Needlefelting Class at Virginia Farm Woolworks

Hello everyone - just popping in to say I will be teaching needlefelting at Virginia Farm Woolworks at Annangrove (NSW, Australia) on the 7th May. The choice will be to either make a teddy bear or a little pixie to pop out of odd places around the home. Small class of around 8 people so everyone gets individual attention - it'll be fun - come and play!

Look what I found

I found the pics I'd saved them down to my computer - but don't know where I got them from - if they are yours please let me know so I can add a link (or if you happen to know please tell me also). All I know was that the woman had needlefelted them as party favours for her daughter's party.

While I was looking for the elusive needlefelted monsters - I came across this - how awesome - it is a converted toddler pusher. I love the inside lining made to look like the brains. You wouldn't want to have an ugly baby though, people might be cruel.

needle felting love

Found this incredible needlefelted "Venus" by Stephanie Metz who lives and works out of San Fransisco. She is a sculptor who works in needlefelted wool. Take a look at her site - she is an artist with a point of view which she communicates so well via her art. I particularly love the "Overbred Animals" series as a commentary on our relationship to the animals that we are bio-engineering for food production. Very thoughtful. Be sure to check out the entire portfolio - especially the figurative studies.

In other surfing - I also found this extremely cute (and highly more achievable) monster - firstly this one from Dawn Schiller of Oddfae (maker of those steampunk Chrono-Seidh that I am so completely in love with). There was another site with awesome one eyed monsters - but I've been looking for it all day - and it has disappeared.

But there are also these bags from Beth Connors from Felting In Fibre-Space.

A new character

Here's the little fellow I whipped up on Saturday in preparation for the class yesterday.

He's actually cuter than he looks in this pic - couldn't quite get my photo mojo happening.

Back in the swing

So - got the camera for my birthday - just in time because the other one stopped working - good on you boys!

So - here's a couple of needlefelted things I've been working on - this guy who I did in a colour called "cheesecake" - my kids reckon he's the same colour as the Simpsons.

Then there's this pig which lots of people think is cute but which freaks me out because I think the face is too human.

Then there's this brown bear which I really like - but he's hard to photograph because he's dark brown.

I am waiting on Birgitte's new book which is in print (if you can read Danish) and is currently at the printers (in English) and will be ready in about three weeks (woo hoo). I'll be ordering it in along with her other two books which I've been holding off on restocking because of the cost of ordering and sending from Denmark.

Being recognised as someone famous

I had a lady in the shop this afternoon who came in because she saw my picture in Patchwork and Stitching. Her daughter rang her while she was in the shop and asked where she was. She replied she was in the shop of a really famous person. Ha! ha! Very cute.

Now for all my dollmaking friends in the universe I said that they had featured my dolls in the article. When I said that though I hadn't actually seen the article - here's a scan of the pages - they really did make a feature of the dolls (and even my needlefelting ones too).

Very happy!

Needlefelting continues

Haven't had much time for anything lately - thought I'd post a little gnome baby I felted a while ago - here he is - curled up asleep.

Needlefelted Bears

Went to Mum and Dad's for lunch on Easter Sunday. Checked with Mum and she said "no chocolate" so I needlefelted a little Easter egg bear for her that she'd shown me in a Bear making magazine. Here he is -

I took my wool and needles with me and in about an hour whipped up this guy.

Even Martha Stewart has featured needlefelting. She had a lady who made some cute (but expensive) Easter Chickens. You can see the episode here.

Flat Felting

You will remember I started a flat relief needlefelted piece some time ago based on one of Patti Culea's tome pages. I finally got my needles out (and a four needle punch) and added some more to the page. Still needs to be felted some more and them free motion embroidered over the top. But here's an update.

The Needlefelted Ent

Very early last year or possibly even 2005 (where does the time go) - I had it in mind to make an Ent - you know - Treebeard from Lord of the Rings? Well it rumbled around in my brain for a long time - wasn't sure what medium to use - all offered potential but also had drawbacks. Also Every-Other-Bugger suddenly seemed to come out with a tree/dryad pattern or something that was the epitome of what was dancing around in my brain. Not that I can imagine Treebeard dancing - but I digress. Anyhoo.....

I launched in with great enthusiasm to make a wrapped wire armature. Good start. I did start needlefelting it but it was so damned big. That's a lot of needlefelting you know - I also didn't have the right colours so I stopped - for about a year. Then came the great needlefelting renaissance I am currently undergoing. So I pulled that sucker out and have kept going (the wizard has been thrust aside with his one boob still attached). Haven't finished yet but have started on the face. It still looks quite young at this point as it needs lots of wrinkles etc.. It may also end up becoming a troll/ forest looking creature. These things are very organic and have a mind of their own you know. Anyway here it is in progress.

For examples of other tree/Ent dolls etc that are just divine see Jean Bernard, Pixie Willow, Birgitte Krag-Hansen and Julie McCullough

The Rose

Needed a break from the complexity of the Wizard so made up this little felted rose. My mum taught me to make sugar roses years ago - so I applied the same principle and came up with the needlefelted rose. It would make a great brooch with a simple brooch back attached. It is currently being held by the green troll I made previously.

I'm a needlefelting addict

Ok Ok! I confess I am addicted to needlefelting! Here is something else I made - although he's not finished yet. He started life as a witch but somehow turned into a bloke and is now on his way to being a wizard. At the moment he's doing a great impersonation of John the Baptist as he's only a head - but that should change (he now has a stump body and a single shoulder which prompted my 6 year old to laughter asking why he had one boobie?) I've used a skin colouring technique as I don't like the plainess of the cookie colour for skin (too flat looking). Mixing up the colours really gives a good palette. Here is another shot into his mouth he has teeth and a tongue. The bottom of the mouth is actually movable - you can manipulate it by inserting two fingers from behind and working the chin up and down. Cool!

More Needlefelting

I was browsing through Birgitte's book and saw a little white goose. I thought - I can make one of those. Voila! Here it is with the Goose Boy. He looks a little worried that he's about to be goosed.

The Troll

Needlefelting rocks!

Here is a little troll man that I made over the last two days. This is the first time I've tried the mottled skin effect - the tonality isn't as harsh as it comes up in a photograph with the flash. The skin tone is a result of "cutting" the wool together - there were four different colours used - yellow, peach, green and lime.

Stargaze Tome Page

In case you haven't realised it yet - I am on a bit of a needlefelting gig. I have decided to try to replicate the felting pattern from Patti Culea's Tome series - except using needlefelting instead of the technique she actually describes in the pattern. I love this picture - it is a little Chagall-esque in style but whenever I see it for some reason it reminds me of the Little Prince by Antoine de St Exupery. Here is a picture of Patti's cover and here is the beginning of the project.

Needlefelting Class

Well I mentioned the great wool challenge in the last post and the fact that I taught a class. I decided to do an evening class and thought I might get a couple of people - I ended up with nine (and had to knock about three more back as there wasn't the room). Who'd a thunk it?

It seemed to go very well with all the ladies who came asking to come back for more - so I guess I did ok! Anyway enough about me - here's a picture of the little guys who appeared as a result of the class.

Pixie Felt

Got some Corriedale wool and decided to do some needlefelting - made this little character using Birgitte Krag-Hansen's Pixie Felt book as a guide. He turned out pretty well considering he's only made out of 4 colours. I've got him and a couple of other pixies in the shop window - lots of people ask if they are for sale. Might be something in it! I'll be getting the wool in from Ashfords and will have it for sale in the shop - needlefelting may well take over the world! I noticed they had a little felted character in the last Dolls, Bears and Collectible and Sandie O'Neill has a little golly coming up in the next one. Cool.

Needlefelting

Had some fun yesterday doing some needlefelting. Used Birgitte Krag-Hansen's new book Pixie Felt as a memory jogger (having had the pleasure of an actual class with her).

The little girl has a fully sculpted mouth whereas the little fellas are pretty quick and simple - but fun in a small group as it looks like they are talking to each other.

If you'd like to see the "real thing" check out Birgitte's website and take a good long look - it's amazing. http://www.feltmaking.com/ I also have both her books for sale at www.idyllpleasures.com under feltmaking and spinning supplies.