Friday, February 10, 2012

Bird Pod Class Announcement



Felted Bird Pod Workshop
When:
Sat, May 12, 10am – 4pm
Where:
Kalamazoo Nature Center (map)
Description:
Come enjoy felt fun for feathered friends! Build a felted wool structure that blends beautifully into the landscape and houses song birds and their young. These pods are made from wool, llama and alpaca fibers and will last for many years! All materials are included in workshop fee. Please dress comfortably and bring a snack! Fee: $55/members, $65/non-members Registration and payment required by Monday, May 7: (269) 381-1574 ext. 0 Indoor workshop for ages 12+; no felting experience required!

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Calm, Change, Chaos....and life goes on

We are three weeks into Dad's living with us and it has been enlightening, to say the least. He has masked just how much he needs to be with someone who can supply the nursing/physical care he needs and how profound his loneliness has been. We've had a trip to the hospital, Dr. visits, managing the care of his wife who is in an assisted living facility, bills to pay, medication runs, assembling of a bedside commode and a bunch of other stuff I'd rather not talk about here. Let's just say that I am happy to have him here where I know the care he is getting is very good.

I was able to sneak away briefly to work out some of the things that Emy and I are working on together. The bag has the leather trim that I wanted on it and the skirt is completed. The top for the skirt is still "in the works" but will be coming soon. It seems that everything has to be done the way one eats an elephant....one bite at a time.
After weeks of moving, carrying, cleaning, arranging, re-arranging, moving, throwing out, selling, transporting, boxing and un-boxing two households, I had a down day. During my 'down", the phone rings to tell me that two students had cancelled due to illness, and would I still teach? I said of course I'd still teach if there were only two....and by the way, when is the class. I don't have it on my calendar? TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What! End of down time and started packing the car. I had so much fun with these gals. They dyed their scarves, laid out their wool, rolled them and then after the fibers had started to migrate, we headed off to the local laundry mat, where they saw their project transform into highly textured nuno works. They were a delight and I needed to be around folks making felt more than I knew. It was a very good day.

Personally, I've no idea when I'll be back making felt. I'll be teaching a good bit and am always open to workshops within the mid-west. I'll be teaching at the Nature Center in Kalamazoo, Midwest Felting Symposium, Michigan Fiber Festival, Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival, and Colorado, Ohio and a few other places this year. A lot depends upon the road we are traveling now. My family comes first.

I will make felt again...I will make felt again....I will make felt again.

Shalom and Happy Feltmaking~

Suzanne