"Slip-On" Felt Mules- Pair 2 of 3

Altering the size and shape of the original resist.

 

Adding external slipper details to the resist surface...

...since I'm working inside-out again.



Adding a dot of color to the sole surface helps me to remember which side is which.

 

Tucking the 'heel' bit under the resist and healing the cut edge of the felt.

 

Rubbing one nearly finished slipper on a glass cutting board in order to shape it.



Uh, oh...what happened here?!?!  

A not intentionally-mismatched pair of mules.

 

Error notwithstanding, I did manage to get a nicer shape this time...

...and more coverage for my foot.

 

After drafting a new resist for my second slipper attempt...

...I rummaged through bags of pre-felt scraps for ideas.

Using 'cut out' bits, leftover from my Centipede Scarf...

...I laid a bright design on the surface of each resist.

I must confess that because my friend, Linda was here, working with me that day...

...I was laughing too hard to pay the requisite attention to my project when I cut into slipper number two. :)

If you look closely, you'll notice that I didn't use enough wool for the second pair, either...

...and will need to add more layers next time, in order to make them as thick and sturdy as pair number one.

Next time: both form and function come together.

"Slip-On" Felt Mules- Pair 1 of 3

A slipper template was made by drawing around my foot...

...and adding an inch all around.

 I then used it to cut out pieces of cotton gauze and foam underlayment.

 

Covering the first foam resist with bits of a blended art batt.

Encasing a piece of cotton gauze in the sole for durability.

After felting to the 'pinch test'...

...I cut the slipper in order to reposition the resist.

 

Felting now continues with the 'heel bit' underneath the plastic.

 

The finished slippers.

 

 I hand-stitched the 'flaps' down with strong beading thread to make them more comfortable.

 

My daughter, H 2, modeling this slightly too small first pair.

 

Whenever I've made felt slippers in the past...

...it's always been 'bootie style' ones that must be pulled on.

Because I prefer the kind that slip on and off quickly...

...I end up giving most of my handmade slippers away.

So, when I saw Nicola make a fun pair of mules. recently...

...I decided that they would be well worth a try!

Since it was just an experiment, I hastily drew template patterns...

...and covered the resists with wool from an art batt that I had hanging around.

I felted each slipper until it held together...

...then cut into the felt and sealed the raw edges.

Finishing them with the 'heel bit' under the plastic helped to create the desired shape...

...and, once rinsed and dry, I stitched the loose flap to the insole of each slipper.

Finding that this pair was slightly too small for me...

...and wanting a vamp that covered more of my foot next time...

...I had a better idea about how to draft a new template and where to cut the felt.

Next time: why talking and laughing with a good friend while cutting into your felt...

...might lead to a less than perfect outcome! Grin.

Felter's Fling 2011 "Love Blanket" WIP- Part 2 of 2

Rolling up the wetted-out project in thin plastic...

 

...tying it with strips cut from the legs of old pantyhose...

...and rolling it all up in a towel...

 

...then popping it into the top of the pantyhose and tying it closed...

...prior to putting it into the tumble dryer.

 

The felt heart was a gift from Liz Clay to each of the students in our garment class...

...and the multi-colored 'cross section' decorating the middle...

...was a leftover bit from my good friend Dawn Edwards.

 

I love the shiny texture and brilliant color of the tussah silk...

...and the grid-like design of the finished felt.

 

My first two (smaller) pieces.

 

Each re-purposed 'spot' has something unique about it...

...and I remember the garments made from every bit of fabric of fiber...

...much as an 'old time quilter' remembers the origin of each pieced-together square. :)

 

The larger (dryer felt) piece with her two smaller sisters.

 

Although I cannot yet claim to have finished this WIP...

...it is one step closer to completion.

I plan to make one more large piece in the dryer...

...and then stitch them all together into the blanket that I envision.

I find it interesting that the layout alone made the grid-like design...

...with black showing through the natural gaps in the layout of my single layer of white wool.

Sandwiching silk between very thin layers of wool makes for a soft and pliable felt...

...and I can just imagine draping it across my legs as I read in bed, once the cooler weather returns.

Felter's Fling 2011 "Love Blanket" WIP- Part 1 of 2

Discarded scraps of fabric, felt and wool from my classmates at 'Fling 2011'.

 

Laying blobs of dyed tussah silk onto thin 'painter's plastic'...

 

...then adding snippets of leftover fabric, felt and fiber.

 

A thin layer of white merino comes next...

 

...followed by a layer of silk gauze...

 

...and two thin layers of black merino.


 

 

Wetting the project with water and soaping it up, prior to rolling.

 

This project is a very long-term WIP (work-in-progress)...

...that I started a year ago at Felter's Fling.

Midway through our week-long workshop with Liz Clay...

...I asked my fellow classmates for any small bits of fabric, felt or fiber left over from their garment-making...

...that they were going to otherwise discard.

I thought it would be nice to find new life for cast-off snippets of fiber...

...and, in the end, to surround myself (literally) with the warmth of my fellow feltmakers.

Layering red tussah silk, bits of my friends' work, silk gauze and layers of wool...

...I created a piece of nuno felt that I intended to replicate several times, once home...

...and stitch together into a large blanket for my bed.

I did manage to make one additional small piece...

...but after that, my enthusiasm waned and the project was shelved.

Learning the dryer felt method of making nuno felt in Portugal, however...

...gave me a new, faster way to approach this project...

...and I set about to make additional panels, so that I might complete the blanket before it gets cold again.

Portugal- Pinky-Orange "Dreads" Purse- Part 2 of 2

Dampened pieces of silk and merino roving are used to form spirals.

 

Here they are, all in place, and after a bit of rubbing.

 

The finished purse front...



...and back.

 

At home and in a different light...

...you can better see the alternating pink and orange 'dreads'...

 

...and how a bit of blocking made for a nicer overall shape.



Now, I just have to figure out what kind of strap to make for it... 

 

...any ideas?!?!

 

I really enjoyed making this purse...

...and the (new to me) 'dreads' technique is one that I'm sure I'll use again in the future.

Unfortunately, it has joined a small pile of WIPs...

...and I'm anxious to figure out what to do about the strap so I can finish (and use) it!

I have some pink leather left over from an earlier project...

...but I think the color might be a bit too washed out.

A darker leather, perhaps...

...or something braided?

What about a felt cord...

...or a narrow denim (or other fabric) strap?

If you have an opinion, idea, or suggestion that you'd like to share...

...please leave a comment on this post.

I feel certain that a little inspiration from you...

...might be all I need to get 'unstuck'!! :)

Portugal- Pinky-Orange "Dreads" Purse- Part 1 of 2

Laying out tufts of Bordeleria wool roving...

 

...and adding a stripe of blended silk and merino roving to each one for a pop of color.



Making dread-like attachments with dry, fluffy ends... 

 

...and preparing the surface of a plain white, wool-wrapped resist for use as the purse base.

 

Adding the first row of "dreads"...

 

...and (after several layers in between)...

...adding the last row.

 

Pieces of thin plastic between the rows...

...prevent the attachments from felting to each other...

 

...until it's safe to remove them!

 

Partway through our week of class...

...Nicola asked for a list of 'most requested projects' from each of us...

...so that we could head home with a much-desired new skill.

Terriea was keen to learn how to make a 'Horst-like', dread-covered purse...

...and I had time to try one as well!

Starting with a roving-wrapped resist...

...I added layers of "dreads" made from Bordeleria and blended silk and merino rovings.

Strips of thin painter's plastic placed between each layer...

...kept the attachments apart during preliminary felting...

...until they were no longer in danger of felting together.

Next time: adding spiral accents to side two...

...and the (mostly) finished purse.