November Toss n Tell & Christmas Party

We had a wonderful 2019 FeltWEST wrap up at TNT on Saturday 16 November with an abundance of beautiful, felty Christmas ornaments brought in and sold to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis; a delicious shared lunch and lots of lovely items brought in for Toss N Tell.  Thank you very much to Jean for presiding over the day in Soosie’s absence. 

Both Peta Korb and Jean McKenzie were presented with flowers to thank them for their outstanding contribution to the success of FeltWEST’s stall at the Royal Show in 2019.

Martien announced the sad passing of Peggy Buckingham, long-time FeltWEST member and tireless advocate for the educational aspect of the arts and crafts in Western Australia and nationally.

Best wishes to all for a very happy Christmas and a great start to the new year.  We look forward to seeing you all in February.

February 2020 Toss n Tell

by Renita Mroz

We kicked of our first TNT of the year with a wonderful Mini Demonstration from Sue Eslick on Making and Attaching Tubes.  Thank you, Sue, – as always, you were fabulously instructive and entertaining!  The March mini demo, by Soosie Jobson, will be on Differential Shrinkage Rates.

Soosie announced that the Extension Program would be back in 2020, run by Sue Eslick and Jean McKenzie.  These are three-hour long, samples-based workshops aimed at learning or honing a particular skill.  Six or so of these workshops will be run during the year, some on Saturdays after TNT, others on regular Tuesday felting days.  The first extension workshop will look at Three-Dimensional Felt with participants working on making a small vessel.  It will be run on Saturday 21 March following TNT – bookings are open on the website.

Our first Monthly Workshop for 2020 was Peta Korb’s Needle Felted Woylie workshop which was booked and very well received with a whole herd of adorable woylies heading off to new homes at the end of the day.

CAROL MULHEARN
CAROL MULHEARN
CAROL MULHEARN

Our March offering, Sue Eslick’s Fantasy Hat or Tea Cosy workshop, is fast approaching.  The workshop is almost fully booked with only two places remaining – sign-up on the website now for a great weekend and a stylish hat or sensational tea cosy!

CLAIRE RUSSEL
FLEUR RILEY – USING RESISTS

Also open for bookings is Anita Larkin’s Design Ideas for Felt workshop in April.  Martien described Anita as someone to get out of bed for!  Coming from a background in sculpture, Anita is inventive and offers unique techniques to shift, shuffle and shake your ideas, new perspectives and a wonderful and expansive approach to design.  This is a workshop not to be missed!

Soosie sought expressions of interest in a 2020 FeltWEST Retreat in May/June, the planning for which is underway.

SOOSIE JOBSON
SOOSIE JOBSON

Soosie also encouraged all members to engage with FeltWEST’s Facebook page.  Please like it, share it, and contribute to it.

Peta spoke about the Toodyay Fibre Festival on Sunday 7 June.  If you would like any of your felted garments included in the fashion parade, you will need to fill out an Expression of Interest form on the website.  http://www.toodyay.wa.gov.au/Community-Visitors/Events/Upcoming-Events/Toodyay-Fibre-Festival

FLEUR RILEY
FLEUR RILEY

Martien drew our attention to Felt Matters magazine, produced in the UK by the International Feltmakers’ Association.  This is a wonderfully inspirational magazine with an international focus.  Two FeltWEST members, Martien van Zuilen and Katrina Virgona, are featured in the current issue.  You’ll find copies of Felt Matters magazine in the FeltWEST library.

JAQUELINE GIBSON
MARTIEN VAN ZUILEN
MARTIEN VAN ZUILEN

Virginia let us know that FeltWEST member, Marie Marshal, is down-sizing and has, very generously, donated her felting books and a beautiful wooden hat block to our library.  She also offered fabric and a gorgeous felted christening gown to anyone who would love and use them well.

Katrina spoke about the Lust for Lustre exhibition at Ellenbrook Art Gallery which looks at our fascination with pearls.   Katrina’s work was included in this exhibition.

WOYLIE – 3D NEEDLE FELTING WITH WIRE ARMATURE

On Saturday 1 February, 12 Feltwest members were treated to an excellent one day workshop,
presented by Peta Korb. At the end of the day all participants commented on how much they had
enjoyed the workshop and how well organised it had been. The consensus was that it was a great
start to the 2020 Feltwest year.


Peta explained that the Woylie is a small Australian marsupial, which would serve as a suitable
project for demonstrating the techniques of needle felting onto a wire armature. The intention was
to try to finish the project during the workshop, but sufficient materials and tuition were given to
allow participants to finish their projects at home, if need be.


Peta supplied a kit to each participant, containing all the materials needed for the workshop, which
made it easier and faster to start the workshop. Participants were given a list of a small number of
tools they would need to bring with them to assist in the process.


Peta displayed samples of her work to illustrate the different stages of work involved in needle
felting to an armature. During the workshop, participants learned a range of techniques, including
wrapping, shaping, felting and sculpting wool around a wire armature. They also learned colour
blending with wool, creating a realistic animal pelt in felt finer finishing details.


Thank you Peta for an enjoyable, informative and inspiring workshop!

Report from Woolarama

Feltwest participated the Wagin Woolarama this year for the first time in many years. Woolarama is one of the biggest agricultural shows in WA, attracting people from throughout the south west and Perth and took place over two days on 9th and 10th March.

Feltwest had a 3x3m display where we were able to:

  • Demonstrate feltmaking and carding
  • Display a broad range of felted items Sell member’s work

We also had felt clothing and accessories modelled on the catwalk.

 

 

It was surprising that there were no other wool craft displays at Woolarama, and Feltwest’s presence was warmly welcomed by the organisers and attendees.

What worked? – Thankyou to Kerry for the following comments:

 Demonstrations were fantastic

Sue demonstrated wet felting all weekend & Lenore’s demonstration started with raw fleece to carding with the drum, hand carders and heckle, all weekend. Chris Pietraszek came all the way from Toodyay, midday Saturday with her double heckle to mix and Diz home grown & coloured Alpaca. Crowds were formed each time demonstrations started or passersby were ‘lured’ then enthralled by the transformation from fibre to fabric!

Who was interested?

Farmers, adults of all ages and school age children

 The Cat-Walk

Chris, Nancy, Lenore and Sue did a fantastic job selecting, from our members items, a collection which synchronised with Christiane’s clothes and just looked AMAZING on the Cat Walk. They were worn by professional models to loud music, dazzling lights and promotional narration at the beginning and ALL this supplied by Woolarama at no cost to us!

Two women approached us on Saturday afternoon and said that for them, seeing the Feltwest items on the catwalk had been the highlight of the whole Woolarama show! We are hoping to get some professional images from the catwalk for our website

.

 

What sold?

We had a range of items for sale, but what sold most, were light-weight scarves.  We had some beautiful felt objects but they weren’t what people were looking at.  We took over $1200 across the two days.

Resources and cost?

The Feltwest stall and catwalk was organised by a team of 4: Kerry Bertucci, Sue Eslick, Chris Gray and Nancy Ballesteros.  Chris and Nancy had their own separate stall but were on hand to help Feltwest, especially with the setup and packup.  Kerry and Sue were joined by Lenore Fairfield who helped all weekend on the Feltwest stall and with demonstrations.  Everyone paid for all of their own costs with the exception that Feltwest paid for the 3 nights accommodation of the main organiser.

We took our own tables, chairs, screens and display materials so that we didn’t have to pay extra to hire them. Thanks to Kerry for bringing them all down in her ute!

Approximately 15 Feltwest members contributed some wonderful feltwork for the display and catwalk.

Costs paid by Feltwest:

Accommodation – $250,  Feltwest stall – $435.

SUGGESTIONS for next time?

Having participated in this year’s event, those attending have come up with many suggestions for the future, should the next Committee decide to go to Woolarama. These include:

  • Book a double stall, one for sales and one for demonstrations. Allay s
  • ome of the costs by seeking sponsorship for the demonstration stall and a contribution from those wishing to sell felt, for the other stall.
  • Start organizing earlier in the year, – maybe have our own parade-fun night dress rehearsal before it goes to Woolorama.
  • Organise for a media person to promote Feltwest and liaise with other groups.
  • Having a card reader in order to take payment by credit card proved to be invaluable.

Thankyou to everyone who contributed, and especially to Kerry who did the lion’s share of the work –  and so competently and cheerfully.  It was a great team effort, we were all exhausted by the time we got home, but had an enjoyable, productive, and we believe, worthwhile time.

Workshop Review Katia Mokeyeva, March 2,3,4th 2018

Feltwest members have been admiring Katia Mokeyeva’s work for some time, and some have participated in her on-line courses, so Katia’s visit to Perth was keenly anticipated, and we were not disappointed!

Katia gave a talk about her work at Craft House on the Thursday evening, and brought along some of her stunning garments from the 2017 exhibition, Sea State at the DHG Gallery in Prato, Italy where she worked in collaboration with Fiona Duthie.  Images from Katia and Fiona’s earlier 2015 Sea State exhibition in Newcastle, Australia were also shown.

Katia talked about the inspiration from nature and the ocean that influence her work and creative process.  This presentation was very much enjoyed by the 25+ people in attendance, and served as a wonderful introduction to the workshop that was to follow over the next 3 days.

Twelve lucky Feltwest members participated in the three day workshop.  Katia explained how natural plant fibres can be incorporated into felt to give stretch to felt garments, and to create rich textural surface designs.  Three sample pieces were made in the workshop to demonstrate these qualities, and Katia generously shared her ‘cucumber’ design and method for creating her amazing felt shell pattern.    

The use of plant fibres such as Bamboo and Ramie in Katia’s felting techniques was enlightening and created new possibilities for textural surfaces. 

 

 

The workshop was given an enthusiastic top rating by the participants, who were expertly led through new ways of working and the creative use of different materials. Everyone commented on Katia’s warmth, patience and generosity.  Thank you Katia for a wonderful and inspiring workshop.

Feltwest February 2018 meeting

Meeting –

Saturday the 18th of February saw the first FeltWest meeting of 2018.  Attendance was higher than expected with about 40 people pouring in to catch the first day not only of the meeting, but of the new and (hopefully improved) format.  At ten thirty the group gathered for Sue Eslick’s excellent demonstration with it’s easy to follow instructions for the making of felted sushi rolls.  The end of the demo set the hall alive with activity.  Tables were shared which created a lively social atmosphere.  Lots of persuasion was needed to drag participants from the work for the lunch break with meeting notices and T and T.

 

The news items from the meeting will be posted on the website, but special mention must be made of the opening of bookings for the Retreat at Muresk in early June.  We do need expressions of interest as soon as possible so the appropriate bookings can be made.  It’s a fairly complicated procedure; the booking that is, not the fabulous weekend, so do seriously consider coming along for a few days of unrestricted felting and a lot of fun.

Toss and Tell began with Sara Quail reporting on her dyeing workshop which was held in early February.

Fibre reactive dyeing cotton and silk with Sara Quail

The enthusiasm of the attendees was attested by the colourful results – a myriad of beautiful colour combinations on lengths of silk and cotton, using fibre reactive dyes.  Congratulations must go to Peta whose many test pieces showed a great dedication to the process.  Her gorgeous samples a credit to herself and to her demonstrator.  Peta was obviously truly inspired.

 

Martien brought along superb examples of her boots and slippers along with an intriguing nuno scarf, quite long but made from just 90 cms of fabric.  Thanks to Martien also for bringing along her wares.  We are aware that it’s lots of work, but great to have supplies available, especially when there are new members.

Marie showed some delightful and well- made sample pieces as well as a swathe of bay tree branches which she explained keep kitchen moths out of her pantry!  Lots of recipients of the branches will be trialling this way of keeping out the pesky insects at bay over the coming month.  Feedback please!

 

Jan Manning showed her very thoughtful and colourful renditions of Picasso and Magritte paintings in felt.  Hopefully we’ll see more of these in future.

 

 

 

 

 

Jill Jodrell’s menagerie of hand puppets were a delight – from her realistic kangaroo to colourful wacky creations.

There’s a future workshop there!

Marion Finneran also created a  large ‘critter’ which purposefully incorporated a multitude of techniques she acquired in an online workshop.

Sue Eslick modelled her intriguing beret as well as the messenger bag that will be made in the felt and leather workshop in April.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The afternoon was spent completing Sue’s sushi rolls with much whacking and beating (most enthusiastically by Liz Owens} as Sue explained that once a certain point is reached in the process maltreatment is necessary.

The new format was greeted with enthusiasm by all.  It seemed to give the group both inspiration and impetus.  No adverse comments were received but there were lots of suggestions for further improvement and that is great for any organisation.

Kerry Bertucci and Marion Finneran took in items for showing at the Wagin Woolorama with their usual efficiency.  We wish Kerry and Sue Eslick along with Chris and Nancy all the best for the event which we will hope to hear all about at the March meeting.

Alison Gomes manfully conducted an afternoon beginners workshop under somewhat difficult circumstances since the studio was in use by another group.  Thanks to her for quietly making it work for the seven participants who seemed well pleased with the results.

All in all, a good day.  Many thanks to those who came along and participated and especially to Sue E.   I for one am looking forward greatly to future meetings.

 

 

Dyeing workshop Sara Quail

Dyeing 101 workshop with Sara Quail, Feb 2018.
Techniques and tips for dyeing silk, cotton and other cellulose fibres.

Fibre Reactive Dyeing cotton and silk with Sara Quail -Sara’s aim was to teach participants how to pattern silk and cotton with fibre reactive dyes using a low immersion technique-ie by applying dye directly and manipulating the fabric. This was done using basic equipment in a small work area.

Dyeing 101 with Sara Quail

Sara outlined the safety requirements for using the materials utilised in the workshop, as well as some mess avoidance techniques for persons and the work area. She taught participants how to mix the soda ash in which the fabric is initially soaked, and how to mix the dye in the correct proportions to achieve a range of colours. She stressed the importance of rinsing equipment to avoid contaminating the colours being mixed, and the necessity of labelling the dyes that are produced. She taught participants how to batch, cure and rinse dyed pieces to achieve the best possible dyeing results.

Fibre reactive dyeing cotton and silk with Sara Quail Dyeing cotton and silk with Sara QuailFibre reactive dyeing cotton and silk with Sara QuailFibre reactive dyeing cotton and silk with Sara QuailFibre reactive dyeing cotton and silk with Sara Quail    Dyeing cotton and silk with Sara QuailFibre reactive dyeing cotton and silk with Sara Quail    Dyeing cotton and silk with Sara QuailDyeing cotton and silk with Sara Quail Fibre reactive dyeing cotton and silk with Sara QuailFibre reactive dyeing cotton and silk with Sara QuailDyeing cotton and silk with Sara Quail

As well as these basic & necessary processes, Sara taught a variety of techniques that produce different effects on the finished piece. These included working flat, tray pleating, crystalline, folding, doughnut, twisting, coiling, and how to dye skeins of thread or fibre.

She had a myriad of samples including how the dye takes on different fabrics and fibres. Other uses for Fibre Reactive dyes and how they can be used to dye protein fibres like wool were discussed.

Sara also provided comprehensive notes, a list of suppliers of Fibre Reactive dyes, and some websites as references for further reading.

I think I can conclude that a messy but fun day was had by all!

Alison Higgins

Fibre reactive dyeing with Sara QuailFibre reactive dyeing cotton and silk with Sara Quail  Fibre reactive dyeing cotton and silk with Sara Quail Fibre reactive dyeing cotton and silk with Sara Quail Fibre reactive dyeing cotton and silk with Sara Quail Fibre reactive dyeing cotton threads with Sara Quail

Participants dyed many pieces of fabric and items, so there was no time dry them all and view the results on the day.  There was quite a display at the first Feltwest meeting of the year of their achievements as well as some further exploration with the leftover dyes they took home.

Jigsaw Weave & Felt with Martien van Zuilen

Workshop – Nov 2017

Presented by Martien van Zuilen, a FeltWest member and international tutor, participants spent a very pleasurable 2 days learning her unique Jigsaw Weave & Felt technique. With its strong visual impact, the opportunities to include this woven effect in handmade felt are endless – homewares, accessories and wearables or as accent pieces for larger projects. Inspired by slumped glass techniques and the calming process of re-piecing jigsaws, her technique involves using fine merino pre-felts, which can be commercial pre-felt but which Martien often makes by hand using her hand-dyed wool. After selecting a colour palette to produce the desired effect, pre-felt is cut and re-pieced.

The first day was spent making a sample and coming to grips with the technique. Colour selection, the thickness of the pre-felts and the degree they have been pre-felted, play a key role in this technique. Martien had brought an amazing array of prefelt and many samples to get the creative juices flowing. She guided us through the planning and specific process of cutting to ensure a well-defined result. The actual method of interweaving and re-piecing the cut pre-felts had some unexpected elements, but it soon became apparent this was essential to the process. Paying attention to detail in the early stages is very important, but with immense benefit to the final result!

The 2nd day was spent working on individual larger pieces which included bags, cushion covers and table runners. Embellishments and fabric can be incorporated and minds were over-flowing with many ideas on how to create texture, optical illusions and functionality. Specific ways of dealing with resists for hats and bags were covered as well as emphasising her specific felting and fulling methods she uses for the Jigsaw technique. Her gentle approach to felt making is evident in the smooth, high quality felt pieces that were created.   

Those who attended really enjoyed trying out a new technique. The technical process gave everyone an opportunity to achieve precise results as well as refining felt to a new level. A very knowledgeable and sharing tutor who had some memorable ways of remembering her tips and tricks!

Martien van Zuilen (PhD) is a felt artist and dyeing artisan living in Perth, Australia. She exhibits her high-quality and distinctive felt art nationally and internationally and through her dyeing business Colourant Dyeworks she supplies the finest hand-dyed Merino wools, silk fibres, yarns and fabrics to felt makers and textile practitioners worldwide. Since the late 1980s she has delivered felt-making workshops at all levels of experience throughout Australia, as well as in Europe and throughout the USA. Martien is the founder of the Victorian Feltmakers and for 18 years coordinated the Australian National Yurt Project. She is the Convenor of Fibres West Inc. and the editor of FELT, Australia’s national felting magazine with international reach. Her artwork is published in numerous international publications, including Showcase 500 Art Necklaces (book), Textile Fibre Forum, Felt Matters, ViltKontakt, Fiber Art Now, Yurts Tipis and Benders (book), FELT, verFilzt Und zugeNäht, the 2015 book Pots and Pods for Feltmakers, Adventures in the Third Dimension, and the 2016 book Worldwide Colours of Felt. www.martienvanzuilen.com

Borris Lace Workshop with Leiko Uchiyama

Borris Lace Felt with Leiko Uchiyama  – Feltwest workshop – October 7 & 8 2017

On the weekend of October 7 and 8, international felt artist and tutor Leiko Uchiyama presented her Borris Lace Felt workshop to 11 enthusiastic members of Feltwest. Leiko is well known in the world of felting for her distinctive Pine Needle Felts, a technique she developed after seeing patterns of fine pine needles on pristine snow in her home town of Sapporo Japan.

For the past 5 years, Leiko has lived near the small village of Borris in Ireland and it was there that she first encountered Borris Lace*. Her workshop ingeniously combined her interpretation of Borris Lace in Felt and her Pine Needle technique. It was clear from the start that students were in for a treat.

Leiko began by explaining the history and principles of Borris Lace and how she came to interpret and translate this in felt. She was well organised and prepared, showing everyone multiple samples while explaining the various possibilities of Borris Lace Felt. She had also managed to bring a wonderful collection of her sumptuous hand-dyed fine merino wool (16 & 18 micron) and merino/silk mix fibres; no mean feat for having travelled and taught classes around Australia for 6 weeks before arriving in Perth.

 

Then the work began! Everyone made specific pre-felts to resemble lace tape and prepared stacks of pine-needle fibres, all the while designing and then laying out larger works. With well over 50% shrinkage from start to finish, rolls of bubble-wrap were involved!

The afternoon of day 1 and part of day 2 was spent on laying out the large works. Meanwhile Leiko imparted lots and lots of tips on her specific techniques and fine felting more broadly. It included handling of fibres, laying out for different effects, laying wool in narrow width areas without getting fluffy edges, making specific cords for textural effects, creating a balanced and intricate design, attention to detail, rolling and finishing, and much much more. Leiko’s dedicated, methodical and gentle approach, and her generosity in sharing her knowledge brought to the fore the value of attending a class in person and working hands-on and face-to-face with a tutor.

Leiko was a delightful and fun tutor who was very clear in her explanations and instructions, and due to her good management, all works were finished by the appointed time! At the end of the class, 11 beautiful wraps and scarves were displayed and Leiko pointed out specific areas of interest in each work as a way of recapping the entire process and the class.

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you Leiko for a wonderful class, and thanks to all the students who enrolled!

– Martien van Zuilen

For more info on Leiko’s work, see http://leikofelt.com

Leiko Uchiyama’s work is also featured in the Australia magazine Felt (issue #17), with an artist profile and a pine-needle felt project written by Leiko! http://www.artwearpublications.com.au

* Borris Lace is a lace made with lace tape joined by various filling stitches. The name originates from the village of Borris in Co Carlow, where Leiko Uchiyama currently resides. In 1857 Lady Harriet Kavanagh of Borris House visited Corfu and was so impressed by the specimens of old Greek Lace that she bought some pieces and brought them home along with tape laces from Venice and Milan. She felt that they could be copied in Borris by the local women, thus enabling them to add to the small family earnings and aid local employment. The well-known Borris Lace Collection (housed in Borris House) was painstakingly researched and catalogued by Australians Marie Laurie and Annette Meldrim. Their 2010 book The Borris Lace Collection : a Unique Irish Needlelace is still in print today.

Feltwest October Toss N Tell – Surface Design

Sara Quail surface design felt

October 2017 Toss ‘n’ Tell

Demonstration – Surface Textures by Sara Quail 21 October 2017

Sara presented a fantastic and comprehensive demonstration, encompassing a huge variety of ideas & techniques that she has been experimenting with. I can hardly begin to represent it here…The accompanying pictures will help to tell the story.

Looking beyond conventional nuno felting with silk fabrics, Sara showed how other types of fabrics and fibres could be used to achieve surface texture. She had samples with beaded chiffon, sequinned, printed and embroidered synthetic organza, metallic mesh, hessian and recycled knitwear. As long as there are spaces through which the wool fibres can migrate, a range of synthetic yarns and even rug wool, can also be successfully felted. Wool yarns are more easily incorporated, while wool nepps don’t adhere well unless carded with a very small amount of wool fibre.

Because of their ‘holey’ structure, she has felted pieces of Cricula cocoon, skeleton leaves, crocheted items and nylon lace. Lace pieces can be laid out in lines, curves, grids or layered to create frills. Free machine embroidery worked on felt friendly fabric scraps, between 2 layers of water soluble fabric, creates another unusual effect with the stitching remaining on the surface. Generally, these items were laid out on dry wool fibre using gentle felting techniques until items are well attached.

Raising the surface a little more, she demonstrated how medium sized beads and buttons with shanks can be in incorporated without stitching. A suitable needle is threaded with a thin piece of roving and passed through the hole. With about an inch of wool either side, this is then fluffed out and felted in with the wool base.

 

 

To create thin raised lines, nylon strings with their ends protruding can be placed between 2 wool layers, and removed once the piece is very well fulled and completely dry. Inclusions of found items like string, cords and polystyrene beads between wool layers create curvy lines and little lumps under the surface. She showed us how bigger items like shisha mirrors, glass beads, buttons and small objects can also be felted between layers of wool. Near the end of felting, the top layer can be cut to reveal about 2/3 of the encapsulated object.

Sara then showed us how to create a crisp pleated effect by using thin plastic or tin foil on damp silk gauze or paj. Once the folds are created, wool fibre is placed on the fabric side and then carefully felted. The same method was used to produce a sample with multiple felted flaps. Instead of fabric, a prefelt was laid out on thin plastic, pleated, fibre placed on top and then felted. Many of her samples involve a lot more massaging at the beginning of the felting process because rolling too early is inclined to make things shift.

Using resists of narrow plastic strips or polyester ribbons, Sara revealed how a chenille effect could be achieved. The resist material is laid on the wool fibre and then covered with a lightweight fabric (silk gauze, paj or chiffon) and then felted.  The fabric channels created are cut through to produce a chenille look. Varying widths of channels, type of fabric(s) and the amount of wool used will produce different results.

Expanding on the ‘cracked earth’ technique where resist strips are laid between equal layers of wool and then cut, she showed how this principle can be used in other ways. Simple organic designs can be dramatic if contrasting colours are used and the cut edges are manipulated upwards. With additional cutting and manipulation near the end of the felting process, ‘doughnut’ shaped resists can become creative circular designs.

 

 

And lastly, Sara covered 3 distinctly different Shibori style techniques. This involves enclosing objects in a firm prefelt with either stitch or binding. Using very strong thread, more precise results can be achieved with stitching methods but are also more time consuming.

Toss ‘n’ Tell 21 October 2017

 

Sara Quail -asymmetric cape. Sara dyed this wrap a deep vibrant blue in both fibre active dye & acid dye in 2 stages, as it is made of wool, soy and cotton fibres, which respond to different types of dye. It was her first experiment with ‘deconstructed nuno’.

 

Jean McKenzie– made a beautiful white pine needle felted scarf/wrap at Leiko’s workshop. Also 2 felted seahorses as baby toys.

 

 

 

Mother and daughter felt team – A stunning needle felted picture of Tranby House in Maylands. Also displayed a blue, green, yellow pine needle felted scarf made at Leiko’s workshop and the needle felted cat “The Box Kitty”.

 

Stacey – a pine needle felted scarf produced at Leiko’s workshop. She also showed us a Felted Collar made via an online workshop with Fiona Duthie “Felting over the Edge”. (photo not shown).

     Pat – Nuno scarf in pink tones, very flattering.

Judith – a shoulder bag with a face that she made many years ago. It provides her (and others) with a good source of amusement.

 

Toss ‘n’ Tell News 21 October 2017

Chair: Marion Finneron.

Craft House, Menora.

Reminders :

  • The planning meeting is set for 28th October, which is to plan for 2018. The committee will look at suggestions noted in the suggestions book from members, among other things.
  • Saturday 18 November will be the last meeting for the year, and will be our 21st Anniversary party. There will be a celebration lunch at Craft House with members & past members. Members were asked to contact any past members if they are able, many are not on email. Members were asked to bring a plate of food to share at the lunch party. Members were invited to bring a handmade wrapped gift for the ‘Kris Kringle’ if they wish to participate. There will also be the raffle draw from the $2 tickets that members pay each meeting. In order to win the prize, the winner must be present at the party on the day. The prize is a hamper of ‘felting goodies’.
  • Craft House is open for felting in the morning from 9.30, as usual. Lunch will be at 12.00. There will be an informal Toss’n’Tell at lunchtime.
  • Members were asked to return all outstanding library books by November 18. New books have been purchased for the library. Martien has donated a copy of the ‘Felt’ magazine that she edits to the library.
  •  She advised the members that we have a committee of 7 persons, where previously there had been 10. She called for members to approach the committee if they felt able to help with tasks. There is the possibility of forming subcommittees to help with projects etc.
  • The meeting was advised that there are still places available at Martien’s upcoming ‘Jigsaw felt’ workshop.
  • Marion introduced the committee to the members:
    • Karen Wood has taken on the President’s role of Feltwest.
    • Treasurer: Christiane Gray;
    • Secretary: Marion Finneron;
    • Workshop Co-ordinator: Sue Eslick;
    • Online management: Liz Owens;
    • Committee: Sara Quail;
    • Committee: Alison Higgins

Questions raised:

Q: (Christiane) How do non-internet members find out about workshops etc?

A: A letter was mailed out earlier this year with part of the workshop program. It isn’t possible to do this for the whole year, as the workshop program is an evolving thing.

Q: Is it possible to mail hard copy of e-news out to non emailing members?

A: Suggestion from a member that each non-email member could be ‘adopted’ by an emailing member, who would undertake to send information on.

Q: (Jill Jodrell) Could we advertise the 1st Tuesday felting meetings in correspondence also? Perhaps as a separate reminder.

Correspondence:

Advertisement: Member Liz Arnold is holding an exhibition “Reef- A Fine Line” at the Basement Gallery in Subiaco. All members & others are invited to attend.

Reports:

Martien reported that she hosted Leiko’s “Pine needle felting” workshop.                                           for details see workshop on website

Suggestion:

  • Martien advertised the Fibres West calendar for sale.
  • Martien encouraged the group to make more use of the Facebook page to promote Feltwest members work.