Fulled Sweater Projects

 

 

 

 

My friend, N and I took a trip to the thrift store one day...

...and bought several large men's wool sweaters.

I popped them into the washing machine on hot for a long wash cycle...

...and dried them in the dryer.

They came out like little, shrunken miniatures of their former selves...

...in other words, fulled.

We did lots of projects with the resulting 'felt'...

...making purses by cutting off sleeves and box-hemming the bottoms...

...even adding little wool roses, made from strips of the sweater, sewn together.

I started (but didn't finish) a pillbox hat...

...and we just generally reveled in the wonderful, cuttable properties of fulled wool...

...so much less fiddly than real fabric, which needs hemming!!

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All week long, as we did projects that were new to me...

...acid-dyeing, working with fulled wool sweaters...

...and even decorating garments with bleach pens (easy!)...

...I was musing about the nature of the fiber arts in general.

What I realized, even more strongly than ever before...

...is that there really is something for everyone in the fiber arts!

I, for instance, don't really enjoy needle-felting...

...and I can't see myself doing more acid-dyeing (too scary!) or sweater-fulling.

Discovering that I really prefer wet-felting to any other fiber art (so far)...

...doesn't feel limiting to me, though, just liberating...

...and who knows when the techniques I've learned doing these other projects...

...will come in handy?

I've Dyed and Gone to Heaven

 

 

 

 

Well, today's my birthday...

...and what a fun week it's been with my friend Nancy, so far!

She has lots of ideas and expertise...

...plus the energy of a jackrabbit!

We made a thrilling trip to my local, strange and amazing fabric store, Jomar's...

It's like nothing else!

There are dollar shirts and pants and 'remaindered' items of all varieties...

...I snatched up a cheap pool noodle and two rattan beach mats for use in my felting.

And there's fabric...lots and lots of fabric...

...stacked on large, open, rustic wooden shelving...

...some of it for as little as $1.00 per yard!

I bought some soft chartreuse lace, red burlap, and netting for my felting...

...and we found some lovely pale grey and cream, soft-draping silk to dye.

Nancy showed me how to prepare the acid-dye solution...

...and we made our dye bath.

We were very careful, wearing a mask and eye protection...

...but I'm still a little afraid of the dye (and even the Synthrapol has a scary warning label on the bottle!)

We've dyed things orange, green, yellow and indigo so far...

...tying and clamping and overdyeing pieces as we went.

It's a lot like felting you know...

...since you don't really know what it'll look like 'till your done!

More photos of our work next time...

I'm So Excited!

 

 

My John C Campbell Folk School friend, N is coming for a visit.

She's winging her way here from North Carolina this afternoon...

...and boy, do we have plans!!

It's going to be a dye-a-thon around here...

...so I've started acquiring some supplies.

I scoured my area thrift stores for dye pots...

...since you shouldn't use food ones for dyeing.

I ordered some long rubber gloves...

...and some silk gauze, which I've ripped into strips in preparation.

(Raw edges are easier to attach to wool pieces with wisps of wool.)

I bought some Synthrapol fabric detergent...

...and some special German hand cleaner for the inevitable dyed body parts! :)

N is bringing the dye and her knowledge and expertise...

...as well as her joyful spirit, massive artistic talent (she can draw!!)...

...and her life of the party attitude.

I can't wait!!!

Gotta run-there's vacuuming to be done...

...and wine to be bought!!

Good Things Come To Three

 

 

 

With only three comments on my give away post...

...I thought it would be fun to 'gift' each of my flat felt fans!

Of course, you already know about the original table topper...

...which will go to my #1 pick (on random.org) (Gina)

For #2 (Suzanne), I have a landscape that I intended to use as a pillow top...

...except that I was ashamed of my pitiful drawing skilz and put it away...

...(and before you ask, that's supposed to be a rock in the lower corner!):)

And last, but not least, for #3 (Peggy) I have...

...the first piece that I ever made with pre-felts...

...which could be folded in half and a zipper sewn in for use as a small bag...

...or used as a book cover...or as something else entirely!

I'll be anxious to see/hear how each is transformed by my crafty winners!

(Don't forget to send me your mailing addresses, ladies.)

Purse-picacious

 

 

 

 

I am definitely digging these new bags!

Of course, it didn't take long for H-1 (one of my twins)...

...to 'put her dibs in' for the next one!

I used two colors of variegated roving for the body of this purse...

...an orangey-red and a yellowy-pale blue (if you can believe it!)...

...and some variegated pencil roving and dyed flax (thanks, Kim)...

...for the sunny design.

I wanted to find new options for the straps...

...and in this way, keep the bag a little deeper and roomier.

(In the previous bag, the straps were cut from the top of the purse.)

My daughter chose some plain, eggshell-colored bamboo fabric for the straps...
...and I made slits in the felt for the horizontal one...

...covering the machine sewing of the shoulder strap to the purse.

My daughter added one of my handmade buttons to the front for a little detail...

...and now she's happily using it!

Calling All Embellishers Birthday Giveaway

 

 

 

 

Since my birthday's this month...

...I'd like to share my...well...joy would be too strong a word...

...how about my satisfaction with my middle-aged life, family and relationships...

...by giving one of you a gift!

I wanted to try some more pre-felt work...

...so I made a table 'topper' (smaller than a runner, larger than a placemat)...

...using birds, flowers and a bunny from Lena Corwin's dressed- up dresser tutorial.

Since the pieces were small...

...I'm afraid that several of them became a little undifferentiated upon felting.

It's nice and flat, though...

...so vases and the like can be placed on it without spillage.
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It can certainly be used as is...

...but to me, it is just crying out for a little je ne sais quois...

...and I know that there is a crafter out there in blogland, armed with some embroidery floss, beads or who knows what...

...ready to make it her/his own!!

If you'd like to win it...

...just comment on this post by midnight (EST) on Saturday, March 6th.

I will randomly select a winner on Sunday morning, March 7th.

In your comment, please be sure that I have a way to contact you!

Finished Resist Purse

 

 

 

 

I see the shocked expressions on the faces of my regular readers...

...she embellished something!! WOW!!

I know, I know...

...many of my projects would benefit from a little 'jazzing up'...

...but I don't usually have it in me.

This time, however, this project was screaming for a blanket stitch...

...and I couldn't resist using some of my Christmas buttons, either.

I used several different colors of embroidery floss (all 6 strands) along the edges of the purse and straps...

...and I sewed the straps to the bag with upolstery thread before sewing on the buttons.

To keep it secure, I sewed each half of a snap to a piece of twill tape...

...and then sewed the tape into the bag on both sides.

I think the closure won't be as hard on the felt in that area as if I just sewed the snaps to the purse itself.

The bag is nice and sturdy and will take the place of my ancient 'work purse'...

...and it even has an inside pocket! :)