Felting again!

Well after a few days my final pieces of felting did decide that they didn't want to be felted any more and started breaking up! I think it was because I used too much silk and not enough alpaca or wool as Mel said that silk does not felt. So decided to go over it on the embellishing machine and add some more wool to the background. This seems to have worked lovely and has blended the colours a little more. I did go over the black and white one as well and thankfully it didn't change the nature of the threads and patterns.
But now I have a dilemma, do I add to these pieces or let them stand as they are and how to I present them. I am thinking of adding some structural elements to them, using maybe some natural type wools or a bit of weaving in sections as I do have some holes (which I wanted!).


I did pop to IKEA today to see that there was a little display (after the tills) by Cardiff university students. They had pictures made using dissolvable and weaving around the theme of seating. They were very good and worth looking out for if you are thinking of wandering around IKEA!


But have been having a few thoughts about next year too. Is there any possibility we could link up with another textile group??? I'm asking as I'm busy making some paper based Artist Trading Cards. They are fun to do but you need to swap them with others or you can put them up for sale. Would a fun thing to have a go at perhaps for an evening meet up.


Well here's the felting after needle embellishing. Not sure if the picture will show much difference but it definitely merged the colours on the brown one. Am still thinking of adding something to that one as I don't think it has enough focus to stand alone. Would have happy to receive any comments or advice!

Felting day

Had a wonderful day Nuno Felting on Saturday. A huge thank you to Mel for a fabulous day. I certainly learnt loads as my pieces actually felted! I've never had much success with this process but I needed the right inspiration!


It does seem amazing but we're almost at the end of another Not Necessarily Sew year. Next meeting in July will be our last of the year. So with that in mind please could you all have a think about what types of things you would like to do over the next year- workshops, themes, mini makes etc. The theme of textured surfaces sounds like a good one as we can all do something different and how you create your designs and fabrics is up to you. We could look for some specific surfaces (Nuno felting could be one of them!) and perhaps look to do workshops on that technique- such as layering or dissolvable, heavy machine stitching etc.?
Any ideas for perhaps guest tutors that would be in keeping with this theme would be welcome too.


Here are some pictures of the felting.... Mine went into the washing machine and came out half the size! I didn't subject the alpaca ones to the washing machine as I listened to Mel who said that it might not be a good idea and I'm glad I did. They have dried well fluffy though as I obviously didn't felt them enough!

One side of Angela's amazing shawl

 Averil decided to use her embellisher to create her vibrant felted picture.

I'll photograph this piece as it is now- after the washing machine, it's a lot smaller!

Mel's beautiful seascape that she created by wet felting.

An amazing day, please bring your felted items to the next meeting so that we can see what they look like after they had dried and shrunk!

Saturday

Please note the meeting this month is on Saturday 4th June and not Friday as in our calendar.
Hope to see you all there with your felting things. Looking forward to seeing you all !

Nuno Felting day

Update on the June meeting
To confirm the June meeting will be on Saturday 4th January
It will feature Nuno felting with Mel.


Learn how to create beautiful nuno felted pieces -I will be so happy if my felting looks even a little bit like Mel's sample that she showed us!


The requirements are the same as below but it is on Saturday
hope to see everyone there!
I'm looking forward to it as its my post inspection outing. Hopefully I'll manage to do things right as at the moment I am so tired I'm doing so much wrong, I'm dropping everything or just not hearing things properly. I'm getting on everyone's nerves as I'm so drippy at the moment! Still it will be fun and I'm looking forward to getting back into the textiles!


See you there !
Oh a reminder -please bring with you any items that you made last meeting so that I can take photos for the blog! Thank you!

Meeting June

Nuno felting

Next meeting we have Mel helping us to create some wonderful nuno felted fabric. I am so looking forward to this as I don't felt well. I seem to trying to felt my fibres for ages and they never want to blend together. Others just give it a roll and hey presto instant felt!
So I am really looking forward to learning how to do this as I really love the delicate nature of the fabric created and also how to use the fibres to create such lovely designs.


Mel has sent me a list of materials that we will need so here is it.
I am not sure whether we will be going for the Friday evening (3rd June) or the Saturday all day (4th June). I'll post the date as soon as I know.
But here are the requirements

Nuno Felt - Material List                

Materials

• Fleece/Wool tops
• Fibres -  silk, bamboo, soya, flax, thread, etc
• Fabric - scrim, muslin, organza, silk etc or scarf (not tight weave)

Equipment

• Table cover
• Large towel (to help mop up spills)
• Large piece of voile or net
• Large Jug or bowl to hold water
• Soap (olive oil soap, soap flakes, liquid soap, or washing up liquid)
• Rubber gloves if you don’t like getting your hands wet
• Bubble wrap large enough to hold the fabric you are working on.  A second piece; can be same size or slightly smaller.
• Although not necessary, a long, narrow tube or stick; broom handle diameter to roll bubble wrap around.
• Scrap bubble wrap/small pieces to cut up if you want to
• Scissors to cut bubble wrap
• Plastic bag to carry wet items home

Mel has a selection of fleece


Can't wait to give it a go,
Lesley

Send me your photos!

So sorry I had to miss the last meeting. I have been playing host to wonderful government inspectors in work. It's been a pretty busy time and quite stressful as all such things are no matter how prepared you think you are. But hurrah they are gone now and I hope they are happy. Have to wait a while to find out but hopefully it all went ok. I am now almost back in the land of the living although horrendously tired. I am falling asleep as soon as anything good comes on the television. Not fair - I've missed so many Say Yes to the Dress episodes!


But I know that everyone had a piece of linen to create some wonderful stitchery. I've not seen anyone's work but would love to. If you have finished them or even if you haven't could you bring them to the next meeting or email me a photo so that I can add them to the blog. I will be very jealous of all your lovely creations of course but I would love to put them on here for everyone to see.
I can be more on the ball with the blog now so if there is anything that you want me to add-
any events that you know of that would be useful for the  group to go to
any ideas that we could add to classes (especially as it's coming to the end of our calendar so new ideas will be welcome for next year's programme)
any work that would like to show or ask advice on- any techniques or new books that would be useful for members
 or even
any social events that you would like to invite us to- always available for coffee and biscuits!


Many thanks !
Lesley

Gelli printing

Had a lovely day (once I found the venue- I am so useless with sat nav!) Gelli printing with Sheila.
I've done lots of gelli printing before and I am beginning to get the hang of it now. I have to say that I started with my favourite colour yellow as I think well it can be turned into so many other colours can't it!
But over printing and adding bits and bobs - well I just love the gelli block and I get totally carried away once I start. I think that the acrylics you use can make a difference though as I am going off the acryla range which I find quite plastic like so was much happier with these prints as I used Paper Artsy chalk paints which I really love.


Anyways- we printing loads on paper and fabric and then cut them all up and added them to a larger piece of fabric and sewed them. I didn't finish and still haven't ( I blame school inspectors!) but I really enjoyed it. I like the montage effect of patchworking all the different pieces. I am going to stitch something over the top and going to add more bits to it which I can do now the school inspection is over !


Well here are some photos of what we did.

This one was mine- once I'd placed the different pieces onto the background fabric. I've put some stitching over the top but have to do lots more now. I've also decided to add some other bits that I was doing on something else that wasn't working out. But it's a great background and I made that many prints I could do so many more!

Here is Sheila's

Here are some more pieces- apologies Sheila if some of these are yours too ! I didn't put any names on anything I took, they are all fab though!