Raw Fleece Collar- Part 2!

The felted collar...

                                                                 ...drying...

                                         ...and a close-up of its printed silk back.

                                                       Raw Gotland fleece...

                                    ...with its beautiful pale grey to black shading...

                              ...produces a natural (and slightly wild-looking) collar!

                                                     The silk fabric backing...

                                        ...provides structural support for the locks.

                                                       The completed project.

Raw Fleece Collar- Part 1!

When I visited my friend Deb earlier this year...

...we made great use of her fabulous studio!

Discovering that a large box of raw Gotland locks had arrived one day...

                                     ...we decided to make a couple of felt collars.

                                   Merino roving was added to a layer of silk fabric...

                                                          ...and wetted out.

                                                  Raw locks were then added...

                                                             ...tuft by tuft...

                                      ...with layers of painters' plastic in between...

                                           ...to keep them from felting together.

  
                                               The reverse side of the project...

                                                        ...with patterned silk...

                                               ...and mid-way through felting.

                                                Next time: the finished collar!

Wet-Felted Pin Cushions!

Several months ago...

                                 ...while visiting my wonderful friend, Deb, in Iowa...

                      ...I 'assisted' as she taught two friends the basics of wet-felting...

                                          ...with a little needle felting thrown in.

                                   The results? A cache of fun new pin cushions...

                               ...that no one else could possibly mistake as theirs!! ')

Raw Fleece Cat 'Ruglet'

Felting a small portion of raw fleece...

...with the addition of brown wool roving...

...and a layer of heliotrope gauze (for structural support).

                                      Adding my initials to the backside of the rug...

                                          ...with a length of narrow green roving.

                                  A close-up of the nubby texture and warm color...

                                        ...of the fully felted (and now clean) fleece.

                                                         The fully felted rug...

                                         ...is my cat's favorite new place to nap!

                                              While I was in Boulder recently...

       ...Cathy asked me to show her how to felt raw fleeces from her lovely sheep.

                       Because we were running out of time (and days for it to dry)...

                          ...I made a very small sample rug as a demonstration.

                                  (Once home, it quickly found a useful purpose!) ;)

"Envelope Experiments" (Raw Fleece Pillows)- Part 3 of 3

The surface of the second pillow in close-up.

                                                      The finished pillow front...

                                            ...and assertively orange back.

                                               The boingy texture of the pillow...

...makes for an interesting and unique decorative accent.

                                         My two 'envelope' pillows, side-by-side.

                          The natural color shading, inherent in all raw fleece projects...

                                           ...yields a beautiful, subtle look.   

"Envelope Experiments" (Raw Fleece Pillows)- Part 2 of 3

Laying out the back of envelope number two...

...this time, with a 'flanged' center flap for its opening.

                                  Adding raw locks to the resist surface, tips down...

                    ...and covering the cut side of the locks with a layer of cotton scrim.

                        Wrapping orange wool from the back side around the resist.

                                                   Mid-way through felting...

                                                       ...and during fulling.

                                           (Look at all of that glorious orange!!) ;)

                                 The finished envelope with center 'turtleneck' flap.

                              Trimming the excess felt, prior to stuffing and stitching.

                        Twisty upholstery tacks hold the seam in place during stitching.

                                              Next time: the finished pillow...

                                               ...in all of its textural glory! ;)

"Envelope Experiments" (Raw Fleece Pillows)- Part 1 of 3

Raw fleece pillow sample one...

   
                                                  ...prior to stuffing and sewing.

                                  

                                                For this part of my experiment...

                                        ...I added an extra 'flap' during the layout...                                             

                                            ...just in the center of one side...

                                          ...(where I wanted the opening to be).                 

                   
                                        Once stuffed, the flap is easily tucked in...

                                   ...and a bit of hand-stitching 'seals' the envelope.

                                              The felted locks in close-up.

                                             Pillow number one...completed.

                                                 Next time: a raw fleece pillow...

                                        ...with a different kind of envelope flap.