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

Faceless Felting + New Classes Forming

Andrea Morrison, of Wonder Why Alpaca's, attended the nuno felting class I held a couple of weeks ago. She went to Your Local Yarn Shop and shared her lovely creations with the gals there. They then contacted me to have me teach there in December. I will be teaching for three days this dyeing and nuno technique. This class will be for gift giving or New Years Eve. Class dates are December 8th, 9th and 10th from 9-5 each day.
Each class is one day only, but you will have choices on which day works best for your schedule. Space is limited and it will be first come first served. For more information call Kelly at Your Local Yarn Shop, 2171 Columbia Ave W Battle Creek, MI 49015

(269) 964-1256

Do you have any idea how terrifying it is to stand in front of a group of eager workshop participants and tell them that you know absolutely NOTHING about the color wheel...and they are counting on you for dyeing techniques? Sometimes I wonder what I am doing even teaching dyeing. Am I out of my mind? Okay, let's just not go there right now... but I can teach what I know...how to dye the silk, float color, get intensity, pattern and make beautiful nuno. So far, the classes have been successful...but I am anticipating that one failure that is due to occur. Grrrrrrrrrrr!

I have a nuno skirt in mind, so much so that it is infiltrating my dreams on a nightly basis. I've simply got to get the table cleared off and get it laid out and get rolling! I've been drawing in out, thinking, planning, making samples, discovering shrinkage rate...now is the time to implement!

There are so many family things going on right now, aging and ill parents, moving them into appropriate living spaces, doctor appointments, packing up their apartments, disposing of things, selling things, oh it is all exhausting. Makes me what to get rid of everything in my home so that my children never have to do this for me. Then, I look around at just the wool in this house and know they will have to put on a fiber festival here in our yard if I die.

One of the gals whose work I took with me to Rhinebeck is Elynn Bernstein. Her web site is:
www.amanostudios.com Please go check out her clothing line, it is simply amazing. Ellyn makes amazing coats and her nuno is simply lovely! I was so honored to rep her delicious felts. Love her style!

Sorry about the faceless nuno felts. After a day of work, I looked tired and cut off the face on purpose. Some days, it just ain't that nice to look at!

If you can come to one of the classes, that would be great. If you can't, will you share the information with a friend?

Thanks for popping by!
Shalom
Suzanne