Surface Design Sampler Using 'Difficult' Colors- Part 2 of 2

                                              Multi-colored felt striations and open bridgework.

                                                           Raised pre-felt 'sentries'...

                                                          ...with a venus fly trap pocket!

                                                                Silk and wool posies...

                                                             ...with beaded centers...

                                                          ...and a little disco shimmer! ;)

                                                       This four-layer bridging section...

                                                      ...was constructed on a dare! }:-)

                                  The pre-felt 'scalloped edge' is one of my favorite Fiona techniques...

                                          ...and I'm sure that it will find lots of future application!

                                       Overall, I'm sure you'll agree that this project is 'a bit much'...

                                      ...but once in a while, like here, the insanity actually works...                                         

                                      ...and I'm mad for the crazy wool yarn ends on this shibori bit!

                                 This is actually my second sampler from Fiona's surface design class...

                                              ...but it is, by far, the odder of the two...

                                         ...so I thought that I would get it out of the way first!

                                         Next time: a surface design sampler in 'my' colors! :)

Surface Design Sampler Using 'Difficult' Colors- Part 1 of 2

                                            I covered one layer of mixed soft and coarse wool roving...

                                    ...with a layer of merino wool in colors that do not appeal to me at all.

                                                    Don't blame Fiona for this insanity...
                                     

                                           ...it was a challenge that I engineered for myself! ;)

                                  I then attempted to cram in as many surface design elements...

                                               ...in as many other colors...as I possibly could!                                                         

                                                               Mid-way through felting.

Blocked and drying (with rubber bands still holding some of the elements in place).

                                                        Oh, I do like a good challenge...

                                                 ...or as a certain good friend of mine says...

                          "Why do you always have to make things so difficult for yourself?"

                                                       All psychotherapy aside (grin)...

                                      ...I really just wanted to start out with lots of ugly colors...

                                       ...and see whether I could coax anything good from them! :)

                                                    Next time: lots of details...in close-up!

                                           (Do keep that airsickness bag at the ready!) Grin

It's A Baby Boom! Wet-Felted Play Mats- Part 5 of 5

My three completed baby gifts.

 

A close-up of one of the cones...

...telescoped down.

 

Mat one with the cones flattened...

 

...and popped up for play.

 

Mat two with the cones down...

 

...and up...

...doesn't the purple one look like an elephant's trunk?

 

Mat three with its single cone down...

 

...and up.

 

As you can see...

...each of the play mats has convertible 'appendages'...

...for a baby to manipulate or hold onto.

The tubes can be pushed through to the back...

...or craftily 'peered through' for fun.

Since the cones were dried in the collapsed position...

...they easily fold back down when you want them flat again.

It's A Baby Boom! Wet-Felted Play Mats- Part 4 of 5

Carefully trimming holes in the felt behind the 'extensions'.

 

Notice the nylon stitches, holding the pre-felt tube or cone in place.

 

Never fear...the knots in the yarn that I placed at the project back...

 

...will be trimmed a bit shorter after felting.



Adding plastic and foam resists within the 'extensions'... 

 

...to keep them from felting together, flat...

...or felting into the white mat.



The piece begins to shrink and thicken during felting...

 

...and now the fulling begins!

(Looks a bit like a jellyfish, here, doesn't it?) :)

 

After stitching the cones and tubes to the mat surface...

...I trimmed circles of felt from the project back.

To keep the 'extensions' patent during the final felting...

...I filled each hole with pieces of thin plastic or foam.

Next time: the finished play mats...

...in all of their convertible glory! :)

It's A Baby Boom! Wet-Felted Play Mats- Part 3 of 5

Using foam resists to make cylindrical...

 

...and cone-shaped pre-felts in bright colors.

 

Centering each pre-felt shape within a 'yarn circle'...



...and stitching them to the mat with nylon thread...

 

...for a 3-D effect.

 

Play mat number two with 'extensions' in different colors.

 

A view of the mats from the top...

 

...and from the side.

 

Using wool roving in bright colors...

...I fashioned various pre-felt shapes using foam resists.

I hand-stitched these 'extensions'...

...to the center of each 'yarn-defined' circle or diamond...

...with sturdy nylon thread.

Next time: I prepare the mats for final felting.

It's A Baby Boom! Wet-Felted Play Mats- Part 2 of 5

Stitching around the perimeter...

 

...and adding circles (and a diamond!)...

 

...with multi-colored synthetic yarn.

 

Stitching into pre-felt is a lovely thing...

..."like buttah"!

 

Here's a second one...

 

...with just circles this time.

 

I placed all of the knots at the back for a more finished look.



I love the way that this yarn magically changes color as you stitch! :)

 

Reprising the use of some variegated yarn...

...last seen in this post...

...I happily stitched away on my lovely, soft pre-felt pieces.

I outlined the perimeter of each mat...

...and added central shapes for a later (secret) purpose. :)

Next time: those secrets are revealed!