My new toy

I've finally managed to buy an embellisher and am so excited. I had to wait in all day for it to arrive, but it really was worth the wait. This is my first piece on the embellisher punch machine.

My husband is having his book published as we speak. It is a children's book about the Celts and Romans. He will be going into schools to do drama workshops based on the book and wanted a waistcoat that had a Celtic feel to it. So I'm going to embellish typical Celtic art works on some of the panels. I've wet felted the panels first.

Celtic shield.

Sarah's blog was very useful and I got lots of little tips for embellishing. Of course the best way to learn anything is to carry on trying different techniques yourself. I'll have plenty of opportunity to do that with this waistcoat.
The third panel of a little Celtic being still needs some embroidery on his face and I might add a few machine stitches too, as I got a new sewing machine for half price.

She is an inspiration to us all.

SARAH LECHNER

She is the artist who inspires me most in my felt work. I have learnt so much from reading her blog and looking at the wonderful items she creates. She has so much enthusiasm and imagination and shares it with us all. Recently she has started selling her methods in the form of tutorials and patterns, which she sells on Etsy. These patterns are copyrighted and you are not able to sell them or the work you produce from them, but for a very small amount of money you are able to learn the techniques which she uses in her work.
Thank you Sarah.

Below you will see photo's of the work I have created from her 2nd tutorial 'Through the window'

As I don't have an embellisher machine, I wet felted, but am very pleased with the results. I was able to use techniques which I didn't know existed and spent many happy hours embroidering, something I haven't done for many years. All I have to do now is to attach it to a cushion cover and it will take pride of place on my new sofa.

Sarah is Swedish and runs two blogs:

Please check them out, you will not be disappointed.

THE FABRIC OF MEDITATION.

and her new blog

THE REVISITED STASH

a recycling blog very close to my heart.

My completed embroidered felt work ready for insertion into the centre of a cushion.

WET FELTING WITH ADDITIONS -TUTORIAL 1b.

My completed work with needle felting and embroidery added.

Follow the instructions below for each stage of the completed tutorial clicking on each image to get a larger view..

Stage 1:- Needle felting the stones at the bottom of the picture.

Using a variety of darker wools, needle felt the stones. I made three large ones leaving a small space in between each, so that I could add tiny needle felted balls. I then added a lighter green wool on the stones for moss, needle felting strands upwards for small tufts of leaves.

Stage 2:- The addition of the white bell flowers and stems, bottom left:-

Make a small piece of thin white wet felting. It must be thin otherwise it will be to bulky. Cut out small semicircular shapes and roll around into a bell shape. You will have to experiment with this first to get the correct shape. I made a paper pattern first. Join the two pieces together with white embroidery thread starting at the top inside and embroider along the seam with three stamens in a fan shape. I made seven of these to add on.
When these are completed, position on your piece and attach with button hole stitch along the top.
Using light green embroidery silk, bring your needle up at the top of the bell flower and down again where you want the stem to end, allowing for the curvature of the stem where it comes away from the flower. With a different thinner,lighter green thread couch the stem thread down.

Stage 3:- Enhancing the velvet flowers.

Because the wire stems had to be taken out of the flowers, you will notice that there is a central hole in each one. Needle felt in this hole and where you think necessary use embroidery to divide the petals.

Stage 4:- Embroidered flowers on the stones.

For the yellow embroidered flowers make petals using a chain stitch, securing each side of the petal with a slip stitch. Fill in each petal with a French knot.

Stage 5:- Embellishing the stamens that were added in the wet felting process.

If necessary needle felt the ends of the stamens making sure that you take the wool over the stamen end.
My stamens originally had lovely red tips, but during the felting process the dye came out which is the reason for the needle felting addition.



Stage 6:- Adding the butterfly.

Make a small piece of wet felt using different colours on each side. It needs to be a thick felt. When the felt is dry, draw a pattern of a butterfly and cut away the body leaving just the wings. Draw around each wing on the felt using a ball point pen and carefully cut out. As the felt is thick you will be able to shave away (with scissors) some of the felt from the inside wings where they attach to the body. This will make them stand out when attached showing the underneath colour.

Decide where you would like the butterfly to be positioned and needle felt the butterfly wings onto your piece, leaving a space between them for the body. Only needle felt along the inner edges of the wings and you will see them raise up from the background work. Now you can fill in the gap between the wings with needle felting in the shape of the butterflies body. Using embroidery threads, embroider the two antennae using a long stitch finishing with a French knot.

Stage 7:- Completion and hanging.

You can either frame your work or hang it as it is. I like the finished shape of the felt so I am going to mount it on a board and attach a hanger.

I am so pleased with what started off to be an experiment that I have decided to give it as a present to my son's partner, I am sure she will love it.

Please try out this tutorial and if you are happy with it leave a comment. If you think I've missed anything out or need to include more detail then I will alter it, so that we can all learn from this.

Good Luck

WET FELTING WITH ADDITIONS -TUTORIAL 1a.

Click on the image to enlarge

I've been experimenting again, but then this is how we learn.
I wanted to enclose some vintage velvet flowers into a piece of wet felting but wasn't sure if and how they would felt, so I took the bull by the horns, so to speak and just got on with it. I thought perhaps I could embroider on top of the felt to give a different dimension so I knew that the felt had to be pretty thin to do this.

Step 1: - Place two thin layers of white merino wool tops and then a thicker layer of variegated yellow green moving into a light brown wool on top. I used wool that had been hand dyed.

Step 2: - Sprinkle dried lavender over the wool to add texture and perfume.

Step 3:- Lay old real silk embroidery threads in place for stems.

Step 4:- Take the central wires from old vintage velvet flower heads. Flatten the flower heads and place at the top of the stems.

Step 5:- Vintage flower stamens can be added to give added floral displays.

Step 6:- Add dried leaves, I got mine from some old pot pourri.

Step 7:- Cover with wispy strands of wool over all the flowers etc, so that they will hold in place.

Step 8:- Cover with net curtaining and wet felt as normal being careful not to move the additions around or scratch your hands on the leaves.

NB That the addition of soapy water isn't added until the design is finished, thus ensuring that the additions of lavender have sunk into the wool and that everything else has a light flimsy covering.

If you have never wet felted before see the brilliant tutorial by Shelby Cefaratti at:-

http://www.weavespindye.org/html/felting1.html

My next post will be the following stage.

Felting as an avoidance strategy

I just love wet felting as I find it reduces stress. I had no idea what I wanted to create, but having said that, that's how I work. Having all my bits and pieces together I began to lay layers of fabric on the base and what you see above is the result so far.

Normally I don't lay any fibres on top of the fabric but this time I did as I wanted a textured piece but reasonably flat. I used alpaca wool for the first time, something I'd bought at last years woolfest in Cumbria. Not sure how happy I am with using it as it is very hairy and I had to do a lot of trimming. I can see wonderful images in this piece, great ideas for my embellishing.
Follow its journey as I begin to highlight and embellish.

As seen on my RAG RESCUE blog - a wonderful way to use those scrapbags.

Lady brooches.

Graceful felted lady brooch

Heavenly felted lady brooch

Distinguished felted lady brooch

Resplendent felted lady brooch

All of these felted brooches can now be bought in my etsy shop.

Christmas cards at the ready.

My apologies to all my blogger friends for not looking and commenting on your blogs these past few weeks. There has been a huge family crisis and I just couldn't get my head around anything. Hopefully the crisi will ease slightly next weekend and I will be going away to sell at my bi-monthly antique fairs. For details of the fairs see my
Rag Rescue blog

What has helped me release some of the tension in myself has been my felting. I decided to make my Christmas cards this year and above are some photographs of just a couple of them. I also made some patchwork ones and embroidered those.
It si the first time that I've made my own cards so I hope the family and friends will enjoy them.

Peace reigns in the house this weekend as my husband and I are on our own so I'm going to spend some time surfing through all your blogs.

Something for myself for a change.

Now that my new website
RAG RESCUE
is now on line, I decided to have a little light relief and make something for myself for a change. I've used a lovely Victorian black silk scarf and wet felted it leaving little circles of silk free of wool which of course puffed up during the fulling process.
It is lovely and warm and keeps out the draughts from these autumnal coastal winds.

RAG RESCUE TEXTILE SHOP

I haven't had time to do a lot of felting recently, I've been so busy sorting out fabrics and embellishments for 'Rag Rescue' my new website which comes on line in the middle of October. I've just bagged 100+ scrap bags and 200+ embellishments to take to the International Fairs at Swinderby and Newark at the beginning of October and also the Ashley Hall Fashion and Textile fair at Lincoln University on the 13th October.

I am hoping to do my bit for the environment by recycling old textiles, trims, and haberdashery. There will not only be large pieces of fabric but colour coordinated scrap bags useful for crazy quilting, card making etc. Also I'll sell a huge number of vintage beaded, embroidered, lace and ribbon work pieces for embellishing your art work. These items will be ideal for use on the embellisher machine and a variety of felting and fibre art techniques.

If you need any further information on either the fairs or the new website, then just leave me a comment.

Turquoise felted embroidered beads.

Turquoise felted embroidered beads.
Originally uploaded by Feltissimo

Just thought I'd show these today as I had some time on my hands whilst with my mother.
I must say that the felted balls were made by me and the rest of the work, the embroidery, beading and stringing was completed by my daughter.
These were made to go with an outfit my daughter was wearing for her sister - in - laws wedding.

I must say that I found making beads rather tedious especially when they were one colour but I think you will agree that the results are striking.

Lilac floral felted Art Card - Ready for framing.

Lilac floral felted Art Card - Ready for framing.
Originally uploaded by Feltissimo

Yet another Art card. This time it was commissioned for a special birthday. The request was for a larger card than I normally make and although I found this a little more difficult I was pleased with the result. I've used the wools I bought at the woolfest.









For those of you who haven't come across my art cards before, I would just like to explain.


These cards are made entirely from handmade felt apart from the thin central card for a message to be written on. Afterwards this card can be removed easily and after a light press the work of art can be framed.

Finally -completed necklace

Finally -completed necklace
Originally uploaded by Feltissimo

I finally finished this knitted and felted necklace using late 19th Century Venetian beads at the ends of the woollen strings.. They give the weight it needed at the end. I am exhibiting at the Swinderby and Newark Antique fairs at the weekend si look forward to wearing this necklace. If you see me wearing it, come and say hello.

My first felted necklace- under construction no.1

My first felted necklace- under construction no.1
Originally uploaded by Feltissimo

I have Knitted this from leftovers of wool. I decided to embellish it with Victorian silk embroidery with the addition of beads and flowers which I needle felted from Merino wool. Just a few more to make and it will be complete. Keep a look out for the finished product.

Stormy sea bowl 1.

Stormy sea bowl 1.
Originally uploaded by Feltissimo

I made this bowl over a balloon. I was expecting all of the wool to fall off but as you can see it didn't. this is my first attempt at a vessel so I am really pleased with it.

More images from the Woolfest

This felt work was done by members of the Yorkshire Internation Felters Association.
Unfortunately the pictures don't show the whole beauty.

Woolfest 2007

My daughter and I set out for the hour and a half trip up the motorway to the Woolfest yesterday. The rain was lashing down but we were determined to have a wonderful day together. We had no idea what the show at Cockermouth would be like but it had been advertised as the largest in the country so we felt pretty sure that our journey would be worth it.



The rain had stopped for a minutes on our arrival and we were so very surprised at the amount of cars there. We were sent to park high up overlooking the venue.
After managing to walk down the slippery wet steps, we entered the animal sheds where the fest was taking place. It was the second day so we had missed some of the entertainment like the hog roast and sheep sheering but there were over a hundred stalls to look at.


There was that wonderful aroma of sheep and damp fleece, as we headed through the crowds for the cafe and a quick sit down and drink. We were so eager to look at the goods that I left half of my coffee and headed for the stalls. It wasn't long before our heads were spinning with the vibrant colours, the beautiful items of clothing and the wool. I've never seen so much wool, different colours tones and textures, bag fulls, sack fulls. To just look and feel was pure ecstasy. I came away loaded with a variety for wool for my felting and my daughter was equally loaded with with superb hand dyed and painted knitting wool.

I was so busy looking at the stalls, that I didn't take as many pictures as I had wished, but I managed a few. Just look at these sheep, they are so cute.

More on the Woolfest tomorrow.

Felt and vintage silk purse

Felt and vintage silk purse - back
Originally uploaded by Feltissimo

What started off as an experiment has now been turned into a purse. I've used vintage pure silk scarves and white merino wool. After laying the cut-outs of silk onto a double layer of wool, the felting process began. I soon realised which silks felted quickly.
I had already used a fine net tulle which had beads stitched on and so after the purse was completed, I added more antique beads.
A large antique press stud has been used for closure.

Design faults:-
1. The purse needs to be double, rather like a rectangular tube which is then folded over so that the change doesn't fall out.
2. For quicker felting, the silk needs to be breathable and one should be able to see through it.

Underwater wall hanging.

Underwater wall hanging.
Originally uploaded by Feltissimo

The weather forecast for Morecambe was bad this week so I decided to do some felting. As it happened the skies remained blue for most of the week but I did manage to complete two projects. This is the first, a lovely wall hanging for my grandaughter Molly's bedroom. I have used merino and wensleydale wool tops with silk carrier rods and neeps and an addition of Victorian glass beads and rods in blue and white for the danglers. For the first time I used some embroidery on my felt work, something which I think I will do more of.

If you click on the picture it will take you to my Flickr page where you will be able to see a close-up of this work.

Therapy on the cards

No. 1
Pleasant turmoil

In a few weeks time this last six months of tearing the house down and building it up again, will seem like a dream. The builders couldn't believe how calm we have been throughout it all.
That's what they think!

No. 2 Emergence.

Emerging from the abyss.

A light at the end of the tunnel.

Happiness reigns.

Peace and quiet-----

Until tomorrow .....when the family arrive with all of their worldly goods
hmmm!

I keep telling Ludo, (the dog) enjoy today and tonight because the chaos starts again tomorrow, just in a different way. Daughter, husband and 17 month old Molly staying for a little while or possibly even longer. Still at least we are off to Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire for a week of fairs next week Escape.... I'm only joking as I'm really looking forward to the next couple of years, we will all just need a little time to adjust I suppose.
All tips gratefully received.

Cards for sale at my Feltissimo shop £5.00 each.