Next class!

I need students for my "fast and furious" needle felting weekend intensive class, May 18 and 19 (shorter afternoon session on Sunday).  Please pass this along to any crafty friends! We have a blast!  Register at:  http://www.lewisginter.org/events/event_detail.php?event_id=1118

Needle Felting at Ginter Garden

In February, I did needle-felting demonstrations at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.  The photo to the left is me with a crowd of interested folks, and, to the right, with a special friend I made (see the blue flower she is holding?  We felted it together!).

My next demo will be at the Powhatan Festival of Fiber on April 27, from 9:30 to 1:30.  For more info, go to: http://www.powhatansfestivaloffiber.com/

Registration for my next needle-felting class in May will open in early April, at:  http://www.lewisginter.org/adult-education/adult-educationhappeningnow.php#Art

Keep needlin'

Needle-Felting with Botanical Subjects

I just finished teaching another session of "Needle Felting with Botanical Subjects" in the Art in the Garden program at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens http://www.lewisginter.org/adult-education/adult-educationhappeningnow.php#Art  and what a fabulous class it was, with wonderful students!  Below are some samples of their amazing work!  I will be posting some more photos of their projects in process at the class and will ask them to send me pictures to post of their final works.

In the class, we discussed tools of the trade and how to use them, felting methods and techniques, suitable wools for needle felting and some ideas about subject, composition and dimensionality.  The next confirmed class is in November, but I am working on some other options. In addition, I will be demonstrating needle felting at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden this weekend, Feb 23 and 24, from 11AM to 3PM, so come on out!  The orchid show is in the conservatory, and there will be a "petal pounding" activity for children too!  My students and I will also be demonstrating needle felting on April 27, 10 to 3 at the Powhatan Festival of Fiber, http://www.powhatansfestivaloffiber.com/

Keep active!  Keep needlin'!

Virginia Fiber

If you live in Virginia, and are free April 27, 2013, check out the Powhatan Festival of Fiber!  Information is  at:

http://www.powhatansfestivaloffiber.com/

And if you don't, look for regional fiber festivals near where you live!  They are springing up everywhere!

Knitted shawl with felted trim

The Shawl

Yours truly

I purchased this boucle yarn at the Fall Fiber Festival in Montepelier, VA a few years ago and knitted it into a shawl (at the festival, the yard looked more pink and less orange).  It is a pretty bright color!  I could not decide how to finish off the edges. The simple pattern called for tassels, but that doesn't work with loopy boucle and it did not want to add more orange or make it any longer.  So, I opted for needle felted "bobble" trims in a variety of shapes and colors.  I have made this shawl again in blue and will post that result when ready (and I am knitting it in purple too- boy is it cozy warm!)

Close-up of trim-this seems closer to the color of the boucle.

Coming soon: a report on the work of the fabulous students in my needle felting class at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden!  

Till then, I'll be needlin' around!

Results of My Needle Felting Class!

My students and I had a great time at Ginter Gardens these last two Saturdays for my needle-felting class, Introduction to Needle Felting for the Botanical Artist.  My students were all quick studies and produced some lovely work, including some three-dimensional creatures (not exactly botanical, but fun!).  They seemed  pleased at how quickly they were able to master basic techniques and tools of the trade!
The class should be scheduled again in February, 2013 for two, non-consecutive Saturdays, 2/2 and 2/16.  These classes will focus on botanical works, producing a small work and a larger one of "wool art!"  Come join us!  Check the Ginter adult class schedule at http://www.lewisginter.org/  for the new schedule after the holidays.
Keep needlin'!

Felted Knitting with Needle-Felted Designs

I am in full holiday gift making mode. I know that some people do not like receiving homemade gifts, so they don't get 'em.  But some folks and I exchange handmade gifts and (I think) we all really enjoy them (I know I do).  Every year I make soaps, candies and spice mixes for the holidays and I like to create a unique and reusable "gift bag" for them.  This year, I deliberately felted some inexpensive 100% wool sweaters that I got at yard sales (this is a great thing to do with worn, damaged or stained sweaters, as long as most of the knitting is still good and clean).  The "felting" in this context is heat felting, which means taking a 100% wool sweater (also alpaca, mohair, angora wool), washing it in hot water and drying it on high heat in a clothes dryer.  You might have done this accidentally in your early laundry days and come out with a very small sweater. In addition to being shrunken, the sweater has now felted itself, that is, the wool fibers have matted together, and you can cut it with scissors like most any fabric!  I did not believe this when I first tried it, but it is true (though there might be exceptions I have not yet encountered and, if you pull really hard, you can unravel it somewhat).  The top left photo is the result of heat felting a damaged, yard sale, 100% mohair sweater and some of the resulting pieces and a little hand-sewn bag.  To the right of that is the needle-felted gift bag I made for my 10 year-old niece (I will add a ribbon handle or strap).  Below is a bag made from one of the odd shaped pieces, decorated with simple flowers, that I will fill with wrapped candies. It has a button and yarn-bow closure.  In both cases, I used the ribbing of the sweater as a finish: rolled in the face piece and folded in the floral piece.  For the "face bag" I made the hat separately, and needled it on.
Till next time, I'll be needlin' around!