Showing posts with label feltmaking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label feltmaking. Show all posts

Monday, 10 November 2014

Shibori Felting



During the summer I always dye lots of fabric, make felt and
paper. Above is a piece of Shibori Felting.
A technique I have adapted over several summers and this
summer I gave a six week course of how to do this technique and 
several other unusual additions.
The five pieces I made this summer sold when they
went into exhibition. I had to make two of the above
because I couldn't bear to part with it.


Monday, 5 August 2013

Dragons Eggs



I made these at the Toftwood Exhibition with a one felting needle tool.
We have affectionately called them 'Dragon Eggs' due to them being
unusual.
The Embellisher is great but is really for 2D work. 
Hand felting you can make unusual 3D items.
It takes a little practice and some delft hand movements.

Monday, 31 October 2011

Embroidery Guild Felt Making



On Wednesday 26th of October Bridget
came to speak to our local Branch of The Embroiderers Guild,
in Kings Lynn. Bridget spoke to us about the history
in general of felting and then also about East Anglian
Felting History, especially Norwich which was
really interesting.
She then got us down to work making, Felt Flowers.
She had brought all the equipment with her
and it wasn't long before we were
'Faffing', a technical term picked up by Sandra!
and tufting our wool tops into circle shapes,
on bubble wrap, as you can see above.
It was then sponging them down with soapy water
and rolling and rolling out a couple of hundred times.
This was fun watching as I went around the room
taking photographs.
Even though I have made lots of felt myself
it is wonderful taking part in a group activity
and I had not made these type of flower before.
We then soaked our little bits of damp fluff in
clean water and worked into them, pulling and
stretching them tighter and into flower shapes as they
began to shrink.
These we then shaped around or fingers or pens to form a
centre of the flower and secured with elastic bands.
We all had a lovely time and all went home with
extra pieces of wool top to make stamens or centres
and a lovely sturdy brooch pin to sew on the back.
My flower is the top purple flower,
looking a bit wild! with its unusual petals!
Visit our Guild Site
or visit Bridget's site

Sunday, 7 August 2011

Wet Felting Demo

This is the piece of wet felting
I produced as a demonstration piece at
The Alpaca Farm Open Day.
It is now ready to be embellished
and stitched.
See more of my embellished pieces
on my website

Demonstrating Felting and Carding


I was demonstrating feltmaking all day and Stewart
was using a drum carder all day!
There was so much interest.
He was carding and showing the difference between
sheeps' wool and Alpaca.
We had tubs of the different types of wools
to show the difference and my
mini exhibition showed how the wools felt
in different ways, wet and dry methods.
It was a wonderful day.
Visit the Alpaca Farm

Thursday, 4 August 2011

Floral Felted and Embellished Cards


Floral Felted and Embellished Sketchbook


I always try and make a sketchbook cover in
embellished felt when I am making a new
colour range of felt.
This is made with floral scarves and muted wools.
Very pale and interesting!
See more of my embellishing on my website

Purple Felted and Embellished Cards



Red Felted and Embellished Cards




Assome of you know I love the colour red and I am
drawn back to it when I make cards.
These ones are all felted and embellished.
Then beads and machine and hand embroidery are added
afterwards.
I have needed to build up my collection of cards for the
exhibitions and events I have to attend this Summer.
See more of my red embellishments on
my website

Sunday, 31 July 2011

Red and Blue Embellished Cards



After Judith left I started beading and embroidering
my felted and embellished cards.
I love this combination of the rich reds and blues.
The flower type one in the middle reminds me of
a textile artist's work by another Judith who makes
"Heart Felt Wishes",
It was not intentional but it obviously came out with the
made felt design.
See Judith's blog at

Thursday, 28 July 2011

Wool Batts have arrived

When I got home from teaching @The Gallery,
my neighbour came round and handed me a parcel.
I was so pleased, as it was the Wool Batts I had ordered from
World of Wool late Friday afternoon.
They are so beautiful and ready to use for felting.
You can also get synthetic wools for using on the embellisher.
This stash is for my wet felting demo at the weekend.
I would recommend World of Wool for their service
and prices.

Saturday, 23 July 2011

Colour Fusion Felt

This piece of felt measuring 1.5 is the most colourful
I have every made.
It is a mixture of fleece, silk and Alpaca yarns
and some man made fibres.
This is going to be fun to stitch and
embellish.
Click on the photo to see more detail.
See an amazing felt exhibition video on
my art tech site.

Alpaca Wool in Felting

This piece on felt is made nearly completely of
Alpaca Hair. It is on a background base of
Suffolk wool fleece and pale Alpaca.
The decoration is dark Alpaca rope twists
and Alpaca knitting yarn.
This piece is 1 metre in length.

Blue Felted Pieces



On Friday it was another studio day.
I feel lucky this week to have two studio days in a row.
I decided to use indigo blue as my background and used
some commercial wools as added decoration.
I used various felting and media techniques on each one.
These are now ready for the embroidery and
beading.

Small White Mixed Media Piece

This is one of the small mixed media felted pieces
with some of my made paper included.
See an amazing felt exhibition video on my tech site

White Mixed Media Felted Fleece


On Thursday I had a studio Felt Making.
As some of you know I have been processing
the Fleeces from Little Abbey Farm and The Alpaca Barn.
Thursday I got the chance to make them into felt.
What seemed hours of carding, enough to do some really
large pieces 1.5 metres long and
a few small ones here is the result.
The picture at the very top is of the
dry mixed media felt and the bottom is when it is wet
and in the middle of the felting process.
It was lovely being hands on.
Pulling, rubbing rolling and rinsing.
I used lavender soap from
Norfolk Lavender this time for felt making,
so it helped with the relaxing process.
I made the felt on the veranda of my studio,
so it was lovely seeing and enjoying the
garden and bird visitors.
I was tired at the end of the day.
The pieces are now ready for machine and
hand embroidery.
See an amazing felt exhibition video
on my tech site