Felting, Dyeing, Spinning,...OH MY!

What a day! Kelly (shown below with her new works of art) spent the day with me, felting, dyeing, eating, talking, laughing, and learning form each other.

I'd started the llama pod for an upcoming class that I'll be facilitating in Cedar Grove, WI the end of the month. I needed to make a couple of samples because the class will be using raw llama fibers. I'm accustom to raw wool, but llama does felt differently and I needed to practice. The llama felted bird pod is the finished results and will be sent off to Wisconsin Sunday. The birds were checking it out already this morning. I am concerned because the llama is such a soft felt even when felted hard. It is also not as water resistant as wool is. I may have to put a water resistant stiffener on the outside of the pod. Any thoughts on that? Got ideas?


I made this wrap this week and then decided to over dye it in hot fuchsia and purple. Love how the colors melded and played with each other. I was going to keep it for myself, but Kelly purchased it. She wears it well.








Kelly asked for private felting classes and this is the results of her wonderful labors. Love what she did.

Jone stopped by for a quick spinning lesson. I think she'll produce the lovely lumpy, bumpy yarns that she so wants to add to her incredible felts. She took my wheel home with her to practice. She is going to love spinning her own funky yarns.

Have to get ready for dinner plans and my mom arriving in town for an extended stay. It will be so good to have her here.

Happy felting and Shalom,
Suzanne

Color Morphing

While on my Felt Play Retreat with Pam MacGregor, she showed me how she pulls color from fiber. Trust me when I say I am not following her instructions well. I can however tell you what I did, and hopefully these photos will help explain as well.

#1:
First off, I'd made these fingerless mitts in lime green, then did an over dye with violet in a random wrapped form.


#2:
After that, I threw them into a dye pot of a raspberry colored dye and let them "cook" for about an hour.

#3
Rinsed them thoroughly and then did a fan fold on them in a rather random fashion, then bound them into place with heavy string.

#4:

Prepared un-dye bath with RIT Color Remover, very hot solution, one full packet. (I actually could have used less but wanted to be sure that it was going to work. I think this is something that I "get better" as I move along in the process.)

#5:
Placed bound mitts into hot bath and stay close by. Color can come out very fast, so it must be closely monitored. Have tongs close by to pull out of the dye bath when the color agrees with you.

#6:
Rinse thoroughly, untie and see what you got.


#7:
If you like it, great. Maybe you'll want to tie it up in a different fashion and place it back into the un-dye bath. Maybe you'll want to re-dye and start over.

The questions have been asked about what kind of dyes I use, so I'll address that. I use whatever I can get my hands on, sometimes food coloring, along with Jacquard, Country Classics, Dharma, truly, whatever I find. I also mix them together without much concern for how it turns out. This is play...the fun is the adventure of what will happen. I have no specific goal in mind other than discovery.

I hope this is helpful. I also hope that if you have questions about how I do something that you'll feel free to ask it. I write this blog to inspire others to try it, and to hopefully show you enough of my flops and successes to encourage new felters to keep trying, keep pushing yourself. I've been making felt for 10 + years and make mistakes all the time. I've learned to turn them into "design elements" or I've released them to someone else who can see something I cannot. It's the journey that is joyous.


Enjoy your journey.

Did this help?

Shalom,
Suzanne

Re-Dye, Over Dye, Un-dye

It is rewarding to discover and rediscover the dye pots. I'd been away from them for some time and decided to re-dye the piece I was playing with before. This piece was over dyed with olive and black, then wrapped, dye pulled out, then re-wrapped and more dye pulled out, then again, re-wrapped and more dye pulled out yet again. I think now I am very pleased with the results...and have many ideas bouncing around in my head because of it....but that is for another time.
The first photo is after the second dye over, the second photo is what I started with, which I'd played with previously.
Good Sabbath and Shalom,
Suzanne

Promises Kept

Through a series of unfortunate mishaps, Kim had taken a class several years ago, traveled long distances, paid good money, only to end up making her project out of SUPER WASH WOOL! Can we all understand her grief, sadness, disappointment, frustration? She came away with a glob of wool. I was there, not teaching, but still there to see it all happen. I cried with her and then offered to teach it to her whenever we could arrange to get together. Yesterday was that day.There was HUGE success. I am sorry that I don't have the final results to share with you just yet, but they are coming soon. Since I like small groups best, I invited Evelyn to come join us for the day. I think we all walked away at the end of the day feeling very blessed to have been in each others company and to have had such great success. I think that sometimes God has us wait for some things because there are greater rewards awaiting us somewhere in the future. How could Kim and I have known that God had prepared such a day as yesterday for us? What a blessing indeed.

Hope your day and your felting is a blessing to you and to others!
Shalom,
Suzanne

It is enough

So anxious to try out some of the things that I learned from Pam...I got a prefelt that was purple and nutmeg, applied some textures in the middle and felted it firmly. Then did a 'discharge" on the entire piece after I put the fabric into a fan fold. I like the result. My husband sees North American Indian pottery, Pam sees something oriental, I see a woman dancing and lifting her hands in praise. I would do things differently now that I see the results, but it is a learning thing, and I am looking forward to more adventures in the dye and un-dye pots!

I am pleased to announce that I've been asked to teach at the: Crooked River Fiber Fling Aug 4-7 2011. I'm not sure if all of the classes are up on the page yet, but it looks like it is going to be a wonderful event and venue. I hope that I'll get the chance to meet some of you while I am there. Others who are teaching are listed below. Nice bunch of talent.
The Fiber CAFE of the Peninsula Art Academy presents
https://fibercafe.org/Home_Page.html

Sharon Costello, Sally Melville, Suzanne Higgs, Carol Adams, Joan Brasaemle, Gerrie Hotton, Jennie Hutchings, Mary Kapenekas, Rosanna Ludwig, Cris Welch.

I hope to get a bunch of samples completed this week for the upcoming classes. My ADD is really bad right now...I do things I want to do, not the things I should. Got to work on getting my "get focused" and follow through. So hard sometimes, just so hard. But today I'll finish the scarf I laid out and then put things away so I can think better. Though I am in a state of scatter, I am so filled up with joy and peace, and that is good enough and far better than I deserve!

Happy felting and Shalom,
Suzanne

4 Days of WOW...

I've just come home from 4 incredible days with Jone Rakoski and Pam MacGregor at Pam's studio in Ohio. I am overwhelmed with the information shared. We did things like Goodwill shopping, looking at hardware, going out to lunch, going to garage sales, hypnotizing chickens, talking late into the night, and felting. There is no way I can share all of it---this entry would be a book, but I can share some.

In the first photo there are several items that might be of interest. The green scarf and book Pam gave to me, as well as "Bad Girls of the Bible", a battery operated dremmel and sea shells. I've long loved Pam's books made of felt. This one is made of some of the hand dyed merino silk that I'd given to Pam last spring. The scarf we did some discharge on to our happy delight.

Jone laughs at me because I drink instant coffee...life moves fast around here, so it's become convenient for me. She picked up this two cup coffee maker, some coffee, sweet sticks with lavender, and made the soda cover. I'm drinking "fresh ground coffee" as I write this. YES! She would be so proud of me...and that way I'll have it available when she is here.

Being with other felt makers is joyous. Being with these two incredible felt makers was fantastically joyous. I nearly cried when I left. It was I was filled to over flowing.

Are there those people in your life who fill you up? I hope so!

Happy Felting and Good Sabbath,
Suzanne

One thing leads to another

In August I acquired some cormo wool top. Oh my goodness, is that stuff soooo soft! I thought I'd try it out on some felt over silk gauze, and add some sari silk and silk roving. Initially, the whole project was done in white, except the sari silk. While I've used the sari silk a lot, I've never had the fabrics "run" before. This time it did, with gold bleeds and purple bleeds on the wool and silk...and so one thing leads to another. After the scarf was felted, I over-dyed all of it in s bold yellow for just a few minutes, then took it out, twisted it up randomly, put some blue in the dye bath and let it soak some of that dye up for a bit longer. Thought I would like the bold side best, but not so much. I like the muted, water color effect the best. Moreover, it is reversible with two completely different looks. I like that aspect a lot. After all the work to make sure the sari silk melded to the wool...I like the softer side better...go figure!

I leave Wednesday morning with jone to spend 4 wonderful days with the incredible Pam MacGreger, feltmaker, amazing and generous! If you want to see her amazingly spectacular works, do take a peek at her website listed below.
http://www.tarveycottagestudio.com/

Anytime you get the chance to take a class from Pam, don't even hesitate. She is an amazing artist, communicator, source of creative thought and design. Pam has been a teacher in her professional life, but from personal experience, Pam is a natural teacher in her personal life as well. I am so looking forward to spending the time with someone whose work I am totally in love with, and who is becoming a friend. We will have good felt talk, felt making, great food and wine, peaceful evenings on the porch. We've been planning this trip for months. I am so excited to spend the time with her.
Until next week, good felting adventures and Shalom,
Suzanne

Wrapped in Felt

For several months now I've wanted to make a wrap out of the prefelts that I've acquired from Jone Rakoski. With "Spring busting out all over" it doesn't seem like the right time to make the wrap, but when it calls to me, I have a hard time ignoring it. This is one that was dyed in olive greens, and while I adore that color a lot, I decided that I wanted some plumb overtones on the prefelt. It was dyed it in purple/plumb to give it some lovely hues of all of the colors. The silk was applied for contrast and movement and visual stimulation.

Working with prefelts (merino) usually provides at least a 30% shrinkage. I really didn't want to lose even that much of the width in the process. Before I started felting it, it was stretched in all directions and throughout the entire process, I continued to stretched it more than I normally would do. The drape turned out lovely. It is about 9 ounces of complete comfort.

The fiber from Bahr Creek Llama Studio came in on Thursday. I've got to do some experimenting with it before I teach the classes using their fiber. For the hat and nuno classes we will be using merino top, but for the bird pods, we will be using raw llama fibers. They have a colorful herd of 30 llamas. I've got to perfect it before I teach it. It is a different hand to llama and alpaca than to wool. Stepping out of my comfort zone...hope I don't stumble too much!

Some have questioned me about the lichen photos...will I translate to felt? It is a hope that I will. I've got some ideas...now to bring them to fruition. So many ideas, so little time and so little of me. I fatigue more easily now, so it all takes me a bit longer these days. Still, felt is patient with me and I with it. We will get there.

Side note to the felt coffins is this blog spot:

http://bellacouche.typepad.com/leafshrouds/

About 7 years ago my husband sent the link to me at my shop. I thought the ingenuity was spectacular, the thought, comforting. A body wrapped, rather than boxed, just sounds more loving to me. We wrap precious things, babies, gifts, heirlooms, fragile things, things we love. I like the idea of wrapping the remains of someone loved.

"Dust you are, and dust you shall return"

Just seems to make the whole process more natural.

Pam MacGregor said she thought of putting her ashes in a cement ball, having it dropped to the ocean to start a new coral reef. How cool is that!

On a happier note...it's the weekend! I hope yours is filled with good things that inspire you, family and friends, and renewed wonder in the Creation God has given to us.
Shalom and Good Sabbath,
Suzanne

Rest in Fleece: Woolen Coffins Offer Green Goodbye

Rest in Fleece: Woolen Coffins Offer Green Goodbye

There is something comforting in this thought. How often have some of said we could just lay down in the wool and stay there? I have very often. I'll have to share this with my husband and friends. I've thought of making my own urn for ashes and this helps me in that process of creating such an urn. I've thought it "not fancy" just simply to hold the ashes to be buried in.

Recently one of my small chihuahuas died from a brain tumor. Her ashes are still here in the house until the frost left the ground. I think I will make one for her ashes.

Hope this post isn't too depressing, just interesting and thought provoking. I think a felt shroud would also be lovely... your thoughts?

Shalom,
Suzanne

GRRRRRRR and success as well

Pathetically, I am down to one hat! ONE HAT! Yikes. Of course, that means that sales have been good, but one hat, come on! I usually have about 40 on hand and am just simply out of them. So I did make one and here is the front and the top of it. It is double hooded and very warm. I love the color and texture play. I may have to keep this hat for myself....maybe.














A few months ago I received a pre-dyed silk scarf from a dear friend of mine. I decided to use it in a nuno felt. I worked and worked and still in the end, I am disappointed. I think that it is a tighter mm than I thought and the fibers did not migrate the way I had hoped. It is just about make it as a soft nuno but not one that I would sell. It just isn't up to my expectations of myself. Too bad too, because I really like the colors.













But that is part of the process, don't you think? Finding out what works and what doesn't work.
I hope that the efforts of today will be more successful.
I wish the same for you.
Shalom,
Suzanne

Lichen, Woods, Workshops Coming

Usually I walk a mile in the morning at one of several stores around town until the warm weather arrives here in Plainwell, Michigan. It was dark and raining this morning and I got a late start. I like walking very early before the stores get busy. When I arrived at my destination, they were already busy so I decided to go to the woods to "just look". What an excellent choice for the day! There was beautiful, spectacular lichen. I took some photos via my phone and most of them are up on my facebook page. I am struck by the subtle colors and incredible shapes lichen take on. The smell of the woods in the early spring is lovely too, very earthy, sweet, sometimes musky...and with the soft rain and overcast shies. It was a lovely time there. I love rainy days. ( You might want to click on this photo to see the detail. It is lovely to see the moss on the lichen!)

Over the past few days I've been trying to finalize three workshops I've been asked to teach in Cedar Grove, Wisconsin at Bahr Creek Llama Farm and Studio. I think we have done it. Bahr Creek Llama Studio is having sheering days on their very large herd of llama. They have a huge turn out for this annual event.
So here is the line up:
#1
Felt Bird Pods-Wednesday, May 25th, 9:30AM-2:30PM, cost 55.00 + 20.00 material fees.

#2
Nuno Felt-Thursday, May 26th, 9:30AM-2:30PM, cost 55.00 + 25.00 material fees.

#3
Sculptured Wool Felt Hat -Friday, May 27th, 9:30AM-2:30PM, cost 55.00 + 20.00 material fees.

For more information on these workshops, please contact Brigitte at Bahr Creek. She told me that the classes always fill very fast so if you are interested, I'll encourage you to act with haste.

WWW.bahrcreek.com

www.bahrcreekllamasfiber.blogspot.com

If the classes are over filled, I will stay one more day to teach.

The scarves below are the ones that I've dyed for the nuno felting workshop at Bahr Creek. The colors turned out so softly lovely. I am thinking I'll have a hard time letting go of these scarves.

I am also counting down the days until I get to go spend an extended time with Jone, the amazing, and Pam, the incredible. Looks like we're going to manage a felting get away. YES!!!!!


Well, off to go felting for the rest of the day.

Joy in the day and Shalom,
Suzanne

Hook, Line and Sinker

The dreaded cold is finally starting to abate and I am so grateful. I've been more sick with a cold than I was with this one, but this one was a shape shifter----one day nausea, next day non, one day no voice, ear ache, croupy cough, the next day none, but all through it, incredible fatigue. I really do think I am over it and happy to be past it.

About 4 months ago after I fist learned to make the fish with the incredible Pam MacGregor, I was asked to make a bunch for a yacht group in Chicago. Not inclined to be real thrilled with production work, I asked Jone Rakoski to work with me on the project. By the grace of God she said yes!...and we got to work together, in her studio, which I loved.

Jone works primarily with prefelts, where as I work mostly with roving. For this project we used prefelts that Jone had dyed, along with some rovings. Day one was design, then gather prefelts, calculate peices that we needs, begin pattern making, and plan the rest of the project. Day two, we each made three fish, and day three we did as well and day 4 again three fish. Finishing touches, like eyes applied were done by Jone and we breathed a collective sigh at the production being over. What Jone and I find most interesting is that we used the exact same pattern, fibers, soap, water, etc and our fish look so entirely different from each others. It always amazes us that each persons hand to the feltmaking process is uniquely their own. The two fish featured at the top are our faves.









The fish were cast out of the net in front of the clients last night. They loved them! ( oh good!)
I think Jone and I might end up being "fish mongers".

My New Favorite Cup + Tea + Veracious Cold

Dear Jone gave this wonderful little cup to me this past week, along with a terrible cold. The cup is my new favorite, which is unusual for me. I am usually a big mug kind of gal, but this little cup just fits my hand perfectly, I love the detail and the shape; perfect for a strong cup of tea. And since Jone shared her cold with me, I am drinking a lot of tea with honey in it. Tastes so good when I can taste it.

My booth buddy Christee raises organic sheep, feed, pasture, hay, all organic, all wonderful! She is breeding for a long silky staple length and she is so achieving that goal! The fleeces that are shown here are from her flock. They are a cross breed-Teeswater-Coopworth in the raw.

I've used Christee's fleece for my bags, some for spinning, love to dye the stuff!!!!! and have used it most frequently for the birdpods. It felts tightly, lock structure is long and strong and soft. It remains a course wool, naturally, but it does have a wonderful hand to it. I am hoping to send some off to a friend today, and then perhaps begin a bit of fiber play myself today if I find the energy. (I hate colds!)

Christee has about 10 white fleeces left. If you are interested in purchasing any of them, please let me know. They weigh about8.5 pounds and the cost is 10.00/pound raw. Working with this wool is pure delight!










Okay, just writing this little bit has exhausted me. Going back to bed now. I really want to play in the wool today, not schlep around on the sofa. Oh well....tomorrow is another day Scarlet.
Successful felting!
Shalom,
Suzanne

Briefly, Bouquet

Been teaching a lot of private classes lately and working on the wedding bouquet. This is the bouquet, so far. I am planning on pulling the centers of the flowers together with pearl beaded stitches, three per flower. I've got to make three tulips yet and then begin the work on the greenery.
I was thinking of trying to put it all together myself, but have decided that I will take all of the elements to a professional florist to help me with the final product. Making all of the spiky sprites is tearing at my shoulder a bit, so I've had to slow it down...pacing myself...something I'm not really all that good at.

What are you all working on? I'd love to know.

Happy Felting!
Shalom,
Suzanne

The Round Rectangle

Elis Vermeulen had asked a question of the the feltmakers list and on FaceBook: what we were doing this year? I did not answer on the lists, but I will here. I had already decided that I want to focus on two basic shapes this year. One is the circle, orb, round, the other is rectangle. Much of what I do is already in these two shapes, but I want to push myself to explore more, deeper, find meaning new to me, in them. I used to do a lot of vessel work early on and in re-exploring "the round" I think I will be doing a few more of them in the future....though not all vessels are round, right? I love it when a friend challenges me to push farther, look deeper. Thank you Elis, I am looking forward to the year of the round/rectangle.

While at Art Hop I had a gallery owner ask for some of my work in her place. Honored, yes, of course. But then again, I am faced with the percentages given to the owner. When I price my things I take into account many things to come up with a price. When it is given over to a gallery, the losses become significant for me. It's great to have the exposure, no doubt, but the losses are hefty. Since I will still be on the road this year going to art and fiber shows, I think it will be okay to have a few galleries carrying my things, but it will definitely not be something I seek to expand in the future. I think that the ones that are already carrying my work is enough for now. I have trouble keeping up for them as it is.

One thing I've wanted to post and keep forgetting to do is this:
CREATIVE FELT GATHERING info

Time	Monday, September 19 at 9:00am - September 24 at 6:00pm
Location	Dainava - Manchester, Michigan
Created By	Creative Felt Gathering
More Info	September 19 - 24, 2011 Chad Alice Hagen - resist dyeing Elis Vermeulen - raw wool and prefelt projects Jone Rakoski - glass fusing Pam MacGregor - fused glass and loop and toggle cuff $450.00 - earlybird price $500.00 - March 1, 2011 $10.00 per night for 9/18/2011 or 9/24/2011 payment by check or Visa/Mastercard after August 31 2011 - no refund after July 31, 2011 - 75% refund after June 30, 2011 - 90% refund Catering by Marilynn $100.00. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 5 days. Simple and healthy comfort foods. Catering is optional. July 31, 2011 is the deadline for ordering. Sheets are provided limited blankets and pillows available. Dormatory style sleeping arrangements. 4 to a room, 90 beds, but since we limited the Gathering to 30 you can spead out. Contact: Jone Rakoski - spectralglass@hotmail.com phone - 517-456-6066

It is an incredible event, priced so reasonably.
********************************************************
I am trying to get my camera to download some photos of the bouquet that I am making for my friend Holly, but it won't work. I'll mess around with it later and see if I can show some photos of the work in progress. Until next time, Happy Felting!
Shalom,
Suzanne