Showing posts with label cowl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cowl. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

European "Feltmaker to Feltmaker Hand-Off"- Part 4 of ?

A field of glorious yellow rapeseed (canola).


Upper Newton Farmhouse is Pearl's glorious Bed and Breakfast...


...located on farmland that has been in her husband's family for generations.


                              There are several beautiful, well-appointed cottages on the grounds...

                                                 ...for families or larger parties...

                         ...or you can choose to stay in the farmhouse with Pearl and Jon...

                                                                    ...like we did!        

                                 
                                 Gladys begins the 'sewing part' of our pre-felt project...
                                     
                                                     

                                                ...with Pearl continuing work on mine.

                  (I kept busy while they stitched and felted, making several pre-felts for later use.)

                                      

                                     Of course, we had to stop for a glass of local cider...

                                      

                          ...and Pearl's elegant meals and desserts kept us in fine felting form!

                                      

                                   We were 'all smiles' once the project was completed...

        

                                   ...and they were both pleased with the riot of color...

                           ...even though I had to do a little 'arm twisting' at the onset with Gladys! :)

                                                
                                                       
                                                           Woodland nymphs?                

      

                                            We did make time to explore the farm...

     

                                   ...and set out one muddy evening for a long 'nature walk'.



                                   Wouldn't this make a wonderful kabouter house?!? :)


                                This photo could have been taken at any point in our visit...

                    ...since the three of us talked and laughed, non-stop, the entire time!! :)


                       Next post: I meet a dear blog friend of mine for the very first time!!

Monday, February 24, 2014

Bright Knitted Scarf and a 'Blast From the Past'!

                                      I had a small ball of this shocking pink, yellow and purple yarn...

                                                      ...and I really loved the colourway...


                                                          ...so I knitted a cowl from it...


                                           ...and have been wearing it happily ever since...

                                                        ...chasing the winter's chill away!


                                    Some of you may remember the rug that I made last summer at 'Fling'...


                                                           ...well, over the Christmas holiday...


                              ...it finally made its way to its intended spot on the wall over the couch.


Many thanks to my daughter, Lydia and her BF, Rob...

who engineered the 'suspension' of this rather heavy piece of felt!!


Friday, February 14, 2014

Warm (Knitted) Winter Cowl

From a small ball of blended wool and synthetic yarn...


                                                      ...I made a soft, spongy cowl!

           
                                                    The variegated colors are so pretty...


                                                                          ...and varied...


                                       ...that I find myself wearing it with practically everything! :)


                                                I used a darning needle and the leftover yarn...


                                           ...to stitch the finished rectangle into a circle...


                                                 ...and with the weather we've had lately...

                                                        ...I've gotten to wear it often!


Sunday, September 23, 2012

"My Life" Sculpture/Cowl- Part 3 of 3

Twisted upon itself as a sculpture...



...or opened up into a cowl... 


...there is very nearly every color of the rainbow here... 
 
...depending on where you look!

 
Because I have one daughter who is particularly fond of handmade felt..

...this piece has now been appropriated for use as a cowl.

 
It can be twisted around to suit the color of her jacket...

 
...or to highlight a new section of the piece when she gets bored.

 
Good-bye sculpture!! :)

 
Now that you have a better idea of the scale of this project...

...you can imagine how large it was in the pre-felt stage.

I'm delighted that "My Life" has now found new purpose(!) as a cowl...

...instead of sitting around on a shelf, collecting dust. :)

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Friday, September 21, 2012

"My Life" Sculpture/Cowl- Part 2 of 3

Making more cuts into the partially felted piece.



The stitched and snipped project...

...prior to... 


...and during the final felting. 


The finished and dried piece after more 'scissors surgery'...
 
...can be twisted one way into a sculpture...

 
...or another...

 
...revealing shocking sections of color...

 
...like a geode or a millefiori bead!

 
As you can see...

...'my life' is not exactly as it may have first appeared! :)

By taking a pair of sharp scissors to the finished felt...

...we get a peek inside the dense, multi-layered layout...

...and into my colorful life, as well! ;)

Next time: more photos of the finished project as sculpture...

...and also, worn as a cowl!!

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Tuesday, September 18, 2012

"My Life" Sculpture/Cowl- Part 1 of 3

Laying out seven layers of wool that feel pertinent to my life, in this moment...

 
...then incremental layers of wool, fiber and fabric that reflect both my youth and old age.

 
Wetting out the project...

 
...and turning it into a pre-felt.

 
After drying, hand-stitching it with strong, nylon thread...



...and making cuts into the partially felted wool. 


Synthetic threads, shown here, only partially felted in...

 
...and some areas were snipped to showcase inner color layers and inclusions.

 
The most ambitious project that I made in Marjolein Dallinga's class in August...

...was this large felt piece reflecting a timeline of my life.

We were encouraged to think about both now and about our past...and to imagine our future...

...and to lay out fabric and fiber that honored our memories and gave voice to our dreams.

This kind of introspection requires a lot of thought...

...and it was as fascinating to see some of my classmates' choices...

...(the sparkly black fabric of a hard-partying college phase!)...

...as it was to try to signify the fresh air of my bike-riding childhood...

...or the blush of my burgeoning womanhood.

Next time: the piece begins to take shape.

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