Raw Fleece Rug Redux- Part 2 of 2

Rolling the project in a rubber 'non-slip' rug mat.

The cotton gauze backing is starting to ruche...and that means we're finally getting somewhere!

A close up of the finished rug...

...with light and dark areas...

...and shorter and 'more boingy' bits...

...for lots of texture on your toesies! :)

The finished rug, drying on a large plastic bucket...

...a rug this large and heavy takes days to dry!

The finished rug.

I like to use black roving in these projects, because when it migrates to the front...

...it really highlights the crevices between the fleece tufts.

You can see that some of the locks are a glorious gold color with a long staple length...

...and others are more 'moss-like' in appearance after felting.

When visitors see this rug for the first time...

...they almost always pull off their shoes and socks for a little 'feel'! :)

Raw Fleece Rug Redux- Part 1 of 2

Laying out raw locks.

Note the differences in fleece quality and color...

...this was a 'mixed bag' of fleece from several different breeds.

Covering it with a layer of black wool roving...

...until the fleece disappears from view.

Covering the whole shebang with a layer of cotton gauze.

Using an electric sander atop a bamboo blind...

...for extra vibration!

My daughter, L, taking a turn with the sander.

Time to start rolling!

Just days before my daughter, L, left for graduate school in August...

...she helped me to make a 'fleece-in-the-grease' rug for myself!

You may remember that we made one for her earlier this year, here...

...when we knew that she was heading to Minnesota...and her first really cold winter!!

We used the same mixed bag of fleece that I had gotten from an area farmer...

...and exactly the same technique.

It was a little bittersweet, though, working on this project...

...since I knew that she would be so far away for so long this time. :(

The good news is that I have this lovely rug in 'pride of place' in my living room...

...and the wonderful memories of another long and hard, but mostly fun day spent working together!!

Next time: the finished rug.

L's Raw Fleece Rug- Part 3 of 3

The finished rug, prior to trimming.

 

The gauze side with migrated black roving.

 

A close-up of the rug's glorious texture.

 

The finished rug.

 

This rug was a labor of love...

...and I'm as happy with the end result..

...as I was while making it with my daughter, L. :)

As many of you have written to remark...

...getting to spend a real chunk of time like this with one's child...

...especially a grown one...

...is a real gift and a joy!!

This project required a long, hard, filthy day of work...

...but I think it was worth it.

I'm especially happy with the way the black roving migrated into the 'fissures' of the less golden-colored raw locks...

...giving the rug an organic, lichen-covered rock formation look.

When the rug was completely felted, rinsed and dried...

...(and boy, did it take a long time to dry)...

...I trimmed off the excess cotton gauze with small, sharp scissors.

The 'Heinz 57' variety of locks that we used...

...resulted in the lovely, multi-colored appearance of this rug.

And I think the fact that the wool started off ever-so-filthy...

...was one of the reasons that the individual locks remained as separate and springy as they did!

I know my daughter will enjoy having something warm and filled with 'Mama love' in her new apartment...

...and I think we will both remember this day as a very special one!

L's Raw Fleece Rug- Part 2 of 3

The final layer of black roving.

 

Covering the fleece and roving with a layer of cotton gauze.

 

Wetting out the project, and beginning to felt the rug.

 

Using a sander prior to rolling.

 

Part of the fun of having someone to felt with...

...is being able to take 'action shots' for a change! :)

After laying out our final layer of black roving...

...we covered the whole shebang with a layer of cotton gauze.

Wetting out a project as large as this one takes a while...

...and I was happy to have the extra 'woman power'! :)

In order to make certain that the raw fleece was becoming attached to the roving and gauze...

...we rubbed it with bubble wrap for quite some time.

We then used an electric sander on it for a bit...

...and watched as the fibers migrated through the gauze.

Before we started rolling...

...I tucked the excess roving 'fringe' between the fleece and the gauze for a tidier border edge.

Since this was an especially filthy fleece...

...the run-off water turned a truly disgusting shade of brown.

(My daughter says it looked like diarrhea water! Bleurgh.)

Luckily, I recently purchased an electric spin dryer...

...and we could easily, without wringing...

...remove the dirty water from our synthetic chamois cloths as we worked.

Next time (you've all been so patient!)...

...the finished rug in all of its glory!! Grin.

L's Raw Fleece Rug-Part 1 of 3

Bringing in a 'bucket o' raw fleece' from the garage.

 

Laying out the fleece 'tips down'...and covering it with a layer of black wool roving.

 

More roving.

 

Notice the organic shape of the future rug.

 

In late August, my daughter, L will be moving to Minnesota for graduate school...

...and I've been trying to prepare her for the cold winters there!

We've purchased clothing that she can layer and a good jacket...

...and have made scarves and raw wool pillows for her sofa.

When I acquired the garage-full of raw fleece recently...

...we decided that we would attempt a large rug for her apartment, together.

It was wonderful having someone to felt with for a whole day...

...rug making is a physical job...

...and I also love spending time with my seldom home daughter...

...who is currently in Norway for a month!

We laid out raw fleece in an irregular rectangle with the tips down...

...and covered it with two perpendicular layers of black wool roving.

Next time: cotton gauze, a sander, and very filthy soapy water!

A Garage Full 'O Wool

The wild and the wooly.

 

What an inviting chair!

 

Fleece strung on orange snow fencing.

 

A close up of very dirty fleece.

 

I managed to get my hands on a lot of raw fleece lately...

...from an area farm that raises sheep for its meat, not its wool.

This fleece is a combination of Dorset, Suffolk and Romney...

...and when clean, the colors of the wool are strikingly different!

Because these animals were not coated, nor was the fleece well-skirted during shearing...

...there's quite an aromatic scent that wafts from my garage whenever the door is opened! :)

(I can just imagine what my neighbors think when they catch a quick peek!)

I've made two quite disparate projects from it so far...

...and I'm hoping to use more of it, soon.

After all, I'm afraid that if I leave it in the garage too long...

...I may find that it's become a home for all manner of living creatures!! Shudder.

Raw Fleece Guest Room Rug- Part 1

Starting the layout.

 

Adding Black Romney and Jacobs fleece, white roving and bright bits.

 

With a mountain of raw fleece left to add! :)

 

The finished layout.

 

After making my own raw fleece bedroom rug...

...I wanted to try another one for my guest room ...for when all of you fiber artist friends of mine come to visit!! :)

This was also a clean up my stash kind of project...

...since I was able to use what was left of my first Jacob Hoggett fleece...

...some wonky white and grey roving that I normally only use for stuffing...

...and some of the red and orange 'felted while dyeing' commercial roving that you last saw here and here.

I wanted to make a larger rug this time...

...and one with a more oval shape (for more cold feet coverage when you get out of bed in the morning!).

As I added the concentric rings of roving...

...I tucked in colored bits of 'ribbon roving' here and there.

And I used lengths of wonky white and grey roving...

...to wrap around and corral my raw fleece into place.

Next time: the finished rug.

Orange and Raw Locks Purse- Part 2

Pebbled purse front.

 

With the flap open (now you see why I made a 'beard' of raw locks).

 

Purse back.

 

Close up of raw locks puddle.

 

Like everything else, working with raw locks has a learning curve...

...and with each 'fleece-in-the-grease' project, I figure out something new.

I found that it can be helpful to have a small bowl of concentrated soap

solution on hand...

...in which to dip the cut ends of the locks before attaching them to the

roving surface.

As with some of my earlier bags...

...I made an internal pocket out of one of the flaps, and lined it with

fabric.

To make the bag closure flap, I trimmed the felt to a uniform shape

(following the curve of the raw locks 'beard')...

...then made a buttonhole and added a large, wooden button.

To complete it, I machine stitched the handle together...

...and topstitched close to the flap edge for interest.

Icelandic Fleece Vase- Part 2

Sewing with orange silk yarn.

 

Visible seam...hiding in plain sight.

 

White fleece 'triangle'.

 

Finished vase in all of its bubbly glory.

 

As you saw in my last vase post...

...my sizing gaffe had resulted in an impossibly large vase.

So, while it was still wet...

...I pulled the felt tight and basted it to fit with strong yarn.

After it dried, I explored my options...

...finally deciding that what I couldn't hide, I should accessorize!

I took orange silk yarn that I had bought in Rhinebeck...

...and replaced my basting stitch with large, visible stitches...

...trimming the excess felt as I went along.

I love how the Icelandic wool felted into such marvelous whorls and hairy protrusions...

...and I'm thrilled with the bubbly texture of the orange wool roving.

After living with the vase for some time, now...

...I've come to think that the scar merely gives my vase character!! Grin.