Having a fun time in KY!

I sit here trying to write about the marvellous time I’m having here with Jan and all the KY ladies but for some reason this iPad is behaving funnily and I can’t actually read a word that I am writing. Hopefully I don’t have too many spelling and grammer mistakes, the screen is blank for some reason so please bear with me.

Yesterday’s second workshop saw the creation of some AMAZING felt pieces, congratulations to both the experiened felters and the newbies, your work was awsome!!!

Today Jan and I spent a really fun and action packed day with Lindy Huber from Seldom Scene Farm (will link when I can see what Iam doing!) llamas, alpaca, sun, wine, friends and good food, brilliant thanks Lindy!

now i want to help jan lay out a bag and th en i need to juggle my packing and try to sort out a few things tonight in order to have a stress free journey home tomorow. as soon as i get home i promise to upload

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Os of photos and wrilte l

Poperly about the en of my. Stay here, until then, adieu.

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Excellent first workshop in Lexington!

After a VERY eventful time of it getting from Grand Rapids to Lexington via Detroit (rain, lightening, tornado warnings so change to flight path and very bumpy flight) I finally arrived safely and happy to get my feet on stable ground once more.  Jan, Bruce and son Kevin live in a really nice green area only ten minutes drive from the airport (just as well since I was so delayed!) and the church, where our workshops are taking place is about 500m from the house, another perfect set up!

Yesterday we had the larger of the two workshops, 11 participants many of whom had extremely limited felting experience, 1 day mostly!  It could have been a stressful experience for all concerned but instead everyone relaxed, concentrated and produced really amazing pieces, an iPad cover, three large bags underway, four flat pieces of felt (two being stitched into purses overnight) and two beautiful large nuno scarves/wraps underway too.  The less experienced felters who made the flat felt pieces are mainly nuno felting or making small vessels today and the experienced and more experienced felters making larger pieces from yesterday are continuing to work on theirs so I am really hoping to have good pictures at the end of the day and share with you all the beautiful pieces made here in KY.

On the felt workshop trail once more …..

I was really sad to say goodbye to Dawn and her wonderful family this morning, we spent such a special and fun time together time over the past week that the time just seemed to rush by and I can’t believe I am already en route to Lexington. At the moment I have been delayed for at least an hour at Detroit airport, a raging thunder and lightening storm means no passengers may either embark or disembark from any aircraft, all is at a standstill here! Hopefully it will pass shortly and then I will once more prepare to meet organiser and host for the KY leg of workshops, Jan Durham. Watch out Jan, here I come!

Wonderful Loomis and Plainwell workshop pictures up on Flickr!

WOW, looking back over the pictures from our workshops at The Tin Thimble and Plainwell it is amazing how many beautiful, artist and fantastic pieces were felted over the course of these first 4 workshops!!!  I still need to title the images but for those of you just hopping to have a look Loomis pics are here and Plainwell pics are here.  Enjoy!

A few pictures from Loomis!

Meridee, Lisa and Carole all working away!

Here are a few pictures from the workshops at Loomis, more to follow as I get time to upload the wonderful results …..

Laura with her bag laid out and ready to felt

……. and the last picture for today, Meridee’s bag with all the attachments laid out and ready to start the felting process.
 

Meridee's bag

 

En route to Michigan and Loomis update

My wonderful time at The Tin Thimble has come to an end and I am now sitting at the boarding gate waiting to catch the red eye to Grand Rapids via Minneapolis! The last week with Sharon, Emma, Mark, Lisa and Claire has been fantastic, really a lot like returning home only WETTER and WINDIER this time believe it or not!!! All the participants at both the workshops felted beautiful creations, bags, scarves, shaggy neck pieces, nuno mosaic wraps, wall hangings and yardage for clothing. I did get to take some photos between helping everyone so hopefully I will get to share some if these when I have a chance to blog from Dawn’s. My bags are full of wonderful hand dyed Colonial wool (The softest variety of Corridale I believe), firestar, silk fabric, silk hankies, vintage linen and a lovely little uocycled vinyl billfold, all fab products I just couldn’t resist from Emma and Sharon’s wonderful selection! I’m not sure who is more excited that I am finally on the journey to MI but sometime within the next ten hours I will be thrilled to be greeted at GR by Dawn!

Felt, friends, fabric and FUN!!!

They are talking about me at CraftGossip.com
I am having such a wonderful time here at The Tin Thimble in Loomis, a veritable feast of felt, friends, fibre, fabric and fun all day long!  Time is tight and I am just grabbing a quiet 10 minute break to give you a short update while everyone has some lunch then it’s back to the work space, really, felting is SO NOT an effort!!!  It’s been brilliant to catch up with old friends and meet up with new ones, ten minutes is just not enough time to fill you in on everything that has been happening but here are a couple of the highlights …..

  • Sharon, Emma, Lisa and I have been felting like dervishes every spare minute we can between workshops, skirts, vests, jackets and wraps, amazing colours, fabric and style
  • Had a lovely visit from Karen Crete and her GORGEOUS young man, check out the pic below!
  • The felted accessories workshop yesterday was such fun and some gorgeous pieces of felt were created, pics when we take some of the finished pieces
  • The nuno mosaic class is well underway now and there will be some amazing large pieces felted by the time I try and update you all again tomorrow
  • From Felt to Friendship is 7th overall in the Blurb bestsellers list, 4th in the craft section!
  • Chrissie and I were featured online by the amazing Linda Lanese of Craft Gossip fame, check out the post the free draw for a book if you live in the USA!  For those of you not living in that part of the world Chrissie and I hope to have another draw as soon as I get home so keep your eyes peeled to both our blogs!  http://felting.craftgossip.com/giveaway/book-review-and-giveaway-from-felt-to-friendship/

Karen and her beautiful Steamboat Willie

The Felter has landed!

After a little delay (3.5 hours!) at borderland security everyone was happy my papers were in order and I arrived safely to SF. Yesterday I spent the day travelling up to The Tin Thimble and now I am just heading for a shower, coffee and a bite to eat (a big one!) before Sharon and I head off to the studio and shop. I am so excited to be visiting here again and I believe that some amazing new silk fabric and wonderful fibre arrived over the last couple of days, I can’t wait to get my hands stuck in!!!  Hopefully I will get a chance to borrow Emma’s computer to blog either this afternoon or tomorrow and I will update you all properly, there’s only so much typing I can do from my phone!

Packing my bags, link to pictures and new workshop announcements!

Well, I just need to spend about another half an hour on the computer and then I am off to pack all my workshop supplies as well as sort out some clothing for my imminent US trip!  I can’t believe the time has finally arrived to hit the road but really with all the work on the book recently as well as trying to sort out things for my solo show in August my brain has just been stuffed to the brim.  I have also just finalised everything in relation to the house and Rex, thanks Alan and everyone else who will be taking turns staying here, walking Rex and keeping  things safe during my travels, you know who you are and you are all MUCH appreciated.

Now, I had been going to write a post about felt accessories and nuno mosaic in advance of my workshops at The Tin Thimble CA, Plainwell MI and Lexington KY but you are just going to have to forgive me, I have no more time.  Instead I am going to direct you to the various sets in my Flickr photos (don’t forget there a couple of pages of sets!),  the images there are by no means an exhaustive grouping of what it is possible to felt but at least if anyone is sitting on the fence about making a last minute decision about travelling to Loomis (there are a couple of places left at The Tin Thimble) this might help you make your mind up!  Please email Emma if you would like to join us or Dawn if you might be able to make Plainwell.

Before heading off I want to remind everyone in Ireland about the fun short workshops I will be facilitating at the Sheep and Wool Festival for the June bank holiday weekend as well as announce a series of workshops for the summer which are going to take place at The Yarn Room in Ashford, Co. Wicklow.  I am pasting the details for these workshops at the bottom of this post but please check the workshop page at The Yarn Room over the next week or so to check the price and further detalis and to book a place, alternatively email Stephanie and she will sort you out!

Finally I want to thanks all of you who have ordered our book, as mentioned before Chrissie and I are THRILLED!!!  Thanks for the wonderful comments we are recieving from those of you who have already recieved your copies, I am SO JEALOUS as I have not got my own copy yet, but roll on Tuesday, it should be waiting for me at The Tin Thimble!  I do intend to blog throughout the time I am away so this is not a firm goodbye, just be prepared my posts may be a little patchy for a while!!!  Adieu.  Now for those workshop details …..

Saturday 16th July 2011

WET FELTING – REVISITING THE BASICS with Nicola Brown

At this one day workshop beginners and improving felters will have the opportunity to revisit the basics of wet felting and learn some simple new techniques to add to their repertoire.  Working with a selection of colourful merino and adding beautiful silk, linen and other vegetable fibres to enhance and embellish the surface design participants are encouraged to bring along any old beads, buttons, ribbons, yarn and other found objects to incorporate into their felt if desired!  Nicola will have a selection of glass nuggets, embellishing fibres and unusual fabric with her and everyone is welcome to include these as surface detail in their felt too.

NB Beginners and improvers wishing to participate in the nuno felt workshop on Saturday 23rd July are encouraged to attend this ‘revisiting the basics’ day as it will be an excellent opportunity to practice laying out the very fine layers of fibre needed to master the nuno felt technique!

Saturday 23rd July 2011

NUNO FELT SCARF with Nicola Brown

At this one day workshop participants will have the opportunity to discover for themselves the wonderful technique of nuno felting.  Learn how beautiful textured effects and ultra lightweight yardage and accessories are achieved by felting together very small quantities of wool with a fabric such as silk or cotton gauze.  A basic silk or cotton fabric is included in the price for this workshop but if participants would like to bring along any additional lengths of silk (minimum 1.8m in length) or rolled edge silk scarves with them Nicola will help them transform these into beautiful textured nuno felt!

NB It is advisable for participants to have some previous felting experience prior to this workshop so beginners wishing to attend are urged to try and make the wet Felting workshop on Saturday 16th July if at all possible.

DATE TO BE CONFIRMED

UPCYCLED, RECYCLED AND FELT ACCESSORY AND INTERIOR ACCENT WORKSHOP with Nicola Brown and Cristina Garcia

Working with materials as diverse as plastic, paper, leather, vinyl, metal, old woollen jumpers, denims and hand rolled felt (to name but a few!) learn how to create wonderful wearable accessories or interior accents for the home.  Nicola and Cristina have a wealth of experience reworking old loved clothing and found objects into beautiful, functional and decorative objects such as jewellery, bags, mobiles or other interior accent items!  Plenty of raw materials will be provided for participants to work with on the day but please bring along items like old beads, buttons, ribbons, yarn, broken jewellery and other found objects from your stash as well as previously felted jumpers and old denims if you have any!  Fancy paper may also be brought as Nicola will have a laminator on hand to help with the creative process and although we will have one to share if you have a sewing machine please bring this along too.

NB To felt a jumper in the washing machine and get the shrinkage you are looking for it is necessary for it to be made from a high percentage of hand washable wool or a wool/mohair/cashmere mixture.  Just bung it and some other clothes in a 40 to 60 degree wash and if you feel it hasn’t shrunk enough run it through a second cycle, when felted you should be able to cut the fabric without the wool unravelling!