Friday 4 July 2008

Textiles at Last.

Too many posts about housework and no sewing will get me drummed out of the big list of sewing blogs so I hope this one will make up for the lack.
We have had an awful lot of this

but now we are having a bit of this.

If you look to the right you will see that the giant guinea pigs have been playing in the fields, so it must be summer.
Time for our (almost) local Summer Open Exhibition.
This year, in reckless mood, I am submitting a piece of felt.


I have been making felt for years, but mostly to illustrate techniques for workshops.
Here are two samples showing the resist technique made with a piece of plastic between layers to create a bowl which I now use each year to work stitch samples into,

and a seamless purse with some spiral 'beads'
and of course there's always the need for a bit of nuno.

This very small sample was worked onto black silk chiffon with brightly coloured wools layed in a grid pattern.

Nothing very exciting.

In the past I have made felt mainly to use as a background for embroidery such as in these 'Boots for a Sea Nymph'
I layed it onto sheer metallic organza and stitched it, then burnt slots and holes with a soldering iron to make fishy looking elements.
I added coiled enamelled wire for more undersea effects
and sewed on some beads.
These boots appeared in The World of Embroidery aeons ago. A major City and Guilds project of mine was a 5-panel screen with faces from Greek Vases in 3 windows on each panel. The felt was laid down onto waxed and inked brown paper as a base for machine embroidery around the outside of the face. The machining lifted the face into relief.
Features were embroidered by hand, (I enjoyed the hair especially)
and the background was stitched with Stef Francis threads using Cretan Stitch.
At the beginning of this year I was invited to be a part of a new group meeting monthly to share ideas and work together on felt. We have a monthly theme or technique and its good to focus on felt for the time we are there. Its a lovely group, there's always cake, but we still haven't got a name.

There are some extremely talented members, and I am just the 'Milk Monitor'. (I don't know what that means in the rest of the world but UK readers of a certain age will understand)

However I have done some experimenting.

This one with a resist of glass pebbles and large buttons

and my exhibition submission is a long wallhanging made using prefelts and the embellisher.

I am reluctant to show too much because I have never entered a piece of felt for its own sake before and I have no confidence in its chances.
Its called 'Tales from the Riverbank'
There is a tiny bit of stitching on it.

I am so glad I joined the felt group, not least because in March, in the interests of research and inspiration, four of us are going to Marrakesh. (Woolly wooo!)

Now I hope thats enough 'Textiles' for this post . Perhaps it makes up for the lack in the previous few.

And now may I introduce our guests for this weekend?
Porky and Blodwyn.
They are no trouble.

They brought their own breakfast,
and they don't care about dust.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

I remember seeing your boots in the magazine - I was in awe then, I still am! I am sure your felt will do well in the exhibition and if not remember that it is more of a comment on the art world's misguided attitude to textiles than anything else...

Anonymous said...

You simply keep showing the most wonderful things! Even your "demonstration" pieces are exquisite! You are sure to do well, and surely deserve the trip to Marrakesh! Will expect great photos!

Julie said...

What you have shown of your wallhanging looks amazing, I'm sur that it is going to do realy well. I really love the felt bowl too....X

Unknown said...

I remember those boots in WoE and was blown away by them, love the felt hanging,

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the close-ups of the Greek work and the boots - I've long admired them! Can't wait to see what Marrakesh brings!

herhimnbryn said...

YOu know, all your work just blows me away. But those boots have made me drool, just drool.

arlee said...

Love the frilly bits on the boots--nice juxtaposition--i can just see a lovely Grunge Mermaid wearing them :}Piercings in every fin and stompin' around in her DOCK Martins!!

hens teeth said...

Lovely Willow. Great post Jackie.

Victoria said...

All of your work is so wonderful!
Love those boots! WOW!
(And those adorable dogs!!)

silverpebble said...

Giant guinea pigs, a sewn-on beard and some sausage dogs? Magic.

Your work is just beautiful. Those DMs are stunning!

I really like the idea of using resists to make little craters in the felt and even a bowl. I've now got craft excitement! I want to go and make something!

Chris Daly said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Chris Daly said...

Wow, thanks for sharing your work old and new. You are so creative! I can't wait to see what's next. Thanks for your note on my blog. I love traveling to the city for a short time, but I feel my spirits lift as soon as I get back to the country and its greens, golds & blues. Have fun with your house guests :)

Jodi @ Happy House Quilts said...

WOW! I'm in awe! Awesome stuff!
Jodi

Deepa said...

Hi Jackie,

Thanks for your comment in my blog.That post was about finding links with out using any external widgets.I've used statcounter(the free version) and I've a question - does it tell you who has linked to you? it does give me the statistics and it is quite good,but I could never figure out if people have linked to me or not.
Deepa

Ro Bruhn said...

What a fabulous collection of goodies. The boots are out of this world. I'd be wearing them on your trip to Marrakesh. How wonderful.

Anonymous said...

I just surfed on over from Robyn's site (Art Propelled) and I am sooo glad I did! I'm in process of slooowly getting a textiles degree here in the US and I find felting and embroidery to be my favourite techniques (although weaving is also up there). I was thrilled to see your work and the doggies too...I have four hounds, one a sausage dog so your two guests were just up my alley. I shall return to read more of your site another day!

Beate Knappe said...

this all looks so amazing - I like the feld piece a lot except the bowl - this I love!
And the boots - I never saw this before - and the boots blow me away - have a wonderful time where ever you are

Maureen said...

Beautiful work - I don't mind you writing about HW as it doesn't make me so envious!!

Julia said...

Love your felt pieces Jackie,especially your experiment using the pebble and button resists - the colours are really zingy :-)

Little Blue Violet said...

Such awesome felting !!! The boots and the FACES are divine! Ive never seen such artistic examples before. Very stunning.....
smiles
DarLy*~
p.s. Ive added a "Daisy Chain" ink to my site!!! Thanks for inviting me!

Kitty said...

Oh my word Jackie - those boots are one of the most stunning things I've ever seen. Absolutely beautiful work - you are so clever.

x

Gina said...

Your felt is stunning and will be a match for anything in the exhibition. I especially love those boots!

Mermaid's Purse said...

I remember seeing those boots in "World of Embroidery" - who could forget them! I'm sure they've been an inspiration to many people and it's so wonderful to be able to see them properly.

Digitalgran said...

Hi Jackie, I also remember those wonderful boots! I also love the felting of course needless to say.

Angela said...

Hey, it really is Hot Dog Fever!! : )
How adorable are they!

And I'm very impressed by your felt making. Just stunning.

Angela xx

Unknown said...

As someone who has just become inspired with felting and textile art, I´m overawed by the quality of work you have done and feel humbled by my own work. It inspires me. Thankyou.



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