ADHD and Feltmaking!

One of the great things I love about ADHD is the fact that I do get bored rather easily. I know that it bothers most of the people around me on a daily basis,... but I love it! and count it as a gift and a blessing. Easily bored...such is the case of the dark berry colored hat. It's been to shows with me for well over a year now...and as I am preparing to leave for Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival...I just couldn't take what was a tan hat out of the house one more time. So I decided that that hat needed a visit to the dye pot; warm, colorful, changing color and hue into something far more stunning than an odd looking tan hat. I am pleased with the way the felt fabric took up the dyes. I used three different berry colored dyed, adding one on top of the other and allowing the slightly stirred waters to wash over the fabric, creating a great depth of color. I hope it finds a home in Wisc.

The blue hat was a playful adventure in hat making. While I've used all of the items in the felt previously, never had I used them in one hat. This hat has geometric design, Teeswater locks, both dyed and natural, and fabric. The fabric did not show up in the photo, and I am sorry for that not showing up.

Both hats were made on the Extra Large Needle Hat Form that are on my website. Both were needle felted first, then wet felted after the design work had been completed. Working with the Needle Felt Forms allows felting to be totally portable. These two hats were needle felted while I was at a fiber festival. While it might be for everyone, it is perfect for me. I use the forms and flat resists in felt-making and find that both have their place and space; just as felting needles are not for everyone, but do have their place in my work. Needle to wet felting just makes good sense to someone like me who loves to make felt, and is on the road as much as I am, or time doesn't let you finish a project in short time. I also like to show people the possibilities of what they can do with the forms. This form is also great for vessels, and handbags, and felted baskets.

I'm building a felt-making library. Anyone have books they'd like to recommend?

Shalom,
Suzanne

Post Script; Both of these hats did find their new homes in Wisconsin.

At the front door

These plantain lilies grow outside of my front porch. I often leave the windows open and the soft breeze coming in the window is simply intense lily scented. It is good to be alive!

Felt Gautlet Wrist Warmers

I've had an idea running around in my head for several days now and finally decided to put it to the test. It worked! Each of these wrist warmers, fingerless gloves, gautlets are one piece. I wish I had made the roses larger than I did, but over all, I'm happy with the first effort. I'll have to take what I've learned from this experiment and try again until I've "really got it". I find that I enjoy the trials and errors as much as finally mastering a technique. I am a slow learner, so it should be awhile before I post many others. I think that these will end up having more fun stuff done to them. I see beads in my near future. Hmmmmmmmmmm, which stack are they in?

This weeks work

I had hoped to complete more hats before the Michigan Fiber Festival....but it didn't happen. These did and I hope that they are well received.

Felt Hat in Process, Michigan Fiber Festival

The Michigan Fiber Festival begins with classes on Wed. of this week. Should be great fun, and near perfect weather for those in attendance. Looks to be a great show this year. I'll be going over to the Allegan County Fairgrounds on Thursday to set up the booth. I am so looking forward to seeing the folks who we only see in Allegan. It is great fun!

I've not totally recovered from all of the events of the past 6 weeks, and am therefore, a bit behind on the goals I'd set for myself. Fatigue has taken its toll on any creativity that could be inside. For now, I am playing with the familiar and calling it good until I get the rest I desperately need.

If you are coming to the Michigan Fiber Festival, I hope that you'll make a point to stop by our booth. We'll be in the main building.

Shalom,
Suzanne

Wool Felt Hat

I made this hat then over dyed it after it was completed. Very much like the effect.