FABULOUS FELT FLOWER WORKSHOP

Let's have FUN!

Join us Sunday, October 23, 2016 from 1:00 - 3:00 to make your own Fabulous Felt Flower! 

We will teach you how using the ancient technique of wet-felting.  Magic happens with just a little soapy water, some colorful wool fibers, and a bit of know-how!  We will use a combination of Navajo Churro sheep wool and Merino sheep wool to create a lovely blossom to wear on a hat, a jacket lapel, or to give to a special someone...

This workshop is held in downtown Phoenix at the very special Maker's Center of Heritage Square.  See link below for more information, details, and to sign-up so we save your space.  All materials and supplies are provided, so be prepared to just bring yourself and have fun.

FABULOUS FELT FLOWERS WORKSHOP

Sally and I look forward to meeting you and sharing our love of fibers and creating by hand!

Nature Prints in Progress!

Nature Prints in progress!  Spirited Hands Studio is starting off 2015 with a wonderful workshop that incorporates your feltmaking with eco-dyeing...Make 4 wool samples using 4 different dye baths and a variety of plant specimens.  Choose one of your samples to transform into a lovely Nature Print Wall Blessing embellished with stitchery, sari silk cords, and upcycled beads and bits.

Nature Print Wall Blessing Workshop

2-day class    Monday, January 12 and Friday, January 16

9:00 - 2:00 each day

Held at Spirited Hands Studio in Tucson, Az

Cost:   $190.00  includes materials

REGISTER at www.spiritedhandsstudio.com

contact:   feltingmagic@gmail.com

Grand Opening Eco Dye Jacket!

After 2 hours and 15 minutes of "cooking" in the pot, one day resting in the pot, and one day resting out of the pot we finally got to open our eco dye jacket bundle!  Needless to say the anticipation was at fever pitch! Hope you enjoy this video of the opening process.  We still will have a day of drying, ironing, rinsing, and more ironing before our piece is ready for a final unveiling...

Adventures in Eco-Dyeing

Hope you enjoy one of my first attempts at a video production!  It chronicles some of our adventures in Eco Dyeing...this time a wet-felted jacket that Sally made awhile ago.  We have used 2 types of Eucalyptus leaves and bark, African Sumac leaves, Blossoming Plum leaves for the botanicals.  The mordants are vinegar, iron water, and maybe some input from the aluminum pot!  Now to wait a couple of days and see what magic happens!

Fancy Little Fedora

Combination of Merino wool and hand dyed silk crepe give a rich texture to this little fedora...

Pretty in Purple

My baby sister is a knockout and she certainly sets off this nuno-felt trapeze style top. Yes, she is a gorgeous red head...just had to show her off!

Peacock Dance Wet Felted Mandala

Continuing to work in the "round"...Peacocks decided to dance today!

Hope this detail shot helps convey just how much I am loving Blue Faced Leicester wool and Rod O'Finlands' awesome wooden rolling tool.

Thanks for hand dyeing the wool Sally. That color infusion always inspires.

little black hat with little black dress

This nuno felt dress looks so great with the felted black hat...

Honey Gold HAt

Sculpting Wool!

I am really enjoying the finishing of the wet-felted wool hat. I have found that doing the layout and initial felting of the piece on the first day, then saving the finishing for another day works great for me. Being patient and fresh improves my chance of responding to the the inclinations of the wool itself. I'm more apt to follow the fibers lead...and execise my sculpting desires accordingly. Once again, thank you sheep!

wet felted hat workshop

Had fun in the studio with Cathy and Lois. Nuno-felt beret style hat and fancy fedora all wool. Finishing work on the fedora this Friday. I used all merino roving in two different colors--"dingo" and " gold". As I continued along in the felting process I noticed a distinct difference in how the two colors were coming along. Eventually realized that although both were from our merino stash, they were from different suppliers. Variables...The particular sheep, the growing conditions, the processing techniques??? The contrast between the two brands of merino was stark! Makes me appreciate my old favorite even more than I used to especially for this particular use. I know I can count on it producing the finish and wearability I'm looking for. Save the other Merino for non-wearing situations.

another new felter passes 101!

Dawn is a brand new felter who just graduated from our "Felting 101" class. Congratulations Dawn! How do you like her very first shoulder bag?

Evening at Versailles