Been a While

So it has been a while. I have spent most of the year over here studying for my MA in Book Arts, which is now just about over, the Private View of the show is tomorrow.

Apricot Moon: restarted

Since installing my final work a week and a half ago I have been drawn back to textiles as a calming exercise. It may also have something to do with feeling the need for comfort.

At the same time as stitching, I have been catching up on my favourite stitch and cloth blogs, and finding some new ones, like Kathryn Clark here. Her work is beautiful and interesting, and her website and blog are well worth a good rummage through.

Kathryn Clark: Idiom Series

This is what I'm working on right now, but I'll tell you more about it another day: 

Kevin's Cloth - WIP

Kevin's Cloth - WIP

Kevin's Cloth - WIP

For now, lets just say it is for healing and remembering. Glad to be back here, hope you haven't all forgotten me. 

x

Feltmaking Workshop [next weekend]

A reminder about the beginners felting workshop at Fabrications on Saturday, May 26, 2012 from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm 

Join me and learn about the history of felt and it's wonderful and creative properties. Over the day, we will go through a few felt making techniques:
Wet felt - the process of transforming pure wool fibres through water, soap, rubbing and rolling. I will also show you some decorative techniques.
Felt beads - how to make several types of felt beads.
Needle felting - how to needle felt onto flat fabric for decoration or an alternative to darning and the basics of building up a 3d needle felted form.

Cost: £55/£50 (for concessions)

Includes your own felt making starter pack and refreshments too.
Bring along a packed lunch or alternatively find something delicious on the market outside!

Book your ticket online here: http://beginnersfelt-eorg.eventbrite.com/ or contact Fabrications, 7 Broadway Market, Hackney, London : 020 7275 8043

Another purse & A spring scarf

Another purse in Mustard, still in need of a button being attached...

Here are some images of the spring scarf in progress... 

And this scarf was made during a IFA meeting/workshop with the guidance of felter Sue Johnson...

Using a nuno felt technique with an open weave muslin 

rather than silk

     As you can see, it took some time!



                         My lucky Mum got this as an early Mothers Day gift.
 

 Now I just need to find time to make myself one!

And everyone else that now seems to want one.....

 Keep your eyes peeled for info on my next workshops; coming up soon. 

Felted Purse - Workshop

New felted purse; Merino fibres with a splash of Welsh Black for decoration and a nice big wooden button to fasten it. 

 Fancy learning how to make one of these felted purses? Come along this weekend to a workshop @Fabrications on Broadway Market, East London. Saturday afternoon; booking advised! Please contact Fabrications directly. 

London Felt Workshops for 2012

Welcome in 2012 by learning how to felt? 

My upcoming workshops in Fabrications wonderful new workshop space include: 

Introduction to Feltmaking; 21 January 2012 14:00 to 16:30; Price: £30 / £25 Concessions. All materials provided and refreshments too. 

3D Feltmaking Introduction; 11 February 2012 14:00 to 17:00; PRICE: £35 / £30 Concessions. Includes pure wool fibres to make your 3D object and other materials and refreshments. 

BOOKING REQUIRED for both classes; please send Fabrictions an e-mail: textiles@fabrications1.co.uk, pop by the shop, or call them on +44 (0) 20 7275 8043

Felting Workshop - King Henry's Walk Garden

So the felting workshop was great today; I taught two sessions in a fantastic community garden in North East London. Here are some of the samples the lovely ladies made; I was very impressed by them all!

Hopefully I will be doing more workshops soon so watch this space!

More

[I made more.

I want to make more and more.

More time please.]

Felt for Me

Something for me; laptop cosy.

Felt Workshop - Islington - November

In conjunction with Fabrications of Broadway Market I will be doing a basic felting workshop on Saturday 12th November 2011, in Islington, London. If you wish to book please contact the King Henry's Walk Garden directly. 

Wearing Wool

I've been thinking about using my stash of wool yarn, and also the new additions from the K&S show. It's the colours and textures that draw me in, the way skeins are twisted and presented as wonderful objects in themselves. It gets me thinking... What if yarn can be a necklace? 

Then I see this little book; and I buy it, and I love it, and I start to make my own.

Using some wonderful wool yarn from the Colinette stall last year and some of that amazing hemp yarn that I bought yesterday from the House of Hemp stall I started my own variations.

Knitting & Stitching Show 2011 - My Hoard

So, this weekend was Ally Pally time again! Here is my hoard....

 Yes, I went a bit crazy, but it's only once a year! And some of these things you just cannot find anywhere else!

in this picture, from the top left: small scraps of silk laps & a roll of hand dyed cheesecloth from Oliver Twists; several  fat quarters of japanese patterned cottons, the owl design is so cute! to the right of that is some little 75p scraps of tie dyed cotton

the spiral dyed roving in this picture is from  The Thread Studio stall,  and the  cloth below that is some shot cotton, space dyed velvet and two skeins of hand dyed cotton embroidery thread all from Stef Francis' stall

At the top of this picture is my wonderful hoard of Oliver Twists cotton threads [I have been waiting all year to go back to their stall for these!], next to them are two beautiful skeins of wool yarn that I am giving to my sister so that she can make me a variation of this wonderful shawl for Christmas. The two small 50g balls of yarn are Shetland Aran. Below that are two skeins of fantastically coloured hemp yarn. Next to them are two bundles of Egyptian Cotton cloth (only £5 for the both) and atop them is a wonderfully moss coloured piece of pre-felt from Sue Pearl.

detail of the Oliver Twists cotton

detail of the hemp yarn from The House of Hemp

detail of the shawl yarn

detail of the 75p cotton scraps

detail of the shot cotton, velvet and threads from Stef Francis

detail of the fat quarters

Now I have this huge hoard to add to my stash of other bits. And wandering around the show has given me some inspiration. I just hope I can fit in time to follow some of the ideas alongside starting my Book Arts MA course.