Ms. Allison came over the play Thursday and we had great fun making felt together. She took one of the batts shown below in a previous post, and created a wonderful, light and airy felt. It turned out so nice. The white on it is from silk roving that was carded into the top layer of the batt. She is uncertain of what she'll make of the felt, but I for one, am sure that it will be wonderful.
After the felt making, we both work on some of the beading that we wanted to complete on several bags. I didn't get a photo of the one Allison was working on, but I did of mine. Allison's was all neatly planned out, well executed, mine a bit more random, of course. All in all, a great day in the adventures of felt making!
(Allison's beaded bag-late photo entry)
My sweet friend Suzanne Morgan, http://www.learnedlately.blogspot.com/ sent me an email about a blog post concerning blog posts. The writer spoke much about sharing 100%, not to hold back, to give details, hints, helps, etc. This is just such wonderful advise, and speaks so much to what my heart feels more and more these days. I recall early in my felting that I didn't want people to "copy" my work, but with some maturity, I soon realized that no one can copy someone else. If I teach a class of 10 people how to make a hat, and all of them will turn out different from each other. It is the technique that we teach, not how to create their own piece. That will come from within each individual person. As a teacher, to me, it is important to guide a person to successful understanding of what they are learning, to encourage them, assist them and encourage play, experimentation within the project. I so hope that I do that when I am teaching.
As a blogger, I think I fall sorely short in the giving it all away. I'm asking you to help me in that effort. Ask questions, leave comments, and I will do my very best to answer thoroughly, honestly, and to give my best advise. It is one of the best ways to touch the future of felt making. We all build on the expertise of someone else, the lessons we've learned through our own failures and success's. There is nothing new under the sun, it is only new to us when we first learn it. We set it free when we share it, teach it, explore it, love it, and watch it grow.
Off to explore!
Shalom,
Suzanne
6 comments:
I will send a picture of the bag that I beaded! Also, I started knitting a hat with the yarn you gave me, it's really easy to knit with and I love the texture it creates. I did four rows (in the round) rather quickly, and I love it! Can't wait to play some more. :)
Thanks for writing this Suzanne. I know I feel threatened by teaching everything that I know, especially since I have developed my own techniques for some things, but it is true, we need to give what we are given. It isn't really ours anyway! I will work on this as well!
Suzanne--Thanks for this lovely post. I am 'all about the sharing', too...and I especially try to blog about what I've done WRONG so that others can avoid my mistakes!! :)
I only learned about felting a little over a year ago and everything I learned was from other bloggers sharing, so I do try and share any new techniques and fiber sources that I love as "pay back" for what other felters have shared with me .
I think the more people understand the joy and challenges of working with fiber, the more they will appreciate it when they see it so getting the word out is a "good thing" .
Suzanne, Heather, Krex and Ms. Allison,
Thank you so much for your responses. When I invented the Needle Felt Forms some 10 years ago now, I had to decide to either make them for others, or keep it as my little secret way of doing things. Looking back, I am so glad I shared it. The people and the opportunities, simply amazing. So some "stole" the idea...the important things are still intact, like who I am.
Shalom,
Suzanne
I think blogging gives us ideas and yes we think "I am going to try that". Even though we got the idea from something we saw it becomes something different. I knit my felted bags and had never tried a pocket until I saw somebody else do it. Hers goes all the way across her bag. The pockets I have on mine are just large enough for a cell phone. If I had not seen hers I would have never tried it, and the pockets change them, but it doesn't make them the same.
And in the photography side of my creative mind....I get ideas but a person can never re-create the same photograph as somebody else. I can't even re-create the same photograph that I have already taken myself.
All that said I think I blog to get ideas along with looking at everybody else's beauty. Which I love the blue bag.
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