Hi All It seems I forgot I had to post today so I am late. I am reposting a post showing some of the past Holiday Exchange Cards that we have done. I did remove the links to sign up for this exchange.
Hi all, for those who may not know we also run an interactive forum for felting and fiber folks. It’s a great place to share your work, ask questions and help each other out. http://feltandfiberstudio.proboards.com/
Each year we have a holiday exchange. You make a small felted postcard or similar size card with some felt on it.
Here’s the timeline:
October 4-Nov 9: people sign up
November 10 partners are announced.
November: Make your card, contact your partner for an address
December 1: Mail your card
Here are some of the cards from our past exchange, there has been lots of variety.
For the studio holiday card exchange, I had Tesi’s name. I was in a bit of a hurry to get it finished so I chose a simple design, a holiday decorated tree.
Looking through my stash, I found a couple pieces of nuno felt, a screen printed piece of felt in green and a tree trunk that was already stitched! I love when a plan comes together this easily re-using bits and pieces from my horde of “stuff”.
This was the beginnings of the idea. I had some “wads’ of white wool that I thought I could use for snow and the background looks kinda snowy.
So I stitched down the tree and added some circles from the multicolored nuno felt. Then I wanted to add a garland. As I was looking at what I had, I remembered my goldwork supplies. That would definitely add sparkle!
So I added some yellow felt padding at the top of the tree to give a raised effect. Then I could cover it with cut purl.
I used Gilt Bright Check Purl for the garland stitched down in “stem” stitch. The photos aren’t the best as the felt and the shiny gold make the camera confused and unfocused.
Now on to the tree topper. The hardest part in “cut purl work” is getting the sizes correct so that they fit correctly over the padding. I used Gilt Rough Purl for the tree topper. I decided against using the snow at the bottom of the tree as originally planned. I thought it was unnecessary. I glued the entire thing down to a blank greeting card and sent it off to Tesi in the mail and it arrived safely. Yay!
I have been slowly working on my Indian Paintbrush artwork. Since the last time I showed you, I have painted the stems and added some blue flowers in the background.
Here it is after I painted the stems and leaves. I didn’t add any further color to the flowers themselves as I thought I might do. Once I was finished, I decided I should have left the bottom stems alone so they blended better into the background. I could add more paint on top but so far I have just left them as they are.
Here’s a closer view of the stems. Next up was to decide if I needed to add anything else. I decided to enhance the blue areas with some hand stitching. I found a hand dyed greyed down blue that was multi valued.
So I used fly stitch and the thread was a thin cotton slightly bigger than one strand of floss. It’s actually hard to see in this photo but you can click on the photo to enlarge it.
Here’s a closer view of the blue stitching. So what’s next? I’m not sure. I have been looking at the piece now for several weeks hanging up in my studio. Does it need more? If so what? I still haven’t decided. What do you think?
On another note, I finally saw the Northern Lights here in Kalispell, Montana. I never realized that you need to look through the camera’s lense to actually see the lights very well. Paula took the photo above and I took the one below. Do you see the constellation?
My American Aunt, Rose (born in Ireland but she lived her adult life in the US as a religious sister and kids’ teacher) used to have a phrase about nice things. They were ‘for special occasions and bonfire nights’. I suspect it was from a time when folk had one good outfit in their wardrobe but it’s a phrase that has stuck with me and, while the saying sounds fun, it has led to me not letting go of beauty, storing them up in boxes or in the wardrobes for that ‘special occasion’ to come along. As I get older I have come to realise that every day I get to be on this beautiful earth is a special occasion and so it is time to get out the glad rags and let loose! I am finally applying this simple principle to my fibre stash; so in this post I want to talk about some of those gorgeous samples that I made during the various dyeing workshops I have taken over the past nine months. I wrote about them in my last three posts and you can find them all here if you would like to catch up with them. Adventures in colour Part 1; Adventures in colour Part 2; Dyeing to Eat.
I have to confess, it took a while for me to brave using the results of the workshops – the special occasions and bonfire nights phrase was stuck in my head and I was afraid I might ruin the samples (silly!). In the end, I decided to simplify things and just play. I started with a little weaving. Some time ago I bought a small loom, nothing fancy, it cost less than €13.00. It’s from Sostrene Grene, it’s a great shop for reasonably priced bits and pieces and it now is online. Their website is here
Here is a photo of my little loom. It’s great for playing as I watch TV:
Small wooden hobby loom with pen included in the photo for size perspective
As I did not have specialist thread and as this was just a play, I set the warp up using cotton thread. Then I got to work, using some of the fibre and yarn which I dyed during the natural dyeing workshop last November. I also used a cotton yarn for the background of the piece. Here is a photo of some of the hand dyed fibre:
The final result for the fresh nettle dye. I love the variety of tints!
Here is the result of my first play:
Background is cotton yarn and highlights are provided with wool skeins merino and linen fibres.
Next, I decided to use some of the yarn which I dyed during the Procion dye workshop. At this stage I had purchased proper warp thread and I decided to use a metal hoop for my base. I used a small nylon ring within the hoop and I set this off centre when I was setting up the warp. Again here are some photos of the fibre and thread used. I love the vibrancy of these colours!
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And here is the result. I plan to add nylon fishing line to this and hang it as a mobile.
Hand dyed (procion dyes) fibre woven onto a circular hoop.
Next, it was finally time to be a little brave and use one of my favourite fibre samples. This is merino wool which was randomly dyed in the dye pot. I loved the result as it reminded me of photos taken of deep space by Hubble. Here are two photos of the fibre sample I made.
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I felt I might ruin the effect if I didn’t felt it carefully. So my layout had to be simple. In the end I decided to make a cowl with it. The sample length was 60cm and it was quite thick so I divided the fibre lengthways into two equal bundles being careful to keep the colours intact. I took the two bundles and stretched both out very thinly width wise, again being careful to maintain the colours. As the fibres were going to run in one direction I decided to use the nuno technique to stabilise the piece. I used margillan silk for this purpose (measurement length of sample x 2 by the width of the stretched fibre).
Then I cut a resist which was the same length as the sample. I wrapped the silk around the resist as it was to form the base of the cowl. I wet this to keep it in place (margillan is so light it has a habit of wandering!). Then I carefully laid the fibre on top of the silk. (Tip: the start and end of each of the two lengths of fibre were not placed at the edge of the resist to avoid any possibility of creating a ridge). I wet the piece down, rubbed and started rolling. (lots of rolls to encourage the fibre to go through the silk). Once this was done I started fulling the piece. Here are some photos of the process:
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And here are photos of the finished piece. I am pleased with how the colours have kept their integrity and it has not become a muddy mess! All set for the cooler weather.
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Next, I took some silk fibre which has been dyed in the same pot. Here is a photo of the fibre:
Front view: Silk fibre. I can’t help thinking about Hubble when I see this photo!
This time I set it onto a black background. I was so pleased that it adhered well to the fibre but the black did not destroy the colours. This was probably helped by the fact that I did not fully felt the piece as I intended to frame it so I knew I could stop my process whenever I found it aesthetically pleasing. There’s lots of texture in it which I am pleased about. The black background definitely reminded me of deep space! Once rinsed and dry, I set to work doing some free motion embroidery. Lots of little stars. I then added some silver seed beads for a little starry sparkle. What do you think?
Mixed media: procion dyes were used on silk fibre which was then felted onto merino. Machine embroidery and hand beading introduced stars to the piece
Next, a quick update on my more recent dyeing exploits. I attended wedding recently and I needed a cover up which would tie in with my dress. I did not have time to felt a piece but I knew that I had some light wool fabric which would be perfect if dyed. Previous samples from the Mexican dyeing course I attended confirmed that I could achieve the colour I wanted from avocados. I prepared my fabric (scoured and used an alum mordant) ate the avocados and then I dyed the fabric. I threw in a little prepared merino and silk fibres too to see what might happen. Once dyed, I hemmed the wool shawl. I am delighted with the result. This is one piece that will not be kept for ‘special occasions and bonfire nights’. Here is the result:
Handmade wool fabric wrap (dyed with avocado skins and stones) natural dyeing
Then I decided to use the merino and the silks which were dyed in the same pot to make a flower. The colour achieved was a lot lighter but I am pleased with the result of the experiment:
hand felted and beaded flower (dyed with avocado skin and stone) Merino and silk fibres used Natural dyeing
Finally, every year, there is a local collaboration between two of our neighbours a farmer and a food producer (we live in a rural area). They grow a field of sunflowers which members of the public are invited to pick and make a donation either online or through their honesty box to the local hospice charity. It is always a popular event. I picked some sunflowers this week and they are now looking gorgeous in my sun room. I took off the bottom leaves from the plants before placing them in water. I decided it might be fun to see if I could extract dye from them. I also made a little pigment. Unfortunately, the photos do not fully do justice to the beautiful green tones I achieved from the dye, but I thought I would share them anyway:
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I know I am not alone in my need to behave like a squirrel and hoard my treasured items. I am so pleased that I have taken a tiny percentage of my mine and transformed them into something else which in my view are aesthetically more pleasing.
Now it’s time for you to share. Are you a hoarder too? If so, what do you hoard and do you ever think about transforming some of your stash?
I have a teapot I really like, it has good balance and is easy to pour from. I like it, except that it has a metal handle that gets hot resting on the teapot.
I made 4 thin layers. 2 thicker ones would have been good for this small project but I can’t layout thicker without really working on it. I got a nice firm felt at 50% shrinkage.
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Once it was the right size, I rolled it into a tube to dry. The silk pops so nicely once it is dry
Rolled up to dryDry tube ready to go
The only thing left is to sew it onto the teapot. I used some thick, black cotton thread and whip stitched it on
And here it is.
The funny thing in the lid handle is part of the original messy background I couldn’t get rid of. I made a cup of tea right after finishing and it worked perfectly, no more burnt fingers.
The other thing I finished today is my July Page of slow stitch on felt. No hidden meanings this month, just some random designs.
My June page is done. I started late but once the mood hit, it didn’t take long to do. It’s not a very complicated one but June is a busy month. I work best against a deadline.
There is a birthday cake for my birthday. I hear I share June with several other blog members. It looks like grey icing and a grey candle but they are purple in person. DAD is for Father’s Day. It is International UFO Month so I had to have a cute little alien. International Bicycle Day is this month and it is International Blood Donor Month.
I drew out the different pictures on some washaway stabiliser. It worked well, except for the blood drop as you can see it looks fine here
But when I washed away the stabiliser it looked like this.
The first thing I tried was needling the felt to move it back into place. it works well a lot of the time when things need realigning. but that didn’t work. So, I used more of the red thread to fill in. I thought it might make the shape funny but it worked great.
I picked some grey for July. It’s neutral so it can take anything. I may just do abstract stitching but I haven’t decided yet.
In my previous post I had completed two nature inspired collages https://feltingandfiberstudio.com/2024/03/28/inspired-by-nature-part-1/ and had then decided (in my infinite wisdom!) to create a third and form a set. Collages one and two were partners, now I was heading for a family!
1 My original completed piece
2 My second piece
As I was now creating a ‘triptych’ – meaning the two different nature inspired collages needed to be tied together – I had to concentrate on colour and texture, because I didn’t have enough snippets of all the various fabrics previously used. At the same time, I needed to think about the design direction.
One of the hardest decisions was deciding which way up, I finally wanted to present collages one and two, as this would have a bearing on three. When doing abstract work, I usually work from different directions so that, to me, it is balanced from all sides. This enables me, or a client, to decide which way to hang the piece, or simply present the opportunity to ring the changes!
3 Thinking about the design
4 Auditioning the fabrics
Once I’d decided on the final hanging direction of collages one and two, the next hurdle was the actual design layout. Again, the priority for me, was to unify and compliment the previous finished pieces, for which my various sketches proved very useful.
I’ve been asked many times ‘where do you get your layout ideas from?’ Zimples…I look through my vast collection of images that I find interesting (landscape, architectural, food etc), then finding one I like, I either trace or freehand copy the main shapes. These then become the kicking off point. I’m repeating myself I know, as I’ve mentioned all this before….I just want to get the message over that this method is available to everyone – whether they are ‘arty’ or say they can’t draw for toffee!
5 Layout of fabrics finalised – including some paper birch bark (the yellow underside was more interesting than the white top).
With my final decisions made on the design layout and the fabrics to use, it was time to start adding some embellishing stitches.
Although not immediately obvious each work also has some golden elements (paper or foil) included with the dried peeled cherry & birch bark (from felled trees), twigs, or dried bark chips (these were a beach combing find!). All from my ‘that’s too good to throw away/it might come in useful’ stash!
Then it was back to the entire same auditioning process re the placement of Mother Nature’s treasures with the added complication of now having to balance these elements with those of the other two completed works, which in turn, might decide in which order the three collages should be displayed (1,2,3 or 1,3,2 or, 3,1,2 etc).
In terms of design, balance, or colour – if I saw a glaring ‘gap’, yet more embellishing stitches were added, particularly to subtly enhance the circles.
5a Just to show the gold elements. Notice the copper thread too on the bark
These collages are all about being nature inspired, so the following photographs show some close-up details which I have paired with various of my (oh so many!!!) images of Mother Nature’s spontaneous creations that surround us, even in the tiniest of corners.
6 Detail 1 – A variety of stitches on the original collage
7 Detail 2 – Stitched cherry bark overlaid with a sheer with crocheted lichen and copper wrapped twig
9 Detail 4 – Embroidery stitches to evoke lichen and moss
10 Detail 5 – Reminiscent of cracks in rocks and aged cut tree trunks
11 Detail 6 – Copper wrapped bark, ‘cracks’ or maybe twigs and yarn moss
Framing the three collages….
I used my favourite method – by stitching each to card cut to fit the frame. I was so lucky that on one car boot sojourn, I found 3 IKEA frames, just perfect for my wall space. Each collage is 22 x 22cm (8½x 8½ins). At some point, I might present them in larger square frames with a wide 10cm (4in) mount (mat) to provide a counterfoil….before that….I’ll need to move house to have more wall space!!!
And herewith the final pieces, enough collage work for now I think….
12 The original work – I blame this one for setting me off down this path….I enjoyed it so much!
13 Collage 2
14 Collage 3 – Giving birth to this baby was not quite so easy as it had to share it’s parents’ features!
But maybe something beckons….
15 Mother Nature’s circles – Mmmm food for thought perhaps!
Did I forget to mention that I also love the rocks and stones on which the lichen grow!!!
We’d love to hear about any dip or triptychs you’ve created.
The last time I showed you my May page, I just had a little to go. Once I finished the stitching I cut away most of the stabilizer so I wouldn’t have to rinse it as much to get it all out of the felt.
And this is it all done. It’s a bit sparse but I like it well enough.
The tulips are for the tulip festival we have every year. Many are sent as a gift of thanks from the Netherlands. The Dutch Royal family was in exile in Canada during WWII. We designated part of our hospital as part of the Netherlands so Princess Margriet would be born on home soil.
The maple leaf and crown are for Queen Victoria’s Birthday. She gave us self-governance so we have a holiday.
And of course Mother’s Day, at least here in North America.
I picked out a new piece of felt for my June page. I have some ideas for June. I was thinking I may do some more needle felting this month along with the stitching but I am not sure yet. I like the way the fiber goes across leaving lots of the white background showing. I did this a long time ago but I am pretty sure the fibres are silk. The other thing I am not sure of is which way is up. the difference is more pronounced in person
The other thing I did was add some yarn to the antlers of my moose bag. I think it is all I will do. I like him the way he is. Not very ambitious but there you go. I may add something to the other side of the bag. The yarn is handspun silk. I am not sure how well it will stand up to being on the bag.
I am working on my May slow stitch I have a few things done but it’s not finished quite yet. I plan on finishing it at our guild social on Monday I think the “May” should be bigger. It’s not a very full page this month but it will have to do. I am liking working with the wash-away stabiliser. We will see if I am still happy after it is dissolved.
I have done a little spinning and plying so I have a few new balls of yarn to play with. I got a Moodie Blues pack from Carlene. It’s one of the World of Wool collections.
I still need to ply the one on the left. I only have one more to go, the top left one. It amazes me the way the wool changes as you spin it. I think because the colours are side by side they become more subtle. I really like the dark one with the blue slubs in it.
Lately, I need some advice on my mirror cover for the visor in my car. I had stuck it on with some Velcro squares. It worked fine all winter but no it’s hot the glue has melted and it has fallen off. What else can I use to attach the cover?
April is now gone and May will hopefully bring more sun and more flowers.
I started the month with some felt stars. It was a fun little project and might work for a fast free workshop. Maybe at a guild social. You can read about how I made them here
Next was an eyeglasses holder for beside my bed. It was an interesting project with some strange wool. Here it is hanging up beside my bed. I didn’t realise how dusty the bookcase was until I took a picture. Then I had to dust and take it again. The things I do for our followers. LOL
I taught 2 workshops this month, Nunofelt Scarf and Felt Birdhouse/Feeder workshop. We had a lot of fun. Here are the ladies with their finished scarves. Sorry, I forgot to get a group shot.
And the finished Birdhouse/feeders.
After teaching I decided to treat myself to a Workshop. I signed up for Helene’s Felt Spiral Workshop. I really enjoyed making my spiral. I learned a lot along the way. It is wonderful to see how different people do things. It would be wonderful if we all lived close enough to get together regularly.
I couldn’t get the movie to work so here is a still.
With April finished I have another completed page for my slow stitch collection. I decided to include a little needle felting this time. I included some flowers but also the solar eclipse we had here, a cloud and rain because we have had a lot of April showers and my purple umbrella to keep me dry. I really do have a purple umbrella. I added the Autism Awareness infinity symbol because it is autism awareness month. Then I was left with an empty spot at the bottom and I couldn’t figure out what to put there. I did a special days in April search and on the last day of the month, I was reminded of the first day of the month and added the fake glasses nose and moustache for April Fools.
and lastly, because it is spring this last week we have started having lambs.
And these are my current bottle babies. Sven( thanks to Jan for the name) who no one would claim. He is doing a good imitation of a Valies Black Nose with his black nose and knees. And Henna whose mother hates her( probably because she is really good at yelling at the top of her lungs for no reason) Once they are both drinking well and down one feeding per day ( they are on 5 times a day right now) they will go live in a lambing pen until they are a little bigger then they can join a group.
