Happy St. Pat's! and a bit of Irish Cheer!

Over the past few days I've continued to cleaning, but have also managed to sneak off to get some felting done. One of the batts that I created had some magnificent greens and green blues in it. It was made with hand dyed and commercially dyed merino, tencel, angora, and metallic fibers. I loved the color ways and decided to spread the batt very thin, and make it into a prefelt. It turned out soooo nice. Last night, I cut out the leaf pattern, then needle felted them into another large white merino prefelt. I did a variation on the layout, some of the leaves were left with the back up and others were left face up, hoping to achieve some interest in the piece. With a bit o'Luck, I'll make the time to wet felt this wrap today. I've also took one of the leaves, wet felted it down completely, and am going to bead it so that it can be used as a pin to hold the wrap in place. I so hope this turns out as I've planned. While cleaning, I found this spectacular hand spun yarn with beads and sequence in it. I've added it to the scarf for further texture and a happy garden effect.

Now, while I am not 100% Irish, the percent that is, loves this day. The music, the jokes, the blessings, the memories of my grandmothers and the lilt in the collective voices.
May you always have
Walls for the winds,
A roof for the rain,
Tea beside the fire,
Laughter to cheer you,
Those you love near you,
And all your heart might desire!

ADHD and Feltmaking!

One of the great things I love about ADHD is the fact that I do get bored rather easily. I know that it bothers most of the people around me on a daily basis,... but I love it! and count it as a gift and a blessing. Easily bored...such is the case of the dark berry colored hat. It's been to shows with me for well over a year now...and as I am preparing to leave for Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival...I just couldn't take what was a tan hat out of the house one more time. So I decided that that hat needed a visit to the dye pot; warm, colorful, changing color and hue into something far more stunning than an odd looking tan hat. I am pleased with the way the felt fabric took up the dyes. I used three different berry colored dyed, adding one on top of the other and allowing the slightly stirred waters to wash over the fabric, creating a great depth of color. I hope it finds a home in Wisc.

The blue hat was a playful adventure in hat making. While I've used all of the items in the felt previously, never had I used them in one hat. This hat has geometric design, Teeswater locks, both dyed and natural, and fabric. The fabric did not show up in the photo, and I am sorry for that not showing up.

Both hats were made on the Extra Large Needle Hat Form that are on my website. Both were needle felted first, then wet felted after the design work had been completed. Working with the Needle Felt Forms allows felting to be totally portable. These two hats were needle felted while I was at a fiber festival. While it might be for everyone, it is perfect for me. I use the forms and flat resists in felt-making and find that both have their place and space; just as felting needles are not for everyone, but do have their place in my work. Needle to wet felting just makes good sense to someone like me who loves to make felt, and is on the road as much as I am, or time doesn't let you finish a project in short time. I also like to show people the possibilities of what they can do with the forms. This form is also great for vessels, and handbags, and felted baskets.

I'm building a felt-making library. Anyone have books they'd like to recommend?

Shalom,
Suzanne

Post Script; Both of these hats did find their new homes in Wisconsin.