Workshops

Sunday, September 02, 2012

weekend workshop

 I have spent the weekend at a great workshop with Polly Stirling who in 1994 with her assistant Sachiko Kotaka developed the technique they termed "Nuno Felt." By manipulating a minimum amount of wool fibre through a fine base weave they could make a felted fabric with characteristics quite different from traditional felt. . http://www.wildturkeyfeltmakers.com/PollyStirling.html
I have dabbled with nuno felting in my little way - I am the first to admit I am a lazy felter but I love the effects of combining wet and dry felting in my own style. our workshop was called Strip Felts - a variation of Nuno felt where we played with strips of fabric and only a wee amount of wool (well that was me anyway)
Everyone else was busy making a vest and laying out copious amounts of loveliness but I wanted to make some samples to experiment. At the top was the stuff I laid out - a collection of fabrics in Indian Summer cut from an art to wear piece and other stuff in my bag.

 once felted - this is the back - lots of lovely texture

 and the front pretty good as well. Decisions always about which side... The colour is hard to photograph without that pink raring its ugly head but it looks good.

 Today I made a much larger piece using all the Brianna stuff Jacinta left with me after the show here in Perth.
Very pleased with it and I might even turn it into something else.

 This is the back - I used silk gauze, satin, organza, tissue silk, scrim, velvet, and some sequined fabric, cotton and of course wool - but not much.

I made a third piece which again does not look so good in this colour but from the art to wear i had knitted up a scarf in various ways and I cut a bit off the end and felted it over strips of said fabric - it actually looks lovely and very textured and I deliberately left holes for the knitting. In fact I left holes in everything - you must remember that the fairies always need places to breathe.

The newsletter is finished and should be in your in boxes pretty soon. Let's hope there are no gremlins this time......

2 comments:

Heather said...

Gorgeous colours and textures in your sample pieces Dale. This is taking Nuno felting to another level.

Peaceful Parallel said...

Wow those pieces are fabulous Dale! Well done :). Glad you had a good time in Broome, love that place. Is Harley pregnant? Bethx

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