This one was a little harder than the cozy, mainly because the colours were so strong they dominated any view of the bag. One side had what I called lattice work and the other eyes. Again this forlorn piece was brilliantly made. It had a beautiful retro 50s shape to it – which is probably what drew me to it, it reminded me of my grandmother’s handbag (which I still have). It was fully fulled, strong and wonderfully constructed. A lot of thought had gone into its construction – no visible seams or stitching, sturdy handles and reinforced bottom edge all perfect for a handbag.

The creator told me she was experimenting with a 3D look, wanting it to appear as tumbling blocks or bulging eyes, in an Escher-esque style, so hence the combination of colours. It nearly worked. I couldn’t see anything but the purple until I piled a whole pile of stuff around it. I would shuffle it every day; add some, take some, move some, until I placed the green glass beads next to it and Voila! I could see past the purple.

Next dilemma was what pattern or design with which to use the beads. The lattice was relatively easy to imagine but the other side gave me some grief! Firstly I thought of peacock feathers using the eyes as the eye of the feather but the scale was wrong. I tried to make petals to surround to eyes but again the scale was wrong. Eventually I decide to make flowers similar to a passionfruit flower. I forgot to take a photo of that side which I will rectify next Toss’n’Tell. (lol).

CPR applied:

1. Applied steam to reshape the bag.

2. Stuffed and pegged it into shape.

3. Couched the yarn to make the vine.

4. Stitched on the beads. Cut the leaves from left over foiled felt.

5. Glued on the leaves.

6. Cut – “Angel Hair” circles and millefiori felt beads, stitched beads to top and glued the lot on.

7. Glued on the leaves.

 

 

 

 

 

I chose this one as it reminded me of a Van Gough painting – it just needed some detail. It was very well made and the colours had been laid thoughtfully. What to do to it? I gathered all kinds of bits and bobs together and left them on my table hoping inspiration would leap out at me. And eventually it did, I took the Van Gough idea and tried to exaggerate the swirly flow of the wool whilst trying to keep the integrity of the piece. Now to the CPR:

1. I free machine embroidered it first – to give some depth to the felt.

2. Beaded the sunrise and sunset.

3. Coiled some jewellery wire and sewed them onto the clouds for texture.

4. Twirled some copper sheet strips and glued them on.

5. Cut some more sheet into squares and glued them on.

Next post the Purple Bag.

 

 

 

 

Our year long project for 2012 has been BOYD – Bring Out Your Dead; a challenge to “fix” pieces that other members have deemed dead. I love this! I resisted at first.  I looked at some of the dead and heartily agreed they should stay dead, but on closer inspection I could see that these sad, rejected poppits had a place in our ongoing quality discussion. What struck me was that most of these Boyds were extremely well made pieces of felt; fully fulled, strong, durable and some really good shapes but what made their owners abandon them to a dark shameful corner of their studios?

Mmmm. I pondered this for a while and through a wonderful instance of serendipity I came across a really insightful statement about our creative processes (see image below). Although aimed at beginners in any creative field it is also appropriate for us “old hands”. Sometimes what we have in our heads does not match what we produce, this isn’t always a bad thing, sometimes we create what we should have created despite what’s in our heads. But (there’s always a but) sometimes this preconceived idea of what it should have been, clouds our perspective of what it became. It’s not how I wanted it so it’s going in the cupboard! We are all guilty of this. I have a box of them.

Over the next couple of posts I will talk more of my process to revive the dead.

Sue Eslick as kindly provided the following articles about copying.  Hope you enjoy. Soosie

Copyright

When Marjolein Dallinga visited Perth in 2012 she shared with us her views on the myth of intellectual copyright and gave us copies of the following two articles.  As artists, felters are very conscious of not copying the work of others – at least not selling or teaching ideas that have come from other people. However, these articles point out that it’s not that simple.  Ideas don’t come from a vacuum – we are all influenced by and learn from what we see. Whilst we may be able to identify who has introduced us to a new technique or design idea, can we really say that the idea ‘belongs’ to that person? They too were influenced and learned from others, and these other people may or may not be acknowledged. Take a look at these articles and let us know what you think this means for our community of felters …….

1. Elephant-Article about COPYING
2. About copying

I have had a few curious conversations about technique of late, and I can’t fathom where this has come from.  There seams to be this underlying current of almost an elitism about technique and skill; that some kind of purism has crept into our craft.  What am I talking about?  That some techniques are viewed as cheating.

Is it cheating if I glue something onto a piece?  Is it cheating if I use a pattern instead of free hand?  Is it wrong if I stitch up a hole – one that I didn’t intend to create?   How about if I cut some superfluous bit off?   What if I sewed a prefelt down? This isn’t to say that we should approve of slapdash methods (anyone who comes to Toss n Tell knows of my soapbox tirades on shrinkage, and we have discussed much about quality) but I don’t think that using alternative technique is wrong.  As long as  it is well executed.

Lets have a look at some basic definitions.  Felt making is a craft, so lets start with that, according to one of the many online dictionaries the definition of craft is: Skill in doing or making something, as in the arts; proficiency. An occupation or trade requiring manual dexterity or skilled artistry.

Next the definition of skill:  Proficiency, facility, or dexterity that is acquired or developed through training or experience. An art, trade, or technique, particularly one requiring use of the hands or body.

The highlights for me in these words are proficiency through training or experience.  It doesn’t say anywhere that I can’t glue, stitch, chop, fold, bend or mend my felt.  Maybe if we were willing to include other skills and techniques into our felt we could eliminate the BOYDs (Bring Out Your Deads) in our studios.

Soosie 🙂

I stumbled across needlefelting about 3 years ago just by being inquisitive. So, the story starts at the Craft and Quilting Show at Claremont and I was rummaging about in the boxes in one of the stalls, when I came across some Needlefelting Needles. I didn’t buy any at the time because I thought they were for a sewing machine (I hate sewing!!), but when I got home, I surfed the net on Needlefelting was and found a whole new world of felting. So I purchased some needles, some foam from Clark Rubber and because I am a spinner, I had the fibre to start something.

I thought I would begin with an alpaca as I am also a member of the Alpaca Craft Group and off I went about creating my new little creature. I had no idea how to start it – so I created as I went. You see I thought everything had to be added at once, so I was trying to do the body with the legs and the neck all in the one action. I have since found out sooooo much more and learnt so much just by reading and You Tube and by doing and I do things differently now!

I believe that a good piece is one that can be handled and touched. I create very solid parts of my piece, so that when you press the piece, there isn’t much of an indent. It should be a hardy item. However, I do display my items in plastic boxes now to save on them collecting dust. Some of my pieces have been made using an armature which is a wire supportive core. I have used plastic covered garden wire or pipe cleaners depending on what I am doing. This kind of core gives the piece more support and you can then bend the legs/arms into different positions and still keep them attached! Other pieces are free form and for animals, I always start with the head of the animal, then I have a base to start with for size etc. I find the expressions on the faces of the animals the hardest to do and I spend many hours on the heads. I enjoy Needlefelting as I feel I have more control over the end result and I can do this form of felting anywhere – even when I sit down at Fremantle watching the big ships! I have a website if you would like to have a look: www.spinagoodyarn.com I still have a lot of pictures to upload, but in the meantime, I hope you enjoy what I have on the web. I do commissions for people who have sadly lost their furry friends as well as requests for all sorts of things.

Yours in felting, Kate Ryder

1. It is best to lay even layers of wool when making a rug. The ‘design’ layer should be a nearly as thick as your base layer.
2. It is good practice not to mix types of wool in the separate layers,[for example: corridale base and merino design as merino will wear faster than the corridale] .
3. Different types of wool can be mixed within layers. Utilise test pieces to ensure you know the shrinkage, and the surface reflects the design and texture anticipated.
4. Edges should be kept as thick as the main body of the rug . This should be monitored as felting progresses.
5. Good design makes a good rug. Check that the design remains in place during the felting process. To help keep the design in place, dry roll before wetting down. Rinse the rug well and add vinegar to the final rinse.
6. A good rug is well felted and hardened. Continue to stretch your piece throughout the process to manage the shape and aid the felting. A rug can be steam ironed to assist with the final shaping.
7. To make a well felted rug ,test that the fibres cannot be lifted from the rug and that the whole piece is firm and will not stretch when pulled.

Liz Odd

I love to felt. And for me, a huge part of that joy comes from seeing the magical transformation from fibre to felt that happens literally in my own hands. But like every good magician knows, in order to achieve that great result, there’s a lot of meticulous preparation required behind the scenes.

In the world of felting, these are things we all know and do, but since I’m writing about quality felt, I think it’s important to go back to the basics. So please bear with me while I attempt to put down my thoughts on creating quality felt….

Take the felting process through to completion and with care

I know this sounds obvious but I also know how tempting it can sometimes be to hurry things up.

To begin with, lay out the wool evenly, thin wisps at a time, without too much of an overlap between rows. This will reward you with a consistently fine finish. Much better than clumpy laying which ends up being thick or thin in places – not good. Confucius says: Anything worth doing is worth doing well.

I also believe more fine layers are better than fewer thick ones. Especially for wearables, as you will end up with stronger felt with more movement or stretch, as opposed to a stiffer piece of felt.

Check regularly that the work is coming along as expected. Which means no extra-long bouts of rolling. This way you can also catch any problems before it is too late to fix them.

Don’t skip steps. They all have a part to play in creating good, strong felt.

As we know, different wools and silks behave differently; some work like magic, while with others you’re in for the long haul. So be patient, take deep breaths and drink lots of cups of tea.

Think about your design

What’s the point of all that hard work if a piece isn’t beautiful to look at? The design of a piece really is the first thing that attracts the eye, so it is worth thinking about. In my opinion, colour, composition and balance are the three main elements to consider.

Colour – Colours have an amazing ability to influence our moods and can therefore be a very powerful design tool. I find it amazing how, even using just two colours, you can get two completely different looks simply by changing the proportion of each colour in a design. You may also be surprised at how the most unlikely colours can actually look good together. While classic combinations of colour will always work, it’s the unusual pairing of hues that bring originality and freshness to a design. For instance, orange and red do go well together… trust me, I’ve tried it! Colour is also a simple way to expand your comfort zone, to go where you may not have gone before. A basic understanding of colour ‘groups’ will help with colour scheme ideas. Warm colours, cool colours, pastels, bright colours, neutrals, etc. Most libraries have good books on the topic.

And where do you find inspiration for new colour combinations? Just look around you, they’re everywhere. In our landscape, printed textiles, jewellery, other people’s outfits, and other unexpected colour juxtapositions that happen all the time. Magazines and craft books offer a wealth of colour inspiration too. Or, when you find yourself surrounded by your bags of different coloured wools and silks, etc, try placing two or three colours side by side, then stand back and assess. Keep changing them until you arrive at a combination that makes you smile and want to dive straight into your next project. And do give that hated colour a whirl too… it might surprise you when used in the right combination.

Which brings me to the next point, that a pre-conceived colour scheme generally yields better results than adding bits of colour as the whim strikes. But, if you prefer a ‘colour-as-you-go’ method, then spare a few moments after you’ve laid it all down, to stand back and assess if it does indeed work together, or if some changes might be needed.

Composition

As we know, the positioning of elements in a design is called the layout or composition of a piece.

Generally speaking, placing things off-centre rather than in the middle; using an odd instead of an even number of elements and the repetition of a shape or form, are some basic principles of good design. Asymmetry is usually more interesting than a perfectly symmetrical (and often boring), design.

It’s also useful sometimes, after you’ve laid it all out, to try moving things around or removing an element or two. Stand back, look at it objectively. And be ruthless. Just because it took an hour to cut out all those flowers doesn’t mean they should all be there. Maybe just a few would do the trick and the rest would look stunning on another piece of work.

Balance

Do all the elements in your design sing in harmony? This can be tricky, but the more you think about it and practice it, the easier it will get. An obvious example of an unbalanced piece would be if one section were very detailed and the rest looked like it hadn’t been spared much thought. It’s about keeping things relatively proportionate. For wearables especially, it is important that one side or half not be visually heavier than the other – not symmetrical, but balanced. Standing back and viewing always helps. (As you would have gathered, I do it a lot.) And it’s best to make any changes before you begin wetting things down. Wet wool doesn’t like to be moved.

I will take a teeny, weeny bit of space here to make a case for post-felting embellishment. Not every piece will cry out for a needle and thread, I know, but there are times where just a little bit of decorative stitching or beading or whatever, will lift a piece straight out of the ordinary.

And finally,

Construct a piece according to its purpose

This includes basic considerations such as how many layers you would need, what kind of wool you should use and the direction of laying. Which will lead you to secondary issues, like shrinkage calculation. Should you use a batt or lay down wool tops. Do you need to consider reinforcing certain areas like the soles of slippers? It’s essential to think the whole process through before you begin. For example, to create a bowl with a very firm 3-D feel, it might be best to felt around a spherical resist. With handbags for example, internal pockets, external pockets, etc are all elements that require planning at the construction stage, as you lay down the wool and resists for each. I also think there’s nothing wrong with sewing a piece together after felting it, instead of a single piece construction, if the piece would be better for it. Take the time to think it all through before you begin.

In closing, there’s one more thing I’d like to add. Don’t be afraid to change any aspect of the felting process if you think it would yield better or unexpected results. And just because something hasn’t been tried before doesn’t mean it won’t work. Remember, all the wonderfully quirky, one-of-a-kind felted objects you’ve ever seen have come about because someone tried out something new, and changed the usual felting trajectory to accommodate a new creation.

So go forth and felt. And know that you’re making the world a better place, one beautiful piece of felt at a time.

Alison Gomes