A Weekend of Felt

I was off  this weekend to Diane's for some serious fun and felt.  I got my usual room at the D&D B&B.  

(I just *love* this bedroom)

 

It is a lovely old ranch house that offers breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for invited guests only.  There is a fabulous felting table and my most wonderful friend who is an excellent felter that lives there. 

I have been hankering over doing some landscape felting with Diane's Art Expertise to help me understand the magic of light she manages in her work.  

I started with a picture of the swamp behind my house. 

Diane talked about ways to look a picture that I've never thought about before.  Lights and darks foreground and background were discussed.  Then she tempted me with tubs of color....Oh My!  How do you choose?

But I chose neutrals and greens.  Lots of greens and some blues actually.  

 And on it went for a whole day.  Until I had this:

But the swamp is twiggy...with lots of branches....and more darks.

This is after wet felting and before the final touches. 

More shadows and dark on the water were added after this.  Then after 2 nights of wine and staying up until after midnight I had to head home.  

Thanks Diane.  I had the most wonderful time and came home with a gorgeous piece to hang in my living room.  I learned wonderful things that will help me look at scenery a whole new way. 

Welcome 2011

It is now a New Year, by someones calendar.  I lived through Christmas, phew.  I cooked, hosted and worked.  But today (and yesterday) I felted.  A good sign for the New Year.  

I am going to be in a show at Davey Jones Gallery, in Albany, New York.  This is a result of the Hyuck Preserve Retreat I did in August. We hiked, took photographs, listen to lectures by mycologists and made felt.  It was a wonderful experience.  I made small pieces of mushrooms. When I came home, still under the influence of the Retreat, I made more sketches, researched more mushrooms, looked more closely at fungi than I had previously. I felted more pieces of mushrooms and the heron.  Here are my latest.

These are before felting. 

We shall see what happens after I finish.  

I now have several ideas about Creation Stories.  This is a show my Guild is doing this year.  I hope to do a piece entitled: In The Beginning Was The Word. 

I have wanted for some time to do something with illuminated manuscripts.  They are so beautiful and the Book of Kells inspires me. I'll need to do some serious research to tackle this. 

 And so on into the New Year. 

December Is The Busiest Time

I haven't been visiting blog land much, except to view and occasionally leave a comment. 

I've been felting and hand stitching .... but I can't show too much.  Most are gifts for family.

I did manage to take the dog to the beach.

 

It was quite cold but no frost.  Beezer ran up and down near but avoiding the surf.  He chased seaweed as it blew across the sand.  I counted starfish and threw the live ones back in. 

I got my boots wet

And then went home.  It was a great way to clear the mind, breath fresh air and remember that the Season is more than the Mall.  

I'd like to see the Lunar Eclipse on the Winter Solstice.  But it looks like it might snow.

I got a little package from Heike last week.  She offered to do a swap.  

Will be doing some hand stitching and more felting after the Holiday. And I will be sure to include some of this.

Merry Solstice. 

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

Especially in my studio.  I have been busy making gifts.  

First I have a Honey (read Spouse) that is an English Motorcycle Freak-O.  And his very favorite is his 1958 BSA GoldStar.  He polishes it and rides it and sometimes just looks at it with serious love in his eyes.  So I made him a banner for the wall above his work bench. 

I think he'll be very happy .... it's pretty close to the actual emblem.  Next time it will be a Norton.

Then I needed more black....next to the skin soft black.  So I ordered some Black and White from Margaret at Crystal Creek Fibers.  She has the most *wonderful* Rambouillet.  It is constantly high quality, high micro, clean clean and clean. Felts like magic. 

This gorgeously soft black Merino was meant for another Christmas project. 

I have wanted for some time to take a class from Jean Gauger to learn how to make her fabulous butterfly shawls.  Unfortunately my schedule has not allowed this.  So I decided to try on my own.  

My initial sketch eventually resulted in this. 

And, of course, the back.  

I also bought some Icelandic batts to make slippers.  These arrived in the mail, too.

These batts are so different than the Rambo and Merino.  They are soft and light but the micron is larger.  The test I did showed they felted up like a dream! 
I also have to make some scarves.  They are on the agenda for tomorrow.

Short Break

I've been on an unscheduled break from blogging.  I've been busy with a visit from my sister and her friend, a visit from my friend Diane, a trip to Boston and just the day to day stuff.  I even took a nap one day!  Not much time left to do anything felty.  

However, I've managed to spend a little time in the studio.  

Diane and I had a wonderful weekend.  I made two pair of slippers.  One for me....and one I can't show as it will be a Christmas present.  Diane made wonderful MaryJane slippers.  She knows that stretching is an important part of making hard felt.

We tried a resist to make two layers of different colors. 

Oh, just ignore that wine....it was one of the libations to the felting muse.  It is also a most important part of making good felt.

Diane took her slippers home to fill in the little moons near the toe.  Mine fit me like a glove.

I have also worked on other projects.  The quilt has made a comeback to the priority list.  I made more of the green for the sections between the flowers then basted them to make the top a single piece. 

Now I have a small emergency.  Because I have been working on this 'as I go along' and not as a planned out project, I have run out of the prefelt.  I'm on a search to find one of the colors I have used in the background.  I think I've used too many colors on the top to add another on the edge.  

In the meantime, ha!, I've been getting ready to make some Christmas presents.  

When Diane and I attended the Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool festival we bought an Icelandic lamb fleece.  During our weekend visit we washed it and another merino fleece I had.  Today I put the lamb fleece through my carder.  It took me all afternoon. 

My carder has medium grade pins and the lamb is very fine.  It is not the best combination but my little batts turned out well.  My Honey needs slippers for Christmas and I think this will be perfect.

I plan on working quite a bit in the studio prior to the Holidays. I think there are mostly handmade gifts on Santas list so I'd best be cracking.

Time to Felt 2

I spent the day mostly in the studio.  Of course, the dogs and I did go for a walk.  It was 73 degrees and so so wonderful outside.  I opened the windows of the studio and let the air in.  So much more enjoyable than the basement.  Sigh.  

I got the second piece done.  They are very close to being the same size.  Laying out was quite the process.  I've not done anything so large in 2 pieces previously.  I was pleased that I had very even wool on the back side without any plain silk.  The light will filter through well. 

Almost 3/4 done with the second piece. 

Left and right side.  Colors are close...for 2 dye pots...I'll take it. 

Now to decide if I want clips a rod or tabs at the top. 
Decisions.

I'm considering this a success and am ready to try a larger size.  Look out bedroom windows you are about to be "treated".

Time to Felt

I haven't posted much because I haven't felted much.  I've been busy with the garden mostly.  But also the dogs.  I planted almost 200 bulbs and 1/2 pound of wildflower seeds.  Plus I've pulled weeds and put down mulch.  I'm hoping it pays off next Spring.  

Fall is always a very busy time for me.  We still ride on Sundays so the studio has felt neglected.  Walks with the dogs took me to the woods where the mushrooms are popping out all over.  

This is stink squid.

A Russula type..they may be green, gray, red, pink, or peach color.

I saw lots more mushrooms...but this blog is about felt.

I have several projects I would like to complete before winter.  Drapes for the large living room windows are one.  I've been trying some experimental dying for color.  These have been mostly onion skins with different mordants or an over dye with indigo.  Before I invest in the yardage for such a huge project I needed to see if I could even make drapes at all.

So, first I made a sample of 10 square inches.  

  I figured out it was 40% shrinkage and did some math.

I covered my tables, spread out plastic and then laid down my silk. 

I weighed out the wool.  My sample was 5 grams per 10" square.  

I figured out the total wool, divided it into quarters, laid it out and then added water.  

Today I played patty-cake.....rollie rollie, pattie pattie ... put it in the dryer.  Then it was rolled again, tossed again, heated with hot water, stretched then rolled some more.  

 The first panel is done.  The second is now lying on the table with 1/4 of the wool laid out.  Tomorrow is a holiday for me.  The studio will be filled with music while I make the second panel.