OVWSG Fibre Poker Felting Challenge

OVWSG Fibre Poker Felting Challenge

You’ve seen the piece I was working on for this.

I still have not decided what I what to do. It was suggested that using some stabilizer on top might help keep the stitches on the surface and not have them sink in and look quilted. so I thought I would make a new background and give the stabilizer a try.

I picked some colours and carded up a little bat to use to felt a new background.

When it was finished I thought it looked like the water in Monet’s pond. I decided to add a waterlily. I looked up some google and traced the outline onto some was away stabilizer.

For thread, I decided to use some maybe real and maybe artificial silk. some of it says silk on it and some Artsyl rope. I got this thread in a barely started embroidery kit at a garage sale. I don’t know how old it is but the company that made it stopped manufacturing silk in 1911. It does seem to have continued to sell thread and ribbon but I don’t know if they also sold artificial silk. I haven’t burn tested it.  I don’t mind if it’s artificial, it’s pretty.

 

The thread is “2 ply” in appearance but each ply is made up of 5 individual threads. I used one ply for the outline and 3 of the smaller threads for leaf definition.

Onto the petals

As you can see my stabilizer started to fall apart. I am sure it’s because the underlying piece is so soft and squishy, it tears. I had the reference picture so it all worked out.  I pulled most of the tattered bits away. the last thing was the yellow center.

 

And after washing away the rest of the stabilizer. Not too bad if you don’t look too close. that should be just about the actual size of the piece.

I was happy with it even if it was a little plane. than after sowing it to some friends on Zoom, they suggested a dragonfly or some bead water drops. I didn’t feel like making a dragonfly so I decided on fish.

I added 3 koi fish around the lily. I think it worked well. I decided against the water drops because it’s an outline. Seeing it as a picture I can see I need to rub out the needle marks.

 

I enjoyed making this piece and the stabilizer did help keep the stitches on the surface so that was a good idea. I want to try the other kind of stabilizer. The stuff that looks more like plastic wrap. After chatting with a friend we think perhaps a layer of the plastic stuff and a layer of my stuff might work best. Now I just have to find some of the plastic stuff.

9 thoughts on “OVWSG Fibre Poker Felting Challenge

  1. The assortment of old threads looks lovely – it doesn’t matter what they’re made of as long as they look pretty!

    Your piece is very ‘Monet’ now that you’ve added the fish – the background colours are perfect for pond water – and the lily sits on top of the water as it should.

    The stabilizer worked well. I think the one you might want to try is called ‘Solvy’ and it comes in different weights. I had some a few years back when I made some ‘crazy felt’ – I used it for machine embroidery and it was very strong.

  2. Glad the stabliser worked. Your water lily has worked well and I like the effect of the fish under the water, though I think what you used is more like tear away than wash away.
    Lyn’s right it is Solvy film you need. Here’s the Amazon link for the page; https://www.amazon.com/s?k=solvy+water+soluble+stabilizer+for+embroidery&crid=1XO62VV5J2SSL&sprefix=solvy%2Caps%2C263&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_5
    If you only want to experiment, I am not sure if you can buy a small quantity of the stuff. I do have some A4 size sheets that I separated from a roll some time ago. I’d be happy to pass one on to you if that would help.

    While looking that up I actually found the manufacturer’s website and went down another rabbit hole reading about their history. They are Gunold GmbH. A German company and solvy was originally invented for use with industrial embroidery and (I think) lace machines.

    Ann

    1. Thank you Ann. I am really happy with this one. in texture the stabilizer is similar to tear away or light weight interfacing for sewing cloths. It does wash away though. I will have a look what I can find for Solvy here but if I can’t find it I will gladly take you up on your kind offer.

  3. This is a great way to sample. I love the Monet look. I have a bunch of the vintage silk threads but manufactured by a different company. The wash silk ones are definitely silk, I’m not sure about the Artsyl ones. I look forward to seeing the resolution you choose for your challenge piece.

    1. Thanks, It worked out really well. I am still not sure what I want to put on the other picture. I really want to do a stitched dandelion but I don’t think that picture is the right one for it. The silks really pretty.

  4. Love your piece Ann. The colours are beautifully muted and the vintage threads are very exciting. I bought some solvy recently – someone was getting rid of it – but not sure how to use it in machine embroidery. I would be interested in seeing this in action should you get it and decide to post!

    1. Thank you, I ordered some of the plasticy kind that people suggested. but now I need to find some time to stitch on it. It will be hand stitching. Practising machine embroidery is still on my list of things to find time for. I took Ruth’s class and it was good. Practice is the key.

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