Fiona's Highly "Illuminating" Workshop- Part 3 of 3

This nighttime illumination photo...

...with its 'jack o' lantern'-like appearance...

...seems like an apt one for a Halloween post, doesn't it?!? :)

 Here are its spooky 'innards'...

...a metal ring with three braces leading to a center hole...

...plus an cord set like this one.

Conceptually, I imagined an oblong, exterior shape...

...with circular piercings...

...filled with a second, spherical shape...

...fashioned with circular inclusions that would show up as dark spots...

...when the lamp was illuminated.

                               I wanted to be able to look through the cut-out circles...

                              ...to see circular 'dots' on the inner (circular) felt sphere...

                                  

                                   ...and also all the way through the lampshade...

                                 

                                       ...via circular holes on the opposite side.

                      (This detail shows the inner sphere with its darkened circle...

                           ...and beyond it, several holes in the opposite side.)

                                                     The finished lamp at night.
                                             

Fiona's Highly "Illuminating" Workshop- Part 2 of 3

Removing the resist...

...mid-way through felting.

                                            Here's a 'visual' of the shrinkage! :)

                                           This photo of Fiona and I is for Dawn...

                                 ...who tries to turn all of my felt projects into hats! :)

                                                    The finished lampshade.

                               The small slit that I cut in order to remove the resist...

                                            ...plus a couple of enlarged holes...

    
                                         ...were the only entry points available...

                                            ...for stuffing it, in order to block it.

                                In all, I used two inflatable Gertie balls, a pool noodle...

                                 ...and a number of cloth placemats and napkins.

                          (Here it is, stuffed and drying...suspended by a hanger.)

                                  While removing the stuffing materials (once dry)...

               ...the felt stretched a little, forming a couple of slightly misshapen holes.

                              Luckily, this side faces the wall...so they're not visible. 
             

                              (Doesn't it resemble the asteroid in Le Petit Prince?!?)
                                             

                                                  To complete the shade...

               ...the smaller, spherical part is 'tucked into' the larger, pierced part...

                                ...and the midline is hand-stitched to the metal frame.

                                                Now, installed and illuminated...

                     ...my lamp provides a welcome glow in a dark corner of the studio! 

                                  Next time: photos of the illuminated lamp at night!

Fiona's Highly "Illuminating" Workshop- Part 1 of ?

Laying out wool...

                         ...and adding felt circles (cut from my original project samples)...

                                      ...to only the smaller segment of the resist...

                                   ...then covering them with additional wool roving.
  

                                    In the larger segment, mid-way through felting...

                                                  ...I cut small slits in the felt...

                                   ...and gently teased them open with my fingers...

                                                   ...to create small holes.

                                         Adding to- and enlarging the openings...

                                      ...and rubbing their cut edges to 'heal' them.

                                                         Earlier this month...

                         ...I spent several days in Ottawa on a 'Fiber Retreat' with Fiona Duthie.

                It was a delightful, educational and truly memorable experience! :)

                         We spent 1 and 1/2 days on the topic of 'felt illumination'...

                       ...and each of us designed our own unique lampshade...

                                          ...for functional use at home.

                                Next time: the felt begins to take shape!

"Dye Another Day" Purse- Part 3 of 3

The front of the acid-dyed felt...

                                                          ...and the back.

                                                 Here's a peek inside, too.

                                             A hand-fashioned leather closure...

                         ...features a vintage button gifted to me by my friend, Elis.

                            I used variegated thread to attach the straps and closure.

                                 The finished purse in all of its 'golden' glory (back)...

                                                               ...and front.

                                                 By crumpling up the felt bag...

                                     ...into a no-longer-safe-for-food crockpot...

                                       ...and adding two different acid dyes...

                                           ...I achieved this mottled effect.

              A strap and buttonhole closure were fashioned from warm brown leather...

               ...and were machine-stitched to the purse with variegated thread.

"Dye Another Day" Purse- Part 2 of 3

Mid-way through felting...

                          ...the dark edge remains quite visible at the top of the bag.

                                                         Fulling the purse.

                                 My fully felted project, prior to blocking and drying.

                                                  Turning the bag inside-out...

                  ...and filling it with leaves and berries prior to tying and steaming it...

                                            ...results in these rather faint prints...

                                                  ...(and side two is no better).

                                            The red splotches that you see here...

                              ...are from the writing on a plastic grocery bag...

                                           ...used as a thin resist during felting.    

                                      Sadly, even after dyeing it with plant matter...

                                    ...this purse still seemed a bit "meh" to me.

                              Next time: I overdye it with acid dyes in a crock-pot...

                                                 ...for a bold new look!

"Dye Another Day" Purse- Part 1 of 3

Assembling my supplies.

                                          Laying out layers of white wool roving.

                          Please use caution if using plastic grocery bags as resists...

                ...the red lettering on this one left permanent marks on my finished felt. :(

                                      Adding a layer of darker, variegated roving...

                                         ...to the mouth and bottom of the bag...      

                                     ...to help disguise any eventual 'wear and tear'.

                              (Note the red markings left on the felt by the plastic bag.)

                                         Making loops for the strap attachments...

                                              ...and felting them into the bag.

                                                    Mid-way through felting.
      

                                        Next time: the results of the first dye bath...

                                                         ...(an 'eco' one!)