Picking colors from my stash of silk fabrics.
One layer of silk gauze topped with wool roving.
Adding cut out pieces of silk fabric.
Wetting out the scarf.
The finished scarf...
...and up close...here.
When my dear friend, Dawn, and I encountered Hurricane Irene at the Felter's Fling...
...we thought it best to acquiesce to her power and head home immediately. ;)
And since we now had an extra day together to fiddle with felt...
...we decided to attempt some of the new projects and techniques that we had each seen or tried...
...or even just heard about from other felters at 'Fling'!
What struck me, as we worked that day...
...was just how disparate our 'felting personalities' are when it's just the two of us!
In class, with lots of others, I don't usually take much notice of Dawn's meticulous and tidy work.
But while I was crashing around that day, throwing and stretching and generally abusing my scarf...
...she was here patting hers (with one little finger, sometimes!), tidying the edges...
...and making small adjustments with teeny, tiny scissors.
Not surprisingly, Dawn's finished scarf turned out to be perfectly rectangular and full-sized...
...while this one ended up looking a bit wonky (shape-wise), and more like a 'scarflette' in length!! Giggle.
So why am I telling you all of this?
I guess it's because I find this to be one of the most wonderful things about feltmaking...
...that you really can find your own path and method of creating...
...while continuing to learn skills and techniques from others along your journey!
For me, precision is absolutely essential in my professional life as a hospital Pharmacist...
...where sometimes, even a microgram can make the difference between life and death.
When I make felt, I like to feel wild and free and unfettered...
...and that's why I often prefer projects that are uneven, raw, or organic in nature!
So...I continue to grow as an artist and feltmaker...
...learning which technique works for which kind of project...
...and perhaps this lesson from Dawn...a slightly more gentle approach with my next scarf? :)
...we thought it best to acquiesce to her power and head home immediately. ;)
And since we now had an extra day together to fiddle with felt...
...we decided to attempt some of the new projects and techniques that we had each seen or tried...
...or even just heard about from other felters at 'Fling'!
What struck me, as we worked that day...
...was just how disparate our 'felting personalities' are when it's just the two of us!
In class, with lots of others, I don't usually take much notice of Dawn's meticulous and tidy work.
But while I was crashing around that day, throwing and stretching and generally abusing my scarf...
...she was here patting hers (with one little finger, sometimes!), tidying the edges...
...and making small adjustments with teeny, tiny scissors.
Not surprisingly, Dawn's finished scarf turned out to be perfectly rectangular and full-sized...
...while this one ended up looking a bit wonky (shape-wise), and more like a 'scarflette' in length!! Giggle.
So why am I telling you all of this?
I guess it's because I find this to be one of the most wonderful things about feltmaking...
...that you really can find your own path and method of creating...
...while continuing to learn skills and techniques from others along your journey!
For me, precision is absolutely essential in my professional life as a hospital Pharmacist...
...where sometimes, even a microgram can make the difference between life and death.
When I make felt, I like to feel wild and free and unfettered...
...and that's why I often prefer projects that are uneven, raw, or organic in nature!
So...I continue to grow as an artist and feltmaker...
...learning which technique works for which kind of project...
...and perhaps this lesson from Dawn...a slightly more gentle approach with my next scarf? :)
18 comments:
Pretty works and exactly what I'm doing with felt and the feel - wild, irregular, uneven, just doing whatsoever. That's the wonder of wet felt we can shape it to our satisfaction. Enjoy it.
What a great analogy. When I was felting this last weekend with Suzanne, one of the other felters made the comment that these gatherings are healing. It's true. I can be and do whatever I want as I create and I always feel better afterwards plus have an amazing product. LOVE your new scarf.
Terrie--It IS a wonder, isn't it?!? XXO-
Andrea--You're right...it's a very 'safe' feeling, being with other felters, isn't it? XXO-
From what I've seen so far, your wild and reckless abandon in your felting technique has suited you just fine. But you are right, we can always learn new things to bring to our art, without it taking away from who or what we really feel.
I am still amazed at how all the little bits and pieces become integrated and totally a part of the finished article. :)
heather you are so right!! i love to work in a very open way, try everyting i see and most of the time, it turns out well, the odd time that it doesn't turn out well, i just use it as prefelt for creations in the future:)
love your scarve!
I love your scarf! (You have inspired me... I bought a nuno scarf kit a few weeks ago, just need to carve out a little while to play with it.)
Sandie--Well said...and yes, the way all of the different elements combine in feltmaking is rather magical, isn't it?!?!
Riet--Exactly! I have a bag of scraps and 'problem child' felt bits...and every so often, I make a big project that requires finished felt pieces to use them up!
Mary--Thanks! Yes...just remember that with nuno you should use room temp water at first (NOT hot!) and rub, rub, rub through bubble wrap or netting! It takes longer than you think it should, but you will eventually start seeing fibers coming through to the 'non-wool' side of the scarf and then you know you're getting there! Good luck!!
Love this post! You perfectly expressed the freedom of fiber arts and how totally inclusive it is of all personalities and styles. Your scarf is beautiful. It is wonderful to have a creative outlet after coming home from a very detail intense job such as yours (and mine. I'm a pharmacist, too!)
AG--How interesting that you're a Pharmacist, too!!! Now I wonder how many of us there are out here in the fiber world?! :) XXO-
Good morning my wild and woolly friend who I so adore;-))) I actually love watching you work with wild abandon, thinking that I should perhaps be a little less nit-picky at times. Why or why doesn't that nit-pickiness carry over into my house-tidying??? ;-))) Oh, I do love the time that we spend together...Not even a hurricane can dampen my spirits when with you.
Thanks so much for the fun reminder of our time together.
Love,
Dawn
Dawn--You're such a dear. When can we find the time to make some felt together again?!?! Soon?!?!
I bet you had much much fun and I think you are right, men has an own personal style of felting... as felting IS food for our souls... I think ... as every one need differnet things The felt will be different too...
When I am felting with others I am also aware how we work.,.. NIce post!!
well said, Heather. I would tend to think that a piece reflects a lot about a maker's personality, but you are right, it might not in a way...mmm.
Kim--I wonder, too, whether I work the way I do because I learned to felt on my own and work alone so much?!?!
Monika--I agree with you that a piece reflects its makers personality, energy and spirit. I guess I'm thinking more about technique here...a bit of fine tuning that you can pull out for a certain kind of project (like getting dressed up for a date), but
that wouldn't suit you on a regular basis (jeans, jeans, jeans!!) :)
It's always fascinating to see how the same basic idea changes radically in different hands.
Rachell--So true!!
I'm so impressed by your work, I'm enyoing my time her. best wishes from Janine
Janine--I'm so glad that you're enjoying my posts! XXO-
Post a Comment