Felt workshop...just for me!

 I felt in need (ha ha!) of a workshop to make something JUST FOR ME!!!!!! When I saw on Facebook (it does have it's uses, after all!) that Meg , my Yoga teacher, was giving a felt making workshop I booked it. A treat after all my hard work ;) She's a very creative person & used to make felt hats & scarves & hangings before teaching took over her life.

Above are the samples having been whetted out & rolled a little.

A snowy view of Bla Bheinn (Blaven) from Meg's sitting room

 After a delicious lunch we knocked up a simple scarf shape, which I will probably cut (gasp!) into a couple of books to keep the samples in. I haven't done much wet felting so wanted to do little tests - on the left is a little 'pocket' using a resist - I'll make it into a purse. To the right is a piece of muslin with pink on the reverse, the idea is the fabric is 'ruched' when the wool shrinks. I'd taken some thread to stitch on small pieces of fabric at prefelt stage but I was probably talking (& listening!) too much. tho the right is a 'blend' of purple & turquoise with a silky top & thread embedded, above that is pale wool with dark fabric - only natural fabric will felt together with wool. To it's right is a deep pink & black with a 'moon' of black velvety fabric which is held on with whisps of wool, trapping it. I'll stitch for definition later.

 The bottom middle piece is your classic 'sea' colors with threads on the surface - I do like this! then a thick wool 'spiral' embedded & beyond that the 'real' colors of the shore outside my house - yellow ochre, terracotta & blood red with a dash of dark & lime green added, not the usual idea of sea colors, I know, but true. At the bottom right burgundy &  green wool trapping burgundy organza. Some lovely experiments.

 Above & below are subtle (for me)  but interesting bits of the scarf/book cover/hanging backing, whatever it turns out to be with bits of gold organza & gold threads 'trapped'.

A wonderful day of experiments & I will now have the confidence to throw more at it next time - it's amazing how bits of color disappear once embedded - & it'll be a lovely bit of fabric to stitch into of an evening once I've invested in a daylight lamp - the glow from the telly just doesn't cut it! I discovered I had 'Creative Felting' by Lizzie Houghton ( I had tried to get Meg to help me make one of Lizzie's coat's but she wasn't having it ;)  feeling a little guilty as I knew I had the book but hadn't realised it was by the same beautifully creative person I saw at Knitting & Stitching. So I look forward to pouring thru that using the renewed inspiration Meg gave me.

A very quick back of an envelope sketch - literally, it's all I had in the car of one of the views down the Elgol peninsua to where Meg lives in Torrin, half way down. I see views all the time, I'm so lucky but once back in the studio I need a visual reminder of what went where & what the actual colors were. I used to think a sketch had to be a worthy piece of work; now I'm getting better at just scribbling....for me.