Rochester, NY (Small Ceramic Works)- Part 1

I recently viewed a charming exhibit...

...at the Genesee Center...

   ...in Rochester, NY.

                                 
                                                   It was a lovely collection...

                                                 ...of 50 small ceramic works...

                                            ...from artists all around the country.

                                    There were brightly colored functional pieces...

                                                  ...(some with surprising interiors)...

  
                                          ...and a few 'special event' ones, too. :)

                                           There were even a couple of designs...

                                       ...that I thought could be quite interesting...

                                                    ...if translated into felt! ;)

                                        Next time: more works from the exhibit...

                                    ...and a few of my own recent acquisitions...

                                                ...(pottery and otherwise). 

A Christmas Stocking for Hayes- Part 3

The fully felted stocking...

                                                       ...ready for blocking.

                                                 Its 'candy cane' hanging loop.

                                                 The finished stocking (back)...

                                                               ...and front...

                                             ...and in situ on Christmas morning!

                If you look closely, you'll notice that in addition to my 'seam' issue...

     ...I also got the name and the hanging loop on the wrong side of the stocking. :(

                        (That's what I get for waiting until the last possible moment!)

                                              Luckily, Hayes is still a baby...

                       ...and there's lots of time to make him another one if I wish. :)

A Christmas Stocking for Hayes- Part 2

Layers of darker green roving...

...are applied to the project surface...

                                               ...and the stocking is wetted out.

                                                 A 'candy cane' hanging loop...

                                ...is fashioned from white and red merino roving...

                                        ...and added to the mouth of the stocking.

                                                     Mid-way through felting...

                                                     ...the resist is removed...

                                         ...and the project is turned right-side out.

                         The stocking is rubbed and rolled in various orientations...

                                                     ...as the felting continues.

                                                Next time: the finished stocking!

A Christmas Stocking for Hayes- Part 1

With a few quick stabs of a felting needle...

                                   ...I anchor yarn 'garland' and roving 'ornaments'...

                            ...to the surface of my colourful pre-felt Christmas trees.

                                             They're turned to face the resist...

                ...as is a cursive 'Hayes' (also anchored to a piece of white pre-felt).

                                                     The body of the resist...

                       ...is covered with layers of wool from a sour apple green batt...

                       ...and white merino roving is added to the white pre-felt top.

                                              Three more trees are fashioned...

                                             ...for the back side of the stocking...

                                           ...and the project is flipped to side two.

                         I lost focus, somehow, after I placed the trees on side two...

            ...and instead of pulling the wool in and around the edges of the resist, first...

               ...I remembered only after I had already added wool to the second side.

         The end result is that the finished stocking doesn't look completely seamless...

                                          ...even though it is. (C'est dommage.)

                                                     Next time: felting begins!

Christmas Sewing (Pillowcases)- Part 3

The finished pillowcases...

                                     ...some made from treasured 'stash' fabrics...

                                        ...and others from newly chosen pieces...

                                 ...are all either wending their way to new homes...

                     ...or are already installed under a Christmas tree, somewhere! :)

Christmas Sewing (Pillowcases)- Part 2

When sewing seams...

...the fabric is usually oriented with its 'right sides' together.

                                                With French seams, however...

                              ...they are first sewn with the 'wrong sides' together...

                                             ...and the seam is then trimmed...

                                        ...leaving a very small seam allowance...

                                         ...before the project is turned inside-out.

                                            The same seams are then re-sewn...

                                             ...with the raw edges tucked inside!

                                The resulting seams are quite neat and 'fray-proof'! 

                                           Next time: the finished pillowcases...

                                                     ...all fifteen of them!! :)