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.