Feltmaking

 
 




Today, being Wednesday, is college day - our Creative Textiles course.  However our usual tutor could not make it so the "stand in" taught us how to make felt.  For the uninitiated this means starting with wool fibres, laying them down in layers and patterns, wetting them, soaping them and then agitating them to fuse them together - finally pouring boiling hot water over them to shrink the felt and agitating further.  I had a ball!!  As you can see the theme is still apples so I tried to produce a felt apple and then the inside of the felt apple.









 Finally the tutor showed us how to start with felt fibres, make a piece of flat felt and then build a three dimensional apple - I have tried 3d dry felting but never used this wet method before.  I think that the idea is to use these creations but then embellish with stitching / beads etc.  Clearly my 3d version needs a stalk - but it also has an opening for a small worm!








I got home around 1pm, had some lunch and then settled down to bind a candle mat that I am making for a friend.  Things were going great - nearly finished in fact - until I noticed a problem that would mean undoing it all and starting again!  Since it was blowing a gale and raining outside (that's my excuse anyway) I decided to take a break, light the fire and have ten minutes.  Now I am not blaming anyone - but I woke up at 4pm!!  I guess that yesterday's early start caught up with me then.

So - my aim for tonight?  Well it has to be to correct the problem and finish the candle mat.  I also have some hand sewing to do and some snowflakes to make - so I won't be bored - honest!