More Classes In Asheville, NC

Felting with Pre-felts-A unique neckwrap with fused glass buttons with Jone Rakoski

You will be the talk of the town, wearing this creation! Using hand-dyed merino prefelts, needle & wet felt techniques that are unique to prefelts, you will create a fab & Warm neckwrap you will be proud to say “I made this!” Basic glass fusing will be discussed. Minimum Age for Class:18, Students should bring 2 towels, sharp fabric scissors-beginners are welcome!

Date: 7-16
Location: Vendor Booth
Cost: $90.00
Material Fee: $45.00
Start Time: 12:00 PM
End Time: 6:00 PM
Total Cost: $135.00

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Felting with Pre-felts-Making a unique hat with Jone Rakoski

A fab way to create a hat! Using hand-dyed merino prefelts you will needle and wet felt your way to a hat you will be proud to wear! Needle & Wet Felt techniques will be taught in a way that is unique to prefelts. Hat construction and unique embellishments are on the agenda! Minimum Age for Class:18, Students should bring 2 towels, sharp fabric scissors, hat block (could be bowl, pan, tin etc.the size of your head)-beginners are welcome!

Date: 7-17
Location: Vendor Booth
Cost: $90.00
Material Fee: $45.00
Start Time: 12:00 PM
End Time: 6:00 PM
Total Cost: $135.00

Class Announcemnt for Asheville, NC July 15th.

Wool Felt Pottery

Make a vessel or piece of wool pottery using flat resist and surface designs elements. Prerequisite student skills: beginners and up. Students should bring scissors, 2 towels and an apron.

Date: 7-15
Location: Vendor Booth
Cost: $90.00
Material Fee: $25.00
Start Time: 12:00 PM
End Time: 6:00 PM
Total Cost: $115.00

http://friendsandfiberworks.com/summer-retreat/

If you are in the area and want to take this class or several of the other felt classes offered in Asheville, NC, now is the time to sign up. Looking forward to seeing many friends there!
Shalom,
Suzanne

Nuno Felts this week...

Close up of nuno on chiffon.




The entire scarf. It was dyed by Char Epley, then I did the felting on it. We both like it.










Silk side of a nuno wrap.


Wool side of the same wrap.









Start of layout

Completed.











It's been a busy week, cool cloudy days are most productive for me. Time seem to move slower somehow and I feel like I get more accomplished. The heat is due to return today. Got to get a lot done before we have our Sabbath group here tomorrow. I am looking forward to their arrival and our time together.
I wish you all God's Peace and Good Sabbath.
Suzanne

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

Breathless...

Since being on Facebook, there is a wide exchange of fiber art photos that get shared. Some folks share their travels to fiber art shows, some share their teaching, their workshops, the participant in the workshops, the finished goods, the foods they eat, the sky they share, flowers and things that inspired them. It is just great fun to see the things that others are doing.

Well....
there are some folks that ROCK MY FIBER WORLD, and now I've just added another to my list: Vyga Iene. Her work leaves me breathless! I've asked her permission to showcase this wrap. I've looked at it about 30 times today! I love how well executed the process has been implemented, but the colors are simple, understated, elegant, oh yea, and so my colors! I adore this wrap. If you are on FB, do take the time to let her know your thoughts. This is her website: http://www.jadvyga.ten.lt/ Is this beautiful or what?

Who rocks your fiber world?

This is a wrap I've been working on with hand-dyed silk and super fine merino wool. I'm liking it a lot, but my arms are sore from two days of rolling nuno scarves. I know, I could use the sander, but I am unhappy with the nerve damage from the sanders. Using my legs a bit more these days. Getting older is not, NOT easy...but you do get more inventive about getting things done.

It acted like it wanted to rain all day today, heavy clouds, overcast, high humidity, cool ...oh, I love days like these. We didn't get much rain, but any day without lots of heat is a great day. I had a wonderful day! You?

Shalom,
Suzanne

Monday's List...

So many things were written on my "to do" list today, and only got a few of them done. Top on the list was to make a nuno felt on one of the silk scarves I dyed a couple of weeks ago. The scarf was dyed in golds, oranges, a smidge of purple, cherry and red. I used fine merino on the opposite side. The colors of the wool are burgundy, hot fuchsia, hot orange and gold. I love how the wool migrated through this habotia silk. It is ultra light, super soft. I am almost wondering if I see it as something else...not just a wrap/shawl. Hmmmmmmm....something to think about.
What's on your mind today? Did you get your Monday List completed?

Shalom and Blessings,
Suzanne
Dream from your heart. Share what you have.
Live simply. Love deeply. Work with joy. Pray with love.

Thank God always.

I Feel Like the Queen of Stupid!

(Inside before dyed)
I've got a few classes coming up and have been asked for samples to have available for the potential participants. Okay, I could do that...but why do I do what I know fails! ( by definition, in my book, stupid is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results!) Again, I tried to put golden yellow and purple together in a felt bag.There is some silk on the surface that was golden, in hope of tying it all together....but it didn't work. The gold migrated through the purple, making it look dirty, dingy...yucky. This is not my first this doing this....and continue to try to make it work. It does not work for me. Perhaps someone else can make those two colors work together, but not me! So........


(Inside after dyeing)
As you've come to know about me if you are a regular reader, mistakes are an opportunity to try something else....like the dye pot!











(bag before over dye)
So I took this purple/yellow bag and over dyed it in purple, the extracted color, then over dyed in multiple greens and teals, then removed more color. I like it so much better now. But what about you? Do you think I made a mistake over dyeing it.

I often make the inside of my bags lighter on the inside so that when I open them, I can see what is in side my bag.





(bag after over-dye)

This is the final end result on the over dye, un-dye and over dye of the bag. These colors appeal to me more than the gold and purple....so why not start out that way? Really, I am the queen on stupid.

I hope some one learns from my mistakes.






This is a portion of a scarf that I over dyed for a friend of mine. It had become muddy during her felting process by using colors that did not blend well together. She was about ready to throw it away. She in fact, gave it away to Jone, who gave it to me to "try to fix" it with the dye pot. She had used olive, gold, gray, some purples to make the nuno scarf....but it just did not look good color wise. The nuno itself was wonderfully done, beautifully executed. I pulled all of the colors out then over-dyed it with multiple greens. Now that it's been dyed in one of her favorite colors, I'll be gifting it back to her. Hopefully, she's going to fall in love with her own creation.



The heat has been terrible here for two days. Finally, some cool weather and rain today. I love rainy, cloudy days. Looks like tomorrow will be cloudy and overcast like today. Yes! the smell after a rainy time is simply wonderfully earthy. I love that smell! We have many ferns around our home and they seem to give off a strong fresh fragrance of 'clean' after rain.

Shalom
Suzanne

Dream from your heart. Share what you have.
Live simply. Love deeply. Work with joy. Pray with love,

Thank God always.

Happy Discovery

I had to leave town for several days for a family matter, right in the midst of a nuno felted scarf. I had dyed two silk gauze scarves, one gold, one gray/green. My idea was to marry the two pieces together with the wool between them. I, more often than not, prefer the "un-wooled' side of a nuno scarf. I've no idea why, perhaps it is just the wonderful water color effect of the the colors blended together that appeals to me so much. So I thought, why not make a scarf that is completely "un-wooled" by having the wool between two scarves. I had first seen this done on a small scale by Connie Delameter ( I might not be spelling that right) several years ago. Connie is an amazing fiber artists and shepherdess and person. I laid out a very thin layer of merino wool, in multiple colors between the two scarves so that there would be a different effect on each side. I love the look of each side, and maybe the darker side the best. Since I had to leave in the midst of the felting, it was allowed to dry is this lovely crinkled state. Oh Wow, do I love the effect, it is nearly pleated, and has great "give" the fabric. The results are very pretty, very feminine. My big problem is that I'll need to find a place to allow it to dry for 2-3 days next time around.

Does anyone else love the back side of nuno? Would love to hear from you!
Are you going to try putting two scarves together? It could be fun!
Peace in your heart, joy in your felting!
Suzanne

Busy time around the Shanty

Finally got around to making a hat! I love this pattern. About 5 years ago, while I was at the Midwest Felting Symposium taking a classes from Judit Pocs, I developed a severe migraine. Ruth Walker went into the class in my place. She designed the pattern and over the next two days, we made this style hat. Truth be told, Ruth did most of the work. One day I was not even there, and the second day I was mostly "post-migraine". I think I've shared this pattern with most of my felting friends in Michigan. It is fun to make and most folks wear it well. It's been sooooo long since I've made a hat. Just felt good to make one again.


In a few hours I leave for a 4 day work shop in Wisc. where I'll be teaching nuno felt, bird pods, rug stomp, and vessels. I've been packing most of the day and trying to get some last minute dyeing done. Sometimes, great work can come out of time pressures. These silk scarves turned out so interesting. I think the participants in the workshops will have great fun with them. There were many color splits that occurred and that adds another element of interest to the silk.

There is still a good bit of packing to get done plus a load or two of laundry before I head out. I hope I can sleep tonight. I'm so looking forward to seeing my friends in Wisc. I hope that when I get home, there will be wonderful photos to share with you.

The bouquet is packed and ready to go. I am sharing one last photo, mostly because I am going to miss having her around the house. I'll probably never do another.

Happy felting and Shalom
Suzanne

Holly's Wedding Bouquet

Finally, here it is. I have to make a few tweaks, but for the most part, Holly's wedding bouquet is completed. My prayer is that she likes it and that their marriage is filled with loving and good memories.

Sister Pods!

Char and Sharon spent Thursday with me making felt pods. Char raises the most amazing Cormo sheep with incredible fleeces. They used the cormo for their first two layers, then began to apply the Llama and other fibers to the outer layers. I think their results are spectacular. What do you think?

Have a blessed weekend.
Shalom,
Suzanne

Mama Pod

My beloved mother returned home from her 6 month stay in sunny FLA. On her way home, she stopped here to spend three incredible days with me and Jim. It was a precious time together. We walked a lot, worked in the woods clearing dead wood, started a fire...that almost got out of control and made felt together. This is her first pod. It is made out of llama fiber. She is totally impressed with herself and I love what she did with the fibers! She is a "birder" too, so I'll be anxious to hear about who nests in her pod.
Yeah Mom! Nicely done.
Just thought I'd share it with you all here too.
Shalom,
Suzanne

Felting, Dyeing, Spinning,...OH MY!

What a day! Kelly (shown below with her new works of art) spent the day with me, felting, dyeing, eating, talking, laughing, and learning form each other.

I'd started the llama pod for an upcoming class that I'll be facilitating in Cedar Grove, WI the end of the month. I needed to make a couple of samples because the class will be using raw llama fibers. I'm accustom to raw wool, but llama does felt differently and I needed to practice. The llama felted bird pod is the finished results and will be sent off to Wisconsin Sunday. The birds were checking it out already this morning. I am concerned because the llama is such a soft felt even when felted hard. It is also not as water resistant as wool is. I may have to put a water resistant stiffener on the outside of the pod. Any thoughts on that? Got ideas?


I made this wrap this week and then decided to over dye it in hot fuchsia and purple. Love how the colors melded and played with each other. I was going to keep it for myself, but Kelly purchased it. She wears it well.








Kelly asked for private felting classes and this is the results of her wonderful labors. Love what she did.

Jone stopped by for a quick spinning lesson. I think she'll produce the lovely lumpy, bumpy yarns that she so wants to add to her incredible felts. She took my wheel home with her to practice. She is going to love spinning her own funky yarns.

Have to get ready for dinner plans and my mom arriving in town for an extended stay. It will be so good to have her here.

Happy felting and Shalom,
Suzanne

Color Morphing

While on my Felt Play Retreat with Pam MacGregor, she showed me how she pulls color from fiber. Trust me when I say I am not following her instructions well. I can however tell you what I did, and hopefully these photos will help explain as well.

#1:
First off, I'd made these fingerless mitts in lime green, then did an over dye with violet in a random wrapped form.


#2:
After that, I threw them into a dye pot of a raspberry colored dye and let them "cook" for about an hour.

#3
Rinsed them thoroughly and then did a fan fold on them in a rather random fashion, then bound them into place with heavy string.

#4:

Prepared un-dye bath with RIT Color Remover, very hot solution, one full packet. (I actually could have used less but wanted to be sure that it was going to work. I think this is something that I "get better" as I move along in the process.)

#5:
Placed bound mitts into hot bath and stay close by. Color can come out very fast, so it must be closely monitored. Have tongs close by to pull out of the dye bath when the color agrees with you.

#6:
Rinse thoroughly, untie and see what you got.


#7:
If you like it, great. Maybe you'll want to tie it up in a different fashion and place it back into the un-dye bath. Maybe you'll want to re-dye and start over.

The questions have been asked about what kind of dyes I use, so I'll address that. I use whatever I can get my hands on, sometimes food coloring, along with Jacquard, Country Classics, Dharma, truly, whatever I find. I also mix them together without much concern for how it turns out. This is play...the fun is the adventure of what will happen. I have no specific goal in mind other than discovery.

I hope this is helpful. I also hope that if you have questions about how I do something that you'll feel free to ask it. I write this blog to inspire others to try it, and to hopefully show you enough of my flops and successes to encourage new felters to keep trying, keep pushing yourself. I've been making felt for 10 + years and make mistakes all the time. I've learned to turn them into "design elements" or I've released them to someone else who can see something I cannot. It's the journey that is joyous.


Enjoy your journey.

Did this help?

Shalom,
Suzanne

Re-Dye, Over Dye, Un-dye

It is rewarding to discover and rediscover the dye pots. I'd been away from them for some time and decided to re-dye the piece I was playing with before. This piece was over dyed with olive and black, then wrapped, dye pulled out, then re-wrapped and more dye pulled out, then again, re-wrapped and more dye pulled out yet again. I think now I am very pleased with the results...and have many ideas bouncing around in my head because of it....but that is for another time.
The first photo is after the second dye over, the second photo is what I started with, which I'd played with previously.
Good Sabbath and Shalom,
Suzanne