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.
2 comments:
Hi Suzanne!
I am saving my pennies for the extra large needle to wet felting form. I can't believe it never dawned on me that I could start a VESSEL on a needle felting HAT form. You have a great idea doing the needle to wet felting process. I am like you...I can't always get enough time in my wet felting studio (my kitchen) to complete a project. But using your process, I can take those "spare" moments here and there to get a little work done:) And, I think, taking advantage of this method would facilitate some creative growth.
I hope you are doing well.
Renee N
Hi Renee!
It was so good to meet you. Wish we could have had more time to talk at Midwest Felting Symposium.
Once you try it with the forms, you'll love it. Truly, it makes felting so portable. Sometimes when I am at a show, I can get 4-5 hats needled and then wet felt them when I get home. It's kinda cool doing it that way and makes good use of the gift of time!
I'll try to post a vessel that my daughter did so that you can see how they can turn out. She is very new to felting and it was her first attempt, but I'll try to post it for you, especially.
Will you be at the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival?
Shalom,
Suzanne
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