Zach-ly

This wall hanging was done for Zach to go with the pillow sham I'd felted previously. I am still messing around with how to hang it.

Felts Journey

When I began this project, I'd meant to make a small vest for myself, but as I began working with it, it became clearer and clearer ( along with some helpful urging from Zach, my daughters' beloved) that this felt wanted to be a pillow cover. After it was felted, it just kind of needed to dry over a pillow, and there ya have it, the absolute joy in the felt making journey. Who knew it was going to take a turn...and all I could do was follow happily.

The first layer of this was done completely in black, then with the help of prefelts, the surface design was applied, along with a very light layer of roving. The colors were great fun to work with and I am thinking that I'll be doing a bit more of this type of work. It feels comfortable to work in geometric design. There are rugs, blankets is still running around inside of head and just maybe I'll get them out of my head and into felt on my tables. Gotta start doing more sketch work when the ideas come. Oh, btw, the prefelts were acquired from Jilly Gully at : www.outbackfibers.com

We've made the family decision to have me return to nursing full-time. It is not what I'd hoped to do, but I am thankful that I have the skill, training and ability to do this work. I'll be studying to re-take my Nursing Boards, so I'll not be posting much for the next couple of months. I'm going to have to limit my shows, and my felt making. Can you tell my heart is sad? The plan is that I'll study for a few hours each morning right after I walk a couple of miles. I'll walk then head off to the local restaurant for coffee and hit the books. I am walking more and more now that the snow has stopped falling and am convinced that it will help oxygenate the brain calls that are going to have to retrain and retain years of lost nursing information.

I am updating this post and as I am, the sun is coming up--spectacular colors, orange and pink and plum. It's the kind of thing that reminds one of the blessings of each day. There is wonder in each day. I hope you find it today too.
Shalom,
Suzanne

Fiber, Friends and Mentor and .Sugarbee Studios

http://www.sugarbeestudios.com/
When you get a moment, go check out this website. Too EXCELLENT! I've not heard form Chris is several months, but now I can see why, she's been very BUSY!!!!! and her wool batts are stunning. For knitters and spinners and felters, here is a wide array of items in her shop, and her prices are very nice. Love the website and am hoping to watch it as it progresses into something even more special.

For those of you who have followed this blog for a bit know that Chris and I met some time ago over fiber. She is someone that I've mentored and encouraged, but along the way, she's pushed and mentored me. I've loved the progress of her beautiful work and I hope that you'll take the time to take a peek in at her work. I think you'll enjoy her sense of humor right away.

Needle Felt Sweater, the Progression

I meant to get the sweater progression up far sooner than this, but. . . , anyway, I am enjoying the process and the progress. I am using both hand dyed and commercially dyed wool for this sweater. The favorite colorway is from Susan's Fiber Shop
www.susansfibershop.com
and it is from the Northern Lights collection by Louet. So far, I've found her prices to be the best.

I'll try to post more often on this. Just been really busy making felt of late.

Joy of Feltmaking, playing with turquoise

This is one of my felt samples . It is made just for the pure pleasure of feltmaking and sometimes to see how things and colors will come together. The color I was playing around with is turquoise. While I like how it blends with many colors, my eyes especially enjoy the blending of turquoise and purple. This wonderful color happens when the two of them are blended together on a felt that I find both stimulating and very peaceful.

I know not one thing about color theory and am ashamed of that when I am talking with other fiber artist and they begin talking color theory. They'll ask "Where did you study color theory" and with usual deer in the headlights response, I just shrug and say "I didn't,... yet". So much for calm and peaceful, the "anxiety-ometer " reaches new heights and I feel like a glowing idiot. Recently though, I've come to realize that the term "earth tones" is very different to each person. Each time, I am secretly amazed and amused at the term all together. What color is it exactly that we don't have on earth? Are not all of the colors that we see EARTH COLORS and TONES? Because I've practiced asking people what they mean by earth tones, I am getting a better sense of it , but the term does make me a little jittery. (OK, the secret is out) And as I look out over this vast and spectacular creation, I am amazed at the colors and shapes that God took the time to make for us. I love that kind of generosity

It's a small piece. It may becomes something some day but for now, it is just a piece of felt with many colors.

Update on this entry: This piece did find it's rightful home. It went to my friend Irene, who has a lovely wine decanter sitting atop of it and lovely bottles of wonderful wine all around it. Cool huh?

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

Needle Felt, and New Life for an Old Sweater

I love, love, love wandering second hand and re-sale shops. I especially enjoy finding items with the tags still on from the original store or owner of the item. Such was the case of this "boiled wool" button up sweater. I had originally planned on purchasing it and then dyeing it to my color preferences, but then I got to thinking about some of the other sweaters that I've needle felted onto and decided to do the same to this one. Now, while not a complicated procedure or technique, getting the fiber to stick and stay can be a bit touchy. I often buy 100% wool sweaters that are several sizes larger than I wear so that after I've needle felted then with rovings, I can very gently full them in the washer or buy hand, knowing that there will be some shrinkage that occurs. I usually use cold water for this and have enjoyed the results very much. I'll try to show the progress of this sweater as it takes it's path down a new road of colors and textures. This project is very portable. I put the sweater on one of my purse forms (which just happens to be perfect for this) and grab a bag of roving, place and needle felt. The inside of the sweater has a water color effect. Almost makes me think I should be putting the wool on the inside and have the watercolr effect on the outside. Hmmmmmmmmmm, now that's another idea to share and play with!

One of the very first sweaters I did this with was in Spin-Off after the Denver Convergence, was that like 6 years ago now???? Anyway, it remains a favorite. I take it with me when I teach and often ask students to add to the sweater. It is all student work and therefore, very special to me.

Did you see the moon last night? By Friday, it is going to be SPECTACULAR and setting very far in the north. It's worth the effort to see it!
Shalom,
Suzanne

Felt Bracelet, Felt Cuff

Ok, did the book markers and then felt guilty about not doing the bracelet, so here one is. I used gold colored prefelt wool, then added the metallic fabrics and silk pieces, then added an overlay of silk from a hand dyed silk hankie, then felted the piece. I'm sewing the snaps into place right after I add this entry.
I think I'll be doing more of these as well as showing my Best Buddy Dawn the technique on Friday.
Friday is my birthday and Dawn and I always spend a good portion of that day together, felting and laughing and felting some more. She is just the BEST!

Felt bracelet and felt bookmakers

Yesterday, I spent a good deal of time talking on the phone with Suzanne Morgan (her website is listed on my sidebar) who I've met several times at different shows, once at the Midwest Felting Symposium and once at SAFF in North Carolina. She is an incredible artist, working with silk, wool and beads. Her best work is in the designs of her felt bangles or cuffs as she calls them. They are so pretty, so fem, and so easy to make. She has them all packaged up in these neat little kits, guaranteed to succeed in felt making. Suzanne is a delightful person, soft and strong kind of quiet person. I'll encourage all of you to take a peek at her website and her works. Her silks are simply stunning and lovely to work with in the felting process.

I decided to try to make one of the bracelets, then found I really liked the idea of felt bookmakers instead. I am thinking that these are a great way to use some of my silk hankies, prefelts and a few others things that have taken up every nook and cranny around here. Anyway, that's the newest thing that I've done. They are made of wool, then silk fabric squares laid on top of the wool then a silk hankie overlay then felted as usual. Very nice effect and a nice small gift to give to my friends who are avid readers. Cool, huh?

Shalom,
Suzanne

Black and White and Snow

Today, my corner of the world is in full, bold, stark and stunning black and white. It is snowing a very wet snow and though there is a bit of wind, it is not yet strong enough to disturb the snow. The Kalamazoo river runs through our small city. These photos were taken at a local park that I go to nearly everyday to watch the water and the wildlife that comes to it. I put these up on small pics this time, but if you click on the pictures, it will bring it up into full size for you. I love when the world turns into black and white all on it's own. It is peaceful to me and strikingly beautiful
Shalom,
Suzanne

This sculptured hat was sent off before I could get good photos of it, but here it is anyway, only showing one side of it. The other side has a rosette on it sculpted from just the black wool. It has a very nice feel on the head the only color other than the black is on this side flap. I hope whoever buys it finds it as much fun to wear as I had making it. It is double hooded, so it should be very warm as well as elegant

I've had a energy surge today, so I'm tempted to think that I might be on the road to recovery from the dreaded "MISERY". Beloved husband is not faring as well. If I have enough energy, I may felt a hat today...or pay bills....I think the felting sounds like a better choice!

Trying to create through "THE MISERY"

The hat/scarf combo I crocheted while I've been sitting on the sofa sick with "The MISERY" (see previous post). The tiny wall piece is constructed from bits and pieces with some heat bondable angelina. The colors are white, gold, burgundy and a deep olive green. The angelina is in gold, pink, green, and a wonderful blue. The photo does not capture how lovely this little piece is. It makes me smile. The final photo is one of the married hats I've designed from scraps of wool felt that were made with no purpose in mind. The pieces were put onto one of my needle felt forms with pins, then hand sewed. I was not sure if I'd like the effect, but I do.


My beloved husabnd is also coming down with this horrid cold/flu. God bless him. I was so hoping it wouldn't happen!

New Friends!

While I was in Rhinebeck, NY last year, I met Amy. She was interested in needle felting. This year she sought me out to show me what she had done. I love this little gal and the sparkle all over her is just amazing. She is a wonderful new friend and I am anxious to see what she will bring to show me next year. She is as sweet as a Georgia Peach!

I am wearing my favorite hat and a new wrap that I'd just purchased from Theresa May-O'Brien. Not a usual color for me, but I do dearly love it!

I have been busy, mostly with the flu/cold! Have managed to get a few hats done, several of which will be posted here as soon as I can get the photos taken and get then put up on the blog.
This hat is a combination of several of my favorite things: felt, crochet and needle felt. In the past, I've made felt for the sole purpose of making felt, with nothing in particular in mind. In my attempts to get organized ( a challenge thrown down by my dear friend Dawn) I am using up some of those felts to create hats that are a bit different from what I've done in the past. This one is an example of that marriage between felt making, crochet and needle felting. The band is handmade, merino wool felt with hand-dyed merino silk on the surface. I then crocheted the top of the hat with a soft grey colored wool yarn. To add more texture to the hat. I needle felted Teeswater locks into the crocheted top and allowed the locks to tendril down the side of the hat. I like the many textures playing together and am going through my box of felts to find what other little pieces will ask to to married into something. It is a much longer process, but I am enjoying it very much.

The weather has turned significantly cooler and it feels as though it is time to do the things that take a bit longer to do. Many evenings I am now crocheting or drawing out designs. After a long day of cleaning closets, trips to Goodwill, and filling orders, all through the fuzz of a bad cold, crochet is about all I can manage to do. I am totally convinced that the common cold is misnamed. It should be called '"MISERY"; cold sounds so benign, when in fact, one can be quite miseraly sick with a cold.

Zenni Optical--Great Find

This entry has absolutely nothing to do with the joy of feltmaking, but is is so worth sharing! While I was at the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool festival, this young woman was in my booth trying on several of my hats. She was wearing the coolest glasses. I asked if I could try them on and told her how much I loved them. ( They really were wonderful in color and design!) She said, "15 bucks" to which I responded, "Oh, cheaters?" She said no and told me about www. Zennioptical.com
We all wear glasses in my family. From now on, this is where I'll be getting mine. If you have a moment, or a need to purchase glasses, check them out!