Monday, September 28, 2009

Felting in its various forms

It is amazing how a thick pile of wool can shrink up and become so flat. This was a three inch layer of wool designed to be a rug or the base for a wall hanging.
This is what the fiber looked like before being felted.

The same layout from another perspective.

The finished piece is shown in four different positions. Any one of them could work as the background for embellishment of an autumn landscape.

A second view.

A third view.

My personal favorite. It is always interesting to see how different the finished piece looks. I could needle felt it all into position, but I love the abstract surprise of the finished piece.

A batch of green batts and rovings carded up to go with the grays.

Saturday was my felting workshop day. I decided to wet felt a blanket. The idea was to make a lightweight blanket and see how far one of the batts from the Elsa carder would get me. I used one side of the batt to create this side and I added white mohair locks to give it some texture. It has a wintry look to it.
The reverse side of the batt had more orange in it and more the look of fall. I added yellow mohair locks to this side.
I was talking to my friend, Judy, about pricing the blanket and she suggested turning it into a shawl or wearable art. This was our final take on the blanket. It is reversible and can be used as either a blanket or wrap. A tall person could wear it as a skirt with a belt. Using silk as a middle layer helped keep the felt supple and allows it to drape beautifully.











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