Basic Black, Whimsy and Enfold Me

All three of these hats were made on my new Needle To Wet Felt Hat Forms. I love these forms . It is great for making a consistently very nice basic hat shape. There is not the versatility that is accomplished with a flat resists, but still, a very nice cloche or bell shaped hat can be acheived rahter quickly.

The black hat has silk fabric felted into it, with random stitching around the silk fabric with copper metallic thread. The combination is quite nice together IMO.

The folded blue hat was made using one of my random acts of carded batts, where nearly anything goes! There is a great deal of tussah silk on the surface of this hat and it blended well with the felt.

The purple over-dyed hat has been great fun to work with. First I made the hat in an off white merino, then dyed and over-dyed and resist dyed it about 4 times, then added the hand-dyed Teeswater locks for further surface design and texture. While the black hat is most elegant and versatile to wear, this one with the locks captures my heart a good bit.

Rhinebeck, NY , Ashville, NC ,Jan, The Village Weaver and The Color of Dreams

I left my beloved husband, daughter, and home on Tuesday morning to heads, first south to Sugar Creek Ohio, to link up with Jan, The Village Weaver and her husband Bob. At about 1:AM, we were up and on the road by 3AM to start our journey to Rhinebeck, NY. We arrived today, Wen. at 3 PM, weary, with numb bottoms from the drive, but we here, and happy to be so. It is 6:30 and Bob and Jan have already gone to bed. I am trying to get a post off before I too drift off into the land of sweet slumber.

I've made a couple of hats this week, did some dyeing of silk hankies, and put flower kits together. I had hoped to get a lot more done, but time and work and hopes did not work well together this week. One of the hats I did get done using the needle to wet technique turned out very well, simple, yet elegant. It was 50/50 merino/corriedale. The effect was both strong and soft with beautiful little ripples throughout the final fabric. It is a deep olive green with felt plumes in burgundy and burnt orange.

I have 1 HUGE angora batt that I am so looking forward to creating with when I get home. It was purchased about two years ago, and has been safely tucked away until inspiration motivated me. I've been dreaming in felts, so i think at breakthrough is just around the corner of my mind. Designs often come to me in my sleep. I am learning to get up and write them down while the idea is are fresh. I am planning on getting some colored pencils to keep with the idea journal so that I can have a cue of the color of dreams. I am fairly certain that I will make felt with the angora batt and the resist dye it afterward. With the delicateness of the fiber, I think it would be better than trying to dye the batt. The decision/choice will be, make a large piece of flt or tear it apart and make many things from it. Tough call.

I am aniticapating seeing both old and new friends this weekend at Rhinebeck for the New York Sheep & wool festival. On Monday next, Jan, Bob and I will head off to Ashville NC for SAFF. We'll be driving though some fab countryside. The visual stimulation...ah, if only the economy could take it's inspiration from such beauty!

If there are blogs that you think that I should add to the growing list I have on my blog, I'd love the heads up on them. It is the goal oft this blog to promote felt makers, of any sort; traditional feltmakes, needle to wet felters, dry felters, machine felters, it matters not. So please feel free to share your favorite blog spots or websites with me. I'll do my best to get them listed.

If you can, come see me in Rhinebeck or Ashville. I'd love to see you!
Shalom,
Suzanne

I've been Tagged by Ilana and Chris!

The Rules:

• Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
• Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random and some weird.
• Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
• Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1) I love my name--Suzanne-- and do not answer to anything but that. My mom ingrained that in me. Even when I try on the name Sue, it just will not work. Sue is also the name of my husbands first wife, so I don't try real hard...though she is a really nice person.

2) I am heavenly blessed...my husband truly loves me and shows it everyday. It is good to be loved!

3) I love buying clothes from Israel...the best!

4) I am a political-news- junkie and love falling asleep to the weather channel or the news.

5) I can drink coffee just before going to bed and it doesn't bother me at all.

6) I love being in my 50's!

7) I love the sound of a shofar!



I'm tagging:
Barb Marr
Elizabeth Armstrong
Iona Loyola
Renee Nation
for now

Goodwill Finds

On a day such as this....at a time such as this...had a whim to go to the Goodwill store in town. I usually go in about once a week, especially in the fall/winter months. Often I'll find some lovely things, like great wool sweaters. Today I found some really lovely, brand new, tags still on, merino sweaters that had just come in the back door. While there, a woman walked in, dropped off this incredibly beautiful Tibetan Lamb Wool Coat. I feel like I stole it. Paid almost $15.00 for it. It appears as thought it has never been worn. I could re-sell it, but it is just too wonderful to even think about doing that. I think it might very well go to Iceland with me. It does have two small tears in the collar area, but those will be fixed in no time.

I know that this entry has nothing to do with felting, but had to share the lovely surprises that do come our way, every now and again.

Happy felting!
Shalom,
Suzanne

Iceland anyone?

Dear Felt-makers ,

I have an hankering for the out of the ordinary places to travel, often to places less traveled with wide open spaces. While at the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool festival I spoke with a new friend and felt makers about wanting to go to Iceland, in the winter! She was curious about why I'd want to go in the winter. First off, I'm Sooooooooo menopausal...the cold could be welcomed with open arms! Second, more night sky and hopefully more opportunity to see auroras in that vast sky. Third, more felt makers might be able to go since our fiber art season in on the slow end of things. Fourth, something to look forward to between the holidays and spring. Fifth, if I take a felting class, tax write off!

Here are the details...so far from the gal putting this together for me!
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February 18, 2008 leave Boston on Iceland air flight.

February 19Th arrive Reykjavik early the next morning. private transfer to hotel after a two hour sightseeing trip around the city. among other things we will stop at the farmer's market store which offers only Icelandic wool products.

February 20Th Reykjavik and vowel Icelandic wool factory. we will visit the Alfi's factory outlet in Moselle's. there is a huge selection of woolen sweaters raning from traditional to high fashion. many other things including mittens, caps, scarves and blankets. we may also tour the factory if the group is interested. we will then proceed to istex, a company producing the famous alafoss-lopi yarns (great for embellishments). after a light lunch we will visit kraun, a design store in the city center. many Icelandic designers have there work there. afterward our guide will walk with us and show us some of the many stores that sell felted products.

February 21st felting workshop...either the Icelandic handwork association or a designer will teach a class in intermediate to advanced felting techniques. we will also have time to visit kirsuberjatero (a boutique that sells Icelandic design.

February 22ND Reykjavik and sheep farm. we will visit a 200 ewe farm (and 20 horses). the family will greet us and show us around the farm and their home. after this visit,we will move on the gullfoss )the golden waterfall), and then the great geysir which spouts up to 30 meters. we will see many of the Icelandic natural landmarks on this tour.

February 23rd approximately 5 hours prior to departure we will be picked up by our private coach and taken to the blue lagoon (a man made oasis in the lava). we will stop for a refreshing bath or swim in the pleasantly warm mineral rich water reputed for it's healing powers. they also have skin care products available here. we will continue on to the keflavik airport and out flight home.


the land cost per person is $1215.00 usd. it includes all of the above; plus a breakfast at the hotel every morning. the taxes are also included. the air from Boston to Iceland is $590.00/person and includes all of the taxes. we will have to add flights for anyone coming from any other part of the country.

the land deposit is $450.00 usd and the air from Boston (full payment) is due at the time of booking. i would also recommend travel insurance for everyone and i can be contacted for that individually.
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If you are interested in going with us, please e-mail me as soon as possible. This should be great fun!

Mt. Bruce Station and lovely women!

This gal(second photo) bought the brown hat. I think she looks fantastic! What a great gal! Click on her photo to see her stunning eyes. She sparkles! Wish I had taken pictures of all of the folks who purchased hats from me. ( I've got to get better at that!)

Mt. Bruce was a great show and the weather was just about perfect! Mostly finished goods sold, much teaching and so many really wonderful people. The place was decorated with gords, pumpkins, and hundreds of mums all over the farm. To see more, visit their website: www.sheepstuff.com Truly a wonderful show.

I taught two classes on felt flower making. Had fun and funny students who made some really wonderful felt flowers. I love teaching and watching the lights snap on when the novice felter "gets it". It's an amazing thing to behold each time it happens. It's just the best thing to be apart of.

Have lots to do before Rhinebeck, NY so I'd better go for now. Happy felting! Oh, forgot, go check out who is on:

http://felting.craftgossip.com

How flattered am I to be in a such great company!

Have a great week!
Shalom,
Suzanne

Felting Books, finally!

I've been collecting felting books for about the last 3 years and have finally listed them on the sidebar of the blog! What ever takes me so long? I am always looking for more books, so if you have any that you'd like to recommend, please do share them with me.

I am absolutely in love with Chris Whites' book, Uniquely Felt. It is one of the most complete felting books out there, IMO. The photos, the details in instructions, the all of it is very good. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn even the smallest details of felting. Chris did an outstanding job on this book. The writing is superb, great read!

The month of September is nearly gone and looking back on it, I find sadness in falling short of the goals I've set for myself. Always time crunching, always falling short, always trying to find ways to get more time for felting! Had planned on making 5 hats a week and find that if I get one a week, it's a huge accomplishment. Need to get more done for some orders as well as upcoming shows. I've decided that I need to be cloned rather rapidly or sleep a lot less than I do. I'm leaning toward the cloning...

Did get this one hat done this week. I like the softness of it. The inside is black merino with 80/20 hand dyed merino silk in varied golden browns on the exterior. It has a demure quality about it. I am planning on making several more in this style over the next few weeks....right after the cloning gets done!

My Buddy Dawn, We make felt together and laugh!

She was not quite what you would call refined. She was not quite what you would call unrefined. She was the kind of person that keeps a parrot.
Mark Twain

Nuff Said!
Shalom,
Suzanne

PS:

check out her website
www.feltsoright.com

Wisconsin Sheep and Wool and Beyond

Had a wonderful time in Wisc. I always do. Just super great people, wonderful talent all over the place,and let's not forget, CHEESE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just simply the best cheese! The hats below and the gauntlets did find their new homes in Wisc. I am so happy for them! I need to make more of the gauntlets, but they are time consuming. Many hats sold in Wisconsin, so I am making as many as I can during the next week. Will be heading out to the wonderful Finger Lakes region of New York in little over a week. It will be a first time experience for me and I think it might be wise to have a good supply of hats with me. I hear it gets a bit chilly there.

Oh, nearly forgot to mention that I will soon have the scarf pattern available soon. I cannot read a pattern, nor can I write a pattern very well. However, I am greatly blessed to have folks around me who can do it for me. I've several patterns that I've made up along the way that will written for crochet. The scarf on previous blog entries, will be called "Gitti Girl Curl Scarf'. In fact, all of the patterns that I put out will be under the name "Gitti Girl". I'll post it here first when the pattern is ready!

It's SWEATRER WEATHER! ....my favorite weather!
Wear yours well!
Suzanne

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.

At the front door

These plantain lilies grow outside of my front porch. I often leave the windows open and the soft breeze coming in the window is simply intense lily scented. It is good to be alive!

Felt Gautlet Wrist Warmers

I've had an idea running around in my head for several days now and finally decided to put it to the test. It worked! Each of these wrist warmers, fingerless gloves, gautlets are one piece. I wish I had made the roses larger than I did, but over all, I'm happy with the first effort. I'll have to take what I've learned from this experiment and try again until I've "really got it". I find that I enjoy the trials and errors as much as finally mastering a technique. I am a slow learner, so it should be awhile before I post many others. I think that these will end up having more fun stuff done to them. I see beads in my near future. Hmmmmmmmmmm, which stack are they in?

This weeks work

I had hoped to complete more hats before the Michigan Fiber Festival....but it didn't happen. These did and I hope that they are well received.

Felt Hat in Process, Michigan Fiber Festival

The Michigan Fiber Festival begins with classes on Wed. of this week. Should be great fun, and near perfect weather for those in attendance. Looks to be a great show this year. I'll be going over to the Allegan County Fairgrounds on Thursday to set up the booth. I am so looking forward to seeing the folks who we only see in Allegan. It is great fun!

I've not totally recovered from all of the events of the past 6 weeks, and am therefore, a bit behind on the goals I'd set for myself. Fatigue has taken its toll on any creativity that could be inside. For now, I am playing with the familiar and calling it good until I get the rest I desperately need.

If you are coming to the Michigan Fiber Festival, I hope that you'll make a point to stop by our booth. We'll be in the main building.

Shalom,
Suzanne

Wool Felt Hat

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