Who Is In Your Playpen?

Jim and I are well settled into our new routine with Dad, and it is going splendidly. I am accustom to "care-giving' so it does not fatigue me in the same way it does my husband Jim. He is rising to the occasion though, and I am so proud of him ... So much so that I felt I could leave them for a few days and travel to see Pam MacGregor at http://tarveycottagestudio.com/
It was just what I needed. Over the past weeks/months, I felt as though I'd really lost my sense of "play" and knew that I needed a safe place to have that rekindled...no pressure, no expectations, just play...and we did.

I took a couple of things with me that I needed advisement on, and one of the things is the bag shown on this page. The bag project morphed on me during the felting process and went from vessel to bag, then back to vessel and finally to bag again. I was so confused and frustrated at the end of it I just wanted to toss it. But tossing it was not an option. To start with the wool had mohair in it and I do not like hairy felt...at all, so the more I fulled the felt, the hairier it became, even after shaving it. Grrrrrrrrr! Second, I had used some of the organically dyed over-spun silk I'd received from Vilte . So now I have to see this through. So I took it to Pam for help. We got it done and soon it will get the finishing touches. It has already sold, so all was not lost. What Pam and I did is what I would have done here at home, but I'd lost my "risk taking tools", my "play". After the time with Pam, it has all come back. Thank you Pam.

I'm currently embarking on re-working some of my old pattern as well as gathering new ones in my hat making efforts. It is sometimes so much easier to do the 'tried and true" than to push oneself to rethink, retool, dissemble, reassemble, try this, try that...and end up with a failure that that taught me much along the way. It is the felt road I travel. I am planning on being surprised along the way.

I love the black and blue hat, ('tried and true") and the "Tin Man" was an adaptation of a pattern that I like a good bit to. The eggplant purple hat is a pattern I received from Pam. Buttons need to be added and I am already thinking of the changes I'll make to it next time.

Robins are here, so are the Blue birds. It's way too early for Spring in Michigan, but it looks like it is coming anyway. Time waits for no one.. so I'd better get busy. Show Season will be here before i know it.

Shalom,
Suzanne

In Gathering and Out Look, Thanksgiving Day 2009

Blessed Thanksgiving to each of you. One can hardly help but to look back over the year and find an abundance of undeserved gifts and treasures of the spirit to be thankful for. I am humbled by the love of my Lord, my much adored husband, precious children, family and friends. I don't take love lightly. The kind of love that lasts, no matter the circumstances, that kind of love is not to be taken lightly.

My prayer is that great love surrounds you too.

Shalom,
Suzanne

Hats and then some

I'm heading off to bed so I'll not write much, but these are the labors of my hands the last few days. Blew the bursa on my left elbow so this has been a somewhat painful process. I'll try to write more about these tomorrow.
Shalom and Peace,
Suzanne

Learning, Learning, Always Learning

I made this hat with high hopes in mind. The first layer is angora, second layer is merino, third layer angora. The results were less than stellar. The shirking went fine until it reach a certain point when it would simply shrink no further...even after 20 minutes in a hot dryer! YIKES! That's something I never do! (ok, never say never!) It will soon be gifted to a dear friend who has a large head. While the colors are not 'her colors" I am sure that a tour in the dye pot will make it hers alone.
I enjoy felting with angora, but this trip around the felting table was a "bumpy bunny" ride.
Lessons learned

Wool Felt Hats

It's been a very busy week of felt making and the line about "miles to go before I sleep" is running through my mind like crazy. I also managed to get a wool felt vessel done and a couple of other hats too. These are the only photos that I have to share right now.

The purple felt hat with is a favorite design over a flat resist. Love the top dreds coming off of the top. Makes it very playful.
The dark purple hat was done using the needle felt form, with three layers of merino wool, then silk fabric, metallic fabric and a silk hankie applied over the crown. Photo does not show how really pretty this hat is.

The final hat is again over flat resist, with designs cut into the final felt for exposure of the under belly, as it were.

Now for a little Christmastime with my beloved family. I hope that yours is wonderful too.
Blessings to all,
Suzanne

Wool Felt Hat

I made this hat then over dyed it after it was completed. Very much like the effect.