"Wiggly Dreads" Bowl- Part 2 of 2

Mid-way through felting...

 

...lengths of roving are threaded through the bowl edge, making 'dreads'.

(Pliers are used to help to pull the thick, slippery needle through the wet felt.)

 

The piece is gathered into a bowl-like shape...

...by hand-basting with strong nylon thread...

...and then the final felting and fulling takes place.

 

The finished bowl.

 

A close-up of the felted-in wool nepps and dyed tussah silk.

 

The rather 'sedate' bowl bottom. :)

 

The finished bowl...

...with nylon basting stitches removed.

 

With this project...

...I took advantage to the propensity of felt...

...to hold a 'shape memory' once dry.

Basting the piece prior to final felting and drying...

...allowed me to remove the nylon thread...

...while retaining the desired shape.

"Wiggly Dreads" Bowl- Part 1 of 2

Laying out dyed wool nepps and tussah silk circles...

 

...in the warm company of our instructor, Nicola and my other lovely classmates.

 

Adding design elements to side two...

 

...and covering them with layers of bright roving.

 

Since this was an 'open resist' project...

...the wool rays were folded in during the layout...

...to create a finished looking open edge.

 

Covering the entire piece with dark grey roving.

 

Mid-way through felting...

 

...orange 'dreads' are added.

 

My intention was to create a wide, cylindrical bowl...

...using the 'open-resist' method.

Unfortunately, either the lay-out or the felting went a bit awry...

...and at the mid-way point, it was more of a pancake than any kind of bowl!

Next time: how a little judicious stitching with strong thread (thanks, Nicola!)...

...rescues the project from utter failure.

Spain and Portugal 2013

A door in Salamanca, Spain.

 

My wonderful traveling companions...

...Sandy, Ann and Terriea.

 

I may be anthropomorphizing a bit here...



...but the sheep looked a little embarrassed to me...
.
 ...when they found themselves suddenly 'naked' after shearing! Grin.

 

Sandy and Ann preparing for our workshop with Nicola.



Popping up through the spaces between granite pavers...

...were these lovely poppies.

 

One day, for an outing...

...our class took a tour of a local fiber mill.

 

Although yarn is their primary end product...

...we were able to purchase roving and dyed wool nepps from them as well!

 

1. 

Felting Class in Portugal- Our "Environs"

Our host, Eelco, showing us some 'neighborly' insects.

 

How would you like to be greeted by this view each morning?!?

 

A wooden outdoor stage is used during the Angel Art Festival.

This foxglove was found growing between the granite steps of the amphitheater.

We successfully used the foliage of this chestnut tree...

 ...in some of our 'eco-dyeing' experiments.

Fragrance and color were virtually everywhere we looked...

...and flavor, too, since yummy, ripe cherries were always within reach!

 

Large granite boulders and broom straw dot the landscape in this view.

 

We started off the week with a tour of the organic farm where our classes were held...

...and many of us were quite surprised at its diversity.

Learning about the owners' philosophy and the hard work required to create this marvelous, artist-friendly space...

...gave me a better appreciation of our unique surroundings.

You'll see some of these leaves and plants again, later...

...when I share some of our 'eco-dyeing' experiments.

Next time: cute animal photos!! :)

Felting Class in Portugal--Our "Digs"

A beautiful, rustic bedroom in our Quinta (granite house).

 

A lovely rough-hewn dining table in the common room.

 

A hand-crafted wooden and leather armchair.

 

A beautiful tapestry graces the granite wall.

 

A pair of wooden heads take pride of place on the fireplace mantel.

 

Our decorative front door...

...and check out the view!!

 

Small, special objets d'art were found throughout the Quinta...



...like this ornate terracotta box.

 

For those of you who didn't already know...

...I recently spent an amazing 9 days in Portugal.

For the majority of my time there, I was in the company of wonderful feltmakers from all over the world...

...under the tutelage of my friend, Nicola Brown.

I have so many projects and finished felt pieces to show you...

...but first, I wanted to share these images of the beautiful decor in our guest house...

...which certainly rivaled (if not quite equaled) the beauty of the surrounding landscape.

It's obvious that much love and care went into the furnishing of this living space...

...and the five of us who were lucky enough to stay there, greatly enjoyed the ambiance.

One funny thing...

...our first morning there, I awoke to the sound of someone's cell phone or travel alarm...

...making a "cuckoo-clock" sound.

Except, of course, it wasn't an alarm clock at all...

...but a real, live Cuckoo waking me at daybreak!! (Wow!)

Next time: more photos of the farm...

...and animals!