Finally, Hats!

Cloudy, rainy days...how I love them! This has been our weather lately, and I've enjoyed it completely! Most everyone else I know, not so much.

Creative Felt Gathering has announced a special guest teacher from far, far away coming to the event this year. She's not told us yet who it will be, but I am thinking it will be great. This is a wonderful event. Surprises make it even better! Her is the information in case you've missed it. Come to this if you possibly can. It's amazing! The instructors and participants are amazing as well. It is just super to be there! Elis Vermeulen , Chad Hagen, and Pam MacGregor will be there...plus a surprise guest teacher. I'm getting anxious for Sept. to arrive!

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 fleece and roving bag, roving bag with fab shapes Jone Rakoski - glass fusing Pam MacGregor - fused glass and loop and toggle cuff $450.00 - early bird 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. Dormitory style sleeping arrangements. 4 to a room, 90 beds, but since we limited the Gathering to 30 you can spread out. TENTATIVE SCHEDULE: Monday 6-8 registration 8-9 discussion, coffee 9-12 classes 12-1 lunch 1-5 classes 5-? dinner, discussion, possible activities Tues., Thurs., Fri., 8-9 discussion, breakfast 9-12 classes 12-1 lunch 1-5 classes 5-? dinner, discussion, etc Wednesday free day - felt, rest, take mini classes to be scheduled, take a class from a visiting artist TBA, whatever you choose Saturday 7-8 breakfast, discussion 8-11 classes 111-12 lunch 12-4 classes 4-5 closing ceremony, certificates, photo ops Contact: Jone Rakoski - spectralglass@hotmail.com phone - 517-456-6066

I've been making a lot of nuno lately, but decided I needed to build up my hat stock a bit. Finally, hats! The show season is upon me and I've got a lot of stock to get made. I think there are a lot of long nights in my near future.
Got to get rolling....felters, you know what I mean!
Shalom and may Peace be all around you,
Suzanne

November Already?

I can hardly believe how fast time is moving....must be a true sign of aging, and not one that I appreciate much. However, it does bring to mind that time is limited and therefore, one must work hard to even try to get some of the ideas brought to fruition!

This past week has been spent trying to get some felts made, dyeing silks for nuno felt that will be up soon, (I hope), planning some workshops, writing proposals for next seasons teaching schedule and just in general trying to pull it all together, however in very short, attention deficit disorder spurts. (It's not easy being me!) It will all come together, but not necessarily as I had hoped. I could just eat and felt and think my days were completely happy. There is just this other stuff that has to be taken care of too that I find disruptive to my day. I find myself multitasking on a level far bigger than I am. (Washing silk, cutting silk, dyeing silk, writing proposals, opps forgot about the dye pot, phone calls....layout on a nuno, another phone call, roll the felt, check the dye pot, shipping orders, did the dog get her medication? and what's for dinner? roll the felt some more, HUH, are you talking to me?) Anyway, it's been that kind of week. I'm glad I have anything to show for!

First photo is of a hat that I made this week, the background is of a silk that I dyed in olive and a hunter green color. The olive split in the dye bath...I love when that happens because all of these wonderful under and over tones emerge to create something incredible and unpredictable. I love that!

The other pics are of silk that I dyed and the champagne and brown nuno is from a silk that I got from Elis Vermullen. It was too pale of a color in champagne for me to feel comfortable with so I over dyed it and then applied the wool to it. It is a small triangular shawl. The texture is just wonderful and I love the color play on it. I added some orange, purple and black wool. It has a very autumn feel to it. Thank you Elis!

It's the end of the sales season for me and I have only 4 hats left, no nunos except the ones I've started to make. I think with all of the ideas running through my head, it's going to be a nice winter to stay inside and create.

Also wanted to let you all know that the Felt United site is up and wonderful! Do take a peek! There are more than 1000 pictures of felts from all over the world, incredible felts! Amazing felts. I love this medium!
http://www.feltunited.com/

Shalom,
Suzanne

First Annual Creative Felt Gathering

I don't have enough "OOOOOOOOH's" and "AAAAAAAAAAH's" to describe the Creative felt Gathering in Manchester Michigan. Chad Hagan, Elis Vermeulen and Jone Rakoski were amazing teachers, in a place that called out to feltmakers. Rustic, calm, spacious, beautiful, tress, water, trails. It was an in gathering of wonderful feltmakers and wonderful people. I am so glad I was there. It was perfection!

I was not able to take all of the classes, I arrived two days after the event started. I needed to get some rest after the Michigan Fiber Festival, which was 5 days of intense teaching and "vendoring". I needed to get some rest and I am only sorry that I missed so much of the time with Jone and Elis. To say that I learned a lot would be an understatement, in so many ways! I made this scarf with Jone and a piece of fused glass as well. It doesn't sound like much, but what I came away with is so much more! I simply do not have the words to express it!
(Me, nearly speechless...my husband is liking this part!)
Back to the felt table for now! Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival is coming up shortly. So much to do, so little of me to get it all done!
Shalom,
Suzanne

PS: Elis, me and Rachel in photo