Back to earth

Earth colours have been used in this piece of felt. It was inspired by some gorgeous wool which was shared at the felt group , but when I'd made it I couldn't help being reminded of an awful swirly 80s carpet in a friend's house a long time ago.
However, once the stitches were added (and I must remark how much I enjoyed this part) I think the carpet memory faded.
I hope it gives a foresty feeling. Leafy foresty earthy....

The Felt Group

We meet on the second Friday of the month in a village hall. 

We take our own lunch and as I was making my salad last friday I was wondering if I could manage without bread but then thought..'oh well, there'll be cake'

There is cake. We have a rota.

Last week lots of members were unable to attend. I was, as usual late but had a good reason, not just not getting up early enough.

I walked in to half a dozen eager faces and the cry 'Have you brought cake?' (It wasn't my turn)

Horror..no one had taken cake. There were only about 8 of us and we didn't get down to felting with any great gusto. Instead we chatted.

We go for friendship as well as felting.

I eventually spread some wool tops out for a piece to make brooches.

I took ages just adding wisps of many different colours mixing and 'painting' with the wool.

Then it was lunch time.

(No Cake)

After lunch I wet the felt and did about three rolls and then there was a bit of discussion about who was going to lock up as our usual key person was away, and second in command of the keys wanted to go early. One by one we said 'Oh well, I'm going early' until we all decided to pack up.

So I didn't get to finish my piece of felt until Monday.

Ah I love the felt group! Usually its a room full of variety, laughter, and heavy duty felting. The offering of advice, the family news, and general good feeling. It was just a bit thin on the ground last week.

So I'm leading up to my latest piece of felt. Very hard to photograph. If the light is good, the colour disappears as it bounces back. If its not good light it looks dreary. I hope this is just about middling.

 It worked out well from a sewing point of view. I'm happy with the mixing and went to my sewing room to work with it and these are what happened. I've increased the colour in the one below...its a bit vivid.

 This is better. 

 I like this the best but in reality the left hand side of the leaf is a lovely duck egg felt. I'll have to try these again.

 Anyway thank you to all the people who commented on my invitations. Rebecca loved them. I'm sorry if I didn't get to reply to all of you. Your comments are very welcome.

Influences

These felt brooches, as well as just the shapes without backs, have been in great demand.
Worldwide !
I love making them..I think I've told you that before, but its true.
My house is in a dreadful state and I'm building up to a mammoth clean but I keep sloping off into my sewing room to play with felt and velvet.

Duck egg and teal, orange and lime, are among my current favourite colours .

As I'm stitching one I'm thinking ahead to the next, so that some of the variations get skipped in the turmoil that is my mental design process.

'This one in orange, ooh what would it look like in green? with a black edge, skip the green,, just black...no.... orange spikes..dots..no I'll do both..' ,
but if I try to draw first it just doesn't work.

Anyway I was wondering where the shapes come from.

I've got a bit of a cold virus at the moment......really...


..maybe this is it?

Or this?


Autumn is coming along with some nice mellow sunshine, and the front door has at last been united with the rest of the woodwork by colour..a beautiful colour called 'Ball Green'.
The silver birch tree in the garden is turning lime and gold..so ..voila!
(Not silver birch but oak-ish)

Very fiddly to make.


Really much nicer than in the photograph and very much a prototype.

But what on earth influenced me to make this?

Was it my husbands recent project?


I really hadn't connected them until I glanced at his report again, which I helped him with last week.

Piles of inspiration!



If you are in the Uk have you been enjoying the Harris Tweed programmes?
I have a cupboard full of beautiful patterns and designs and I am totally committed to it for little purses bags and brooches ..coming soon!

Does anyone have any thoughts on Folksy?
My shop seems to be dying..hardly any views since a flurry of sales earlier..well.. 7!
I used to enjoy being part of a UK venture but I think I prefer Etsy .
Any thoughts?
By the way my toes in the previous post were in my walking boots and thats where they'll stay for photography purposes anyway.