Raw Fleece Collar- Part 2!

The felted collar...

                                                                 ...drying...

                                         ...and a close-up of its printed silk back.

                                                       Raw Gotland fleece...

                                    ...with its beautiful pale grey to black shading...

                              ...produces a natural (and slightly wild-looking) collar!

                                                     The silk fabric backing...

                                        ...provides structural support for the locks.

                                                       The completed project.

Raw Fleece Collar- Part 1!

When I visited my friend Deb earlier this year...

...we made great use of her fabulous studio!

Discovering that a large box of raw Gotland locks had arrived one day...

                                     ...we decided to make a couple of felt collars.

                                   Merino roving was added to a layer of silk fabric...

                                                          ...and wetted out.

                                                  Raw locks were then added...

                                                             ...tuft by tuft...

                                      ...with layers of painters' plastic in between...

                                           ...to keep them from felting together.

  
                                               The reverse side of the project...

                                                        ...with patterned silk...

                                               ...and mid-way through felting.

                                                Next time: the finished collar!

Hometown Tourism- Part 2!

On another glorious fall day...

...Paddy and I (and two of my daughters!) toured Philadelphia's Magic Gardens...

                      ...a mosaic art installation that you can actually walk through!

                                 Filled with broken bits of pottery and mirrors...

                                                ...cast-off and found materials...

                                ...(like wine bottles, old toilets and bicycle wheels)...

                                                 ...and handmade clay tiles...

                                                 ...it's quite a unique experience!

                                                            Back at home...

                             ...Paddy models an autumnal scarf that she made!

Hometown Tourism- Part 1!

                                                      While my friend Paddy...

...was here in Philadelphia recently...

                                     ...we didn't spend all of our time in the studio!

                                                On this particular Autumn day...

                               ...we spent a glorious morning walking en plein air...

                                                ...at the Chanticleer Gardens!

                                     It's a lovely and human scaled kind of place...

                                      ...filled with unusual and regional plantings...

                                                   ...and whimsical touches...

                                                  ...like these Plant List boxes.

                                               If you ever come to Philadelphia...

                                                      ...it's well worth a visit!

                                      Next time: we tour another kind of garden! ;)