a rough drop spindle to take to the group:
I cut a little notch in the top:
We only had time for 2 members to have a quick go, but both made nice, even lengths of yarn and picked it up easily. The bits of wood I’ve used so far for making the whorls on my spindles have been some I got off ebay really cheaply, probably because they aren’t very even, so probably wheel rejects. I wanted to make some better spindles, so sent off for some properly made toy wheels:
Of course I couldn’t find the dowelling I bought years ago which I thought would fit perfectly, but after searching everywhere, I found it by accident when I was rearranging the room the other week. I haven’t fixed it properly, but I tried it for size:
I might get around to actually making it in a few more months 🙂
20 thoughts on “Little Projects”
This group is certainly keeping you busy – and now you’re drop spinning as well! I like the spindle you made.
The colourful resists look like birthday balloons.
Thanks, Lyn 🙂
Ha, I hadn’t noticed they look like balloons until you said!
You’re quite welcome Zed. I was glad to help. Fortunately, I had the information and pictures ready. :-). I love the resists made from the foam. How do they hold up? I use the underlayment and after a couple of uses it gets a little floppy. I was thinking of making a bigger bead board, but haven’t gotten around to it. It’s great you’re sharing all your talents with the Centre group including the drop spindle!
Thanks, Marilyn 🙂
The resists have only been used once each so far, they do wrinkle, so I think if they can be dried between towels and pressed a bit it would be better. I’ve got some perspex to make myself a bigger borad too, but they are so heavy!
What is Perspex? I was thinking of using an old plastic cutting board or something similar.
I need to make some of those bead boards. You will have your whole area felting and spinning soon.
I was filling in a form the other day about the group, about how many people in total have used it and the wider impact on community etc, and I guessed about 35 separate people have tried felting with me, and it’s spread to 3 different groups now 🙂
Marilyn–I’m assuming that foam is EVA craft foam? I use it for resists and really like it. I’ve made so many pods on my foam resists. I now have the underlay stuff because I needed something bigger, but I think the foam is still my fav resist material.
I think it’s the EVA stuff, I googled it and it looked the same. I’ve tried flooring underlay too, I like the double bubble wrap.
Thanks Robin! Yes, when you’re doing something big the underlayment can’t be beat.
Beautiful photo of the glass beads, Zed! Love it.
And… you know I’m secretly clapping in happiness that you’re giving spinning a try 😀
Thanks, Leonor 🙂
I’ve been using the drop spindle for almost as long as I’ve been felting, but only make what I need for projects. Both members had seen it done and said it looked complicated so it was good to give just a quick demo and have them do it no problem 🙂 I still want a wheel, just haven’t had a chance to try any to know which to get 🙁
I’m glad those ladies got you back to spinning 😀 Ooh, a wheel? If you like the Bliss, mine’s for sale!
Finally started watching Goodnight Sweetheart. I’m enjoying it, thanks for the suggestion!
I honestly don’t know what I want, like or need. I like the look of the Bliss ones. But it seems all wheels are limited. I like to spin fine for sewing thread or chunky for arty yarns. I wish it was easier to try a few. I re-watched Goodnight Sweetheart not so long ago, they had it on Dave or something, so I watched to the end, then watched some from the beginning again 🙂 I’d forgotten how clever it was. I’ve been missing Miss Fisher lately 🙂
You are really spreading the felting bug Zed 🙂 I like to use the foam for resists too but only for smaller items as I can’t find it in a larger size. I hope you get something worked out to continue on since the center is closing.
Thanks, Ruth 🙂
Yeah, I’ve only seen the foam upto A4/printer paper size, though I haven’t checked proper art shops. I just read today that there was some mix up in the council with the dates, and we have until April next year to take over the running if we can work out how to do it between us.
I have some of that foam that is A3-ish size. I think I bought it at Michael’s when I was in the US a couple of years ago.
I didn’t know about double bubble wrap. I’ll have to look for it!
I don’t know where my double bubblewrap came from, probably packaging, I’d rather use free stuff where possible! You mentioning underlay made me think about asking at flooring shops for spare bits for bigger resists.
You are definitely very busy. Great ideas for felting!
Thanks 🙂 I wish I had the energy to be! I’m good at starting things and creating the illusion of busy 🙂