Monday 24 May 2010

Bowled Over















Well did you miss me?
My dear son took my laptop to bits and found a bit had snapped off inside. It wasn't an important bit but was causing a short with the screenlight connection (or something) and when he put it back together it worked.
Isn't it amazing that Hewlett Packard who wanted to charge me £250 for a repair had not spotted that on the two occasions they had it in for repair under guarantee?
Isn't it also a shame that my son, who is a wizard with electronics and computers but hasn't got the necessary bits of paper, can't get a job doing that?
(Update a whole year later: He has a job now, doing exactly that!)

















Well you can see what I've been doing..more feltmaking.
After a disastrous attempt at using an inflatable ball to felt round I tried a different way . Felting round a huge circle of plastic and then using the ball to mould it.
It was a LOT of hard work I can tell you. Trying to shrink the sides in so they were smooth and round was difficult. Its about the size of a football.













My intention was to make it large enough to be stitched into, but as I have never managed to get such a lovely edge before, I'm keeping it just as it is, there's no cutting going to be going on here.
 No, I made another one for that job.
Well. Easy. I knew how to do it so I just made another.
Bleeeuuurrrgh!















Horrible.
 I must weigh it to see how much wool I've wasted.

You may have noticed the  stone/moss/sea colours? I am trying to evoke the colours of The Burren coming down to the sea in Clare after my trip there in March.
Its my 'Peace Comes dropping Slow' bowl.Or maybe 'Wondering Aengus'
I am working to add some vaguely Celtic shapes around the edges.















The colours of the felt are just right for what I want, and I'm so pleased to have achieved it almost accidentally by using a base of white which came through with all the rubbing and rolling, and has given it a sort of smokey feel.













I had a bit of mossy green velvet to add to it.













My plan is to place a few of these around the opening.
But in a way its almost a shame to spoil the simplicity of the bowl.













I rather like its plain softness. Perhaps a little bit of handstitch on the bowl before I add the shapes will blend the elements together a bit.

Anyway its not all Celtic subtlety here and you might have spotted a more colourful piece of felt in the top picture on which I let loose my imagination. .













Such fun, and I'm not done yet.

The trouble is I am struggling with my eyes and have new glasses on order. They can't come soon enough.
There is such a lot to feast my eyes on at the moment.
From the gorgeous shades on the, as yet ,unspoiled side of the Stream that runs through the woods













To the unexpected bits of splendour in the town.















Now for an SOS.......
Do you have any unwanted Natesh Titania shade no 953, 'Lagoon'?
But it has to be the old version from about 18 months ago?
The new version is so pale as to be useless for my purposes. The old one had several distinct shades of pale turquoise, lime and greeny blue.
I'll pay money......


39 comments:

Mary Welsh Hubbard said...

Hi Jackie. I'm glad you are back. I love the bowl.

Thimble Fingers said...

Great to have you back and was "bowled over" by your felt work ... LOL !

Nellie's Needles said...

Your bowl is so simple and so elegant. I can almost feel its smooth, fuzzy texture.

Glad your computer got fixed and that you're back in blogland.

silverpebble said...

You have not wasted wool. You have made Jupiter out of textiles.

I cannot help you with the Lagoon. I can say I'm glad to see you back though. Very glad x

Marigold Jam said...

Lovely, lovely bowl. I think I like it better plain although the embellishments are beautiful in their own right too. Love that you found beauty in the midst of the bricks etc!

Jane

Swirlyarts said...

Your bowl is beautiful!

Annie said...

Yes you've been missed. Your bowl is really beautiful. My arthritic hands wouldn't allow me to do wet felting so I will just enjoy yours so please keep it coming :-)
I have a son just like yours...what ever goes wrong with the computer he just appears to click a few buttons and its perfect again but he doesn't have the qualifications either. He's a locksmith now training to be an electrician :-)
A x

menopausalmusing said...

Oh heck, I load my photos in reverse order and now am dreading it..........

Love the bowl, so very unusual. I think it looks good with the additional piece. Well done that son of yours re your laptop!

Pat said...

I think the bowl is fabulous just the way it is.

Aileen Clarke Crafts said...

Oh Jackie I love your felted vessel. It looks great just as it is. You'll have to explain more about how you shaped it round the ball.
What about cutting the neck off the second one and make it like the first one and stitch the panels to that? If you wet it and put your hand inside it and whack it with a wooden spoon here and there you can knock out the lumpy bits.
I think the first one looks brilliant as is.

Maria Dent said...

It all looks great! Youve inspired me to make a bowl when I get a few half day. I did one ages ago, but it looks more like a beri!
Love the colours of the new brooch's. Glad your back sweetie x

Sue said...

I did miss you - in fact I had it in mind to send you an email today - glad you are back and well done your son. I too have talented sons with no bits of paper and so yours has my sympathy, and I will ask for good things for him when I am doing so for mine. Re the photos, I always cut and re-paste mine in the order I want them which seems to work. Love your mossy grey-greens. I LOVE grey-greens :-)

Anonymous said...

Another one glad to see you back. That first bowl is just lovely the way it it is. I am sure you will think of something to do to rescue the second.

Fiona said...

I'm not sure if I posted my comment. So here goes again. Love the first bowl and I'm sure you can rescue the second.

Elderberry-Rob said...

interesting, a felt bowl, nobody could copy that one and claim it was theirs! What a clever son you have, it really is so unfair that people like him with a talent can't get their foot in the door of the places where they could put their skills to best use. Hewlett Packard don't know what they are missing.

JP said...

Jackie - the bowl is fantastic

Elizabeth Armstrong said...

So pleased to see you felting Jackie. Naturally I am biased!
Perfect vehicle for showcasing the small embroideries.
Hoping the glasses are winging their way to you now.
Cheers
ELizabeth

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful post. A feast for the eyes. Missed you while you were away. The bowl is stunning. I love the subtle shades and the design. And these gorgeous vibrant velvet pieces - to die for! Thank heavens for techie- minded sons eh?
Penny

Magpie's Mumblings said...

Yes I missed you! So glad you have a computer wiz son too(what would we do without them to bail us out?. Your bowl is absolutely stunning and I can only begin to imagine how much work went into it.
No - I am NOT going to take up felting. No, I'm not. No.

Julie said...

So pleased your computer problem turned out easy to sort and lovely to have you back again. The bowls are really beautiful and the colours very reminiscent of the Burren.

Jill said...

Nice to see you back - I agree with everyone the bowl deserves to be kept simple.

Michala Gyetvai (Kayla coo) said...

Hi Jacky,
It's taken me a while to get used to uploading photo's..lots of deleting!
Amazing felt bowls, really beautiful.x

jeanette, mistress of longears said...

How wonderful to have a son with the knowledge and willingness to fix you up!
That bowl is absolutely the tops!!!!! STunning achievement!

Maggi said...

Not a good advert for HP.

I love the bowl and can see why you want to retain its simplicity.

Mitzi Curi said...

Your felt work shows what a creative and beautiful art form it can be. I'm totally fascinated by your work.

WendyCarole said...

love the bowl great colours

sea-blue-sky & abstracts said...

Tut! Tut! Shame on Hewlett Packard. Thanks goodness you have such an intelligent boy Jackie, that's all I can say. x

Linda Vincent said...

So fabulous.....I love♥ the shape of your bowl Jackie.

Andi's English Attic said...

HP seem think they have us caught. I've been hearing lots of bad things about their services lately. So glad your son could fix it. Sons are great like that, aren't they!!! xx

justherdingcats said...

what beautiful bowls= I prefer it without the brooch too.

My son is also a computer whizz - well most people are compared to me actually!! Glad you are back!

A time to dance said...

Oh Jackie, I cant tell you how much I love your bowl, its perfect in every way...just amazing...I am so glad you are back...wish your son could mend my samsung...love and hugs H
PS prayers answered at our end...

Mermaid's Purse said...

Love the bowl and couldn't agree more - my one and only attempt at felting over a balloon really wasn't worth the effort and fraughtness - using a flat resist is much more reliable!

Heather said...

The bowl is beautiful and I love the one that went wrong too. Your son is a genius fixing your laptop - pity that so many working lives depend on those bits of paper. Sorry I can't help with the Natesh thread - hope someone else can.

Joei Rhode Island said...

Well, you are back with a flourish and with felt! No wonder I missed you =-) The colors are wonderful

Mary W said...

Think the bowl is terrific. Am so impressed with your designs. Fun and colorful.

Unknown said...

Jackie - Please excuse if you have received more than one comment. New to this.

Terrific bowl. One that surely had patience as an ingredient. Love, love, love your colorful/happy pieces.

Elizabeth said...

Your felt work is glorious! i relaly think that the second bowl does have potential- if you can stand to work on it!!! love the new brooches!!
So glad that you have solved the computer problem!! HP is useless!! Sounds like your son has the magic touch and hopefully someone soon will see that!!!
Spring Hugs!

B.T.Bear (esq.) said...

WOW this is so clever! Mummy luvs yor felty stuff. She did try doin sum, but duzzent get mutch time now....

we go parst the Burren wen we go to Ireland so I noe wat yu meen!

Ester Kiely said...

Like most of the others I love the 1st bowl just as it is. The second one deserves to be loved too....so I'm sure you will spend some time with it! You've captured the Burren colours beautifully!



Mo
st of my pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them.

Dear Anonymous.....

....don't waste your time...I have a spam filter.