The White Cat

Something Amazing

 

If you have a little spare time

you might like  MUST  visit

Dolls by Irina Andreeva

 

You will find the most amazing 3D felting display.

.... You'll need to translate from Russian and expand her posts for the best pics

and WOW!

 

 

Just Amazing !

A drive in the country

There was no felting here yesterday.

... . instead, a drive to the Scenic Rim.

The day began bright and sunny with a blue fluffy sky

 soon to change to great sweeping sheets of rain

 

 Wallabies and Kangaroos were everywhere it seemed.

 These Whiptail Wallabies were playing 'statues' by the side of the road.

They have the prettiest little faces and at most are about one metre tall.

   The more we looked around us, the more we found.

 At a quick glance you could be forgiven for not noticing them. 

Needle Felted Rabbit

 Needle Felted Rabbit

with movable arms and legs.

Thinking about Easter

 

Nuno Felt a Baby Blanket

The wet weather has offered me an opportunity to

tidy and re-organise . . . and I found these pictures

taken when I made some nuno felted baby blankets, so I thought I'd share them now . . .

I love to make them. They end up so soft and snuggly.

It's just a shame I don't have a photo of a baby wrapped in one ! 

Anyway, I buy fine cotton voile

and use the whole width (discarding the selvedges).

I lay out fine stripes of merino fleece,

taking care to evenly cover the edges

then lay silk randomly across the fleece,

add leaves and silk roses

until I'm happy with the layout.

Then secure the silk with a superfine cobweb of merino

(read here for tips on securing silk)

and wet it all down with a fine mist of room temperature soapy water,

soaking the fibres until they flatten

Double check all the voile edges to ensure they are covered with fleece

and that nothing else has strayed from it's place

and roll it up slowy.

You will often find the voile lifts and bubbles, trying to let air escape

and may cause the pattern to move.

Check this as you go and adjust as necessary

. . . you won't have another chance for a little while to do this without risking

losing your pattern.

Also, with the fibres wet, it's often easier to see

how well you've anchored your silk, so check this too as you roll it up.  

If there's not enough - now is the time to add more.

Nuno felt is a fussy (and hugely rewarding) way to felt - you have to be very patient

and begin rolling back and forth with little to no effort at first.

Do this for some time before opening the roll for the first time.

Why ? Well, try to imagine all the fibres laying in there next to each other.

What we need to do is gently push the fibre ends through the voile so they are able to

meet and grip each other on the other side of the voile before they begin to

felt together on the surface of the fabric.  

This is the begining of the process of felting which will cause

the voile to be pulled up within the fleece and create

 the puffy effect where there are no fibres. 

Moving the roll gently at first will help the fibre ends to wriggle their way through

the voile and form strong bonds with each other.

The photo above shows the first time the roll was opened.

Take time to gently check the edges and then roll it back up from the other end.

Continue this process until you can feel and see

the fibres easily on the wrong side of the voile

and continue rolling, gradually increasing pressure

and rotating the fabric from time to time.

Then it gets exciting.

Just when you think you'll be there

rolling away until Christmas next year,

 you will see the rows of fleece begin to firm up and become stronger.

It will not feel so fragile and this is the time to begin gently tossing the blanket.

Begin gently, tossing several times, then lay out the fabric,

bringing it always back to the shape you've chosen, check the edges and repeat

. . . the fabric will begin to pucker.

As it puckers more, you can turn your toss into a throw

and increase the intensity. This forces the fibres hard into the voile

where they will mesh even more tightly.



continue until the blanket is just a little bigger than you'd like - and it's time to rinse.

I rinse in luke warm water and throw a few more times (which will cause more shrinkage),

then submerge in fresh water with a little white vinegar 

to help neutralise the effects of the soap.

Now gently squeeze out the excess water, pull into shape and lay flat to dry.

And it's finally finished ! 

Please note : This is just the way I do it

- if you're new to Nuno Felting, have a hunt around and read up first .

 .. be prepared to have a play with something small before you start something this size.

A class is often a good option - if its at all possible.

That way, you not only learn from your tutor but also those around you - and who knows

what experience they might have to share?

And likewise ... if I can help - I'm only an email away !

New Year Wishes ...

Yet another year has begun and ....

My wish for the world

is that it be

a better, safer, happier place

sprinkled with love and care

My wish is that crazy, cruel, frantic events

occur with such rare frequency

that children's memories will not be scarred,

the elderly will not be afraid

and the innocent will be protected.

I'm dreaming you say ?

   ... everything begins with a dream

More Christmas Stockings ....

 

Felting Slippers Tips

Felting Slippers

is a time consuming activity. 

There's so much to think about

and the whole process can be overwhelming for a beginner - or even

if you haven't made a pair for a while. 

Here are a few tips which I find helpful.

The First is to always weigh your fleece

and divide it evenly between the two sides of the resist. 

For an especially even finish, then divide these two bundles

by the number of layers of fleece you'll be laying down on each side.

Weigh them out into bundles and to avoid confusion

I leave the bundles for the second side on another bench 

(sometimes distractions can make it difficult to remember exctly where you're at)

Then, spread them evenly, feathering out the edges slightly

(this will help prevent bulky side seams and chunky overlap 

when the edges are folded to the other side) 

The Second is to always try to only wet the area of the resist of your first side.

Leaving the edges as dry as possible makes it easier

to place the fleece ends where you need them when you turn them over.

This is especially helpful around curves and will also help prevent lumpy side seams.

The Third is on completion of the second side of your resist

- which will end up being the inside of the sole of the slipper, 

add a small woollen decoration.

When cutting the opening for your foot - do not cut the decorated side open.

This will ensure you always cut the top side of the slipper.

The Fourth is to felt until the fleece is quite firm over the resist.

This helps to mesh the fibres more densely before removing them from the resist.

You will find the edges of your cut easier to finish neatly 

and the slipper will keep a better shape.

The Last is that making the two slippers at the same time will most times

give you a better result since you'll have another to compare with as you work

and if you change a colour or pattern on one you can immediately do the same for the other.

You will find these tips handy whenever you work with a resist.

We're thinking of everyone out there enjoying a cold Christmas Season,

We have heat wave conditions here this week ! 

Mason Jar Lights up Felt !

Yet again it's been a while since I've posted.

I just wanted to share this little treasure I found in time for Christmas.

I was replacing damaged jars in the pantry and found a company selling Mason Jars online.

Not only was I able to stock up on jars for storage

but also for display.

You could purchase a mason jar of choice

and also this screw top solar light lid which lights up the contents of the jar.

I love the idea and the possibilities are endless ...

fill them with felted hearts, felt jelly beans or any of your favourite work.

A great idea for keeping your work dust free and safe from

pets and pests !

 

Natural Fibre Supplies from Tasmania

My dear friend Shirley lives in Tasmania, off the mainland of Australia, 

way down south where it is quite cold this time of the year. 

She surprises me with all sorts of treats to play with. 

Recently, a package arrived with some 

Superfine Tasmanian Merino Lamb Wool 18.5 micron from 'Oatlands Handmade'

- just an hour from Hobart, some wonderful hand dyed,rainbow coloured,

superfine Alpaca Rovings from The Alpaca Shoppe

Deloraine, Tasmania 

Thanks again Shirley xxx

It's nearly Easter !

Can't eat chocolate?

A Mouse in a Candy House !

I'm having fun with these . . . makes me wish my kids were little again.

I miss seeing that look of delight on their faces with their newfound toys!



More Easter Chicks in Eggs

Crazy Daisy Coasters

For coffee, tea, teapots, candles, vases . . .