'Revisionist' Feltmaking- Part 2 of 2

A close up of the vibrant pre-felt circle...

 

...and one of the paler pink one.

 

Sandwiching leftover bits of pre-felt between the two discs...

 

...and stitching them together with nylon thread.

 

Wetting out the 'sandwich', prior to felting.

 

After felting, the 'vibrant side' became a bit more muddy...

 

...and the pale pink side got a little darker.

(From the migration of the dark fibers in the 'filling'.)

 

My new compost bin lid in situ...

...a rather slouchy affair!

 

Keeping in mind that I needed something firm enough...

...to withstand inclement weather in a horizontal position...

...I decided not to make another 'flat top' kind of lid...

...that would quickly crease and slide into the compost bin itself.

Stacking the green felt circle from Part 1 and the pink one (above)...

...I sewed both of them into the bottom of the cat bed, providing an inner 'brace'.

I then stitched the edge of the circles to the top edge of the bin (forming a hinge)...

...and my compost bin now wears a frumpy sort of 'hat'!

Never fear, those of you who are feeling a little sad for my kitties...

...their 'love affair' with this bed was short-lived...

...and they don't even miss it! :)

'Revisionist' Feltmaking-Part 1 of 2

You may remember this cat bed that I made some time ago...

 

...and this pre-felt that I made in a shower stall in Germany last December...



...and this compost bin cover that I made on a chicken wire frame? 

 

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Well, after "Jack Frost" had made his usual winter mischief...

...I found myself in need of a new compost bin lid this spring.

The cover itself is mostly fine...

...with just a few worn- (or eaten-?) away areas near the bottom. :)

The lid, however, had rotted through near the hinge...

...probably because I made the mistake of enclosing a layer of cardboard in it for structural support...

....and I think it held water which froze and thawed all winter long...

...breaking down the felt.

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So...I laid out layers of green wool roving...

 

...and, after felting, sewed a fun pattern into the finished felt...

 

...trying to provide 'innate' structural support this time.

 

But because it still wasn't firm enough...

 

...I cut out circles of pre-felt...

...for layer number two.

 

Next time: how I make a 'stuffed pre-felt sandwich'...

...and how the cat bed saves the day in the end. :)

"Stash-Busting" Cat Bed- Part 2 of 2

The wetted out project during felting.

 

Clamping the finished felt into place to dry...

 

...using cans, bottles and a heavy 'pizza stone'...

...to shape and weigh down the center section of the bed.

 

The finished project with built-in cat toys...

 ...(check out the sproingy little 'wiggly bits' of felt!)

 

Erykah trying it out for size...

 

...and, here, in an 'action shot'! :)

 

"Hmmmm...what's in this corner?"

 

And finally, her patient sister, Chloe, gets a turn.

 

The felting on this project was pretty straightforward...

...but I did need to stitch it together in a couple of spots where there were gaps between the spirals.

To shape it while drying, I weighed it down with a large, round pizza stone...

...plus several heavy cans and bottles.

Once dry and 'formed'...

...I machine stitched the pleats into place.

I think the girls must be pretty happy with their new 'nest'...

...since it hasn't been empty since I made it...

...and I've even found them both crammed in there together! :)

"Stash-Busting" Cat Bed- Part 1 of 2

Needle-felting together strips of art batts...

 

...lots and lots of batts!



Cutting up bits of 'ribbon roving' and partially felted bits from a failed project.

 

Beginning the jelly roll...

 

...and making it larger...

 

...and larger!



The layout, just prior to wetting out... 

 

...and just after.

 

In April, while anticipating the Sheep and Wool Festival in May...

...I took stock of my stash and put on my 'thinking cap'. :)

From a huge pile of mediocre rovings...

...I carded lots and lots of multi-colored batts.

I also found some leftover commercial roving...

...that had been overheated while dyeing, and was quite 'ribbon like' in appearance.

From another bag, I pulled out a few brown, partially felted wiggly bits...

...that had started life as part of a failed scarf.

After cutting the batts into wide strips...

...I wound them into a spiral...

...adding snippets of 'ribbon roving' and wiggly bits as I went along.

Next time: how I shaped the finished felt into a bed...

...and the obligatory 'cute cat' photos! :)

Tote Bag Failure Becomes "Happy Cat" Bed

Wool roving pulled through cotton lace.

 

Bag layout.

 

"It's all mine, now! Mwahahahahaha"...Chloe.

 

Erykah gets a turn, too!

 

This was the first project that I attempted after my lovely week away...

...and boy, did it come out badly. :(

I was trying to integrate some of the new techniques/equipment that I used in Michigan...

...and in my hurry, I also made the layers of wool way too thick!

One other 'issue' is my continuing struggle with getting lace to felt in...

...a feat which my friend, Kim, claims is easy!! Kim, help!! Giggle.

I spent a good deal of time sewing tufts of roving through squares of silk- and cotton- lace...

...a technique that I thought would guarantee their felting in.

Unfortunately, even after felting, the squares kind of 'flap around in the wind'...

...and it's obvious that I haven't yet 'cracked the code' on working with lace!! :)

When I realized (early on) that this bag was doomed...

...I also knew exactly what to do with it.

I stitched up the slit that I made while removing the resist...

...and cut a large hole in the center of the 'felt balloon'.

It now makes a nice spot for my feline daughters to rest...

...and, since then, I've redeemed myself a little by making the bag I'd originally intended...with revisions! (Next time.)