Sticky Paws Blog

I have added new autumn workshop dates to my 2011 programme including two new workshops which I am very excited about.  The first one is in July and is nuno felting a scarf with merino prefelt cut into circles and rings and the second is a Christmas themed workshop which I am currently busy designing.  I will upload some photos as soon as possible.  If you are interested in attending any of the workshops please do not hesitate to contact me.

Many apologies for my complete lack of posts.  The past few months have been really busy for me as well as very sad following the tragic death of my friend’s fiance a few weeks ago.  I was planning to blog about the garter, bag and handkerchief set that I had made for her wedding day but it doesn’t seem appropriate now.

I will, however, rant about weld.  In an earlier post on dyeing with weld, I described what a fantastic dye plant weld is.  Last month I ran a natural dyeing/felting workshop and Marilyn, who ran the dyeing aspect, told us of the very easy method she uses to dye with weld.  She just chops up some weld (approximately the same weight as the fibre to be dyed) into an old bucket and pours boiling water over it.  She then leaves the weld to steep for a few hours before straining off the chopped up weld.  She then adds wetted out fibre and leaves the fibre in the dye bath until the desired colour is achieved.  How easy it that?  If you want to change the colour but don’t like using chemicals you could also try adding some nails or a piece of old copper piping in with the weld to create copper/iron water which will act as a mordant and create a different colour.

There really is no excuse for not having a go using this wonderful dye plant.  All you need is a bucket and even if you haven’t got time to have a go now, weld dries beautifully and is just as effective when used dried. Last year I lamented to my husband that is was such a shame that 99 percent of the population didn’t know about weld and he replied that 99 percent of the population didn’t care.  So:

PLEASE PICK YOUR WELD NOW FOR SOME BEAUTIFUL COLOURS

In an earlier post about cobweb felting I wrote that I wanted to try cobweb felting with grey angora rabbit fibre and dyeing it with osage orange.   I have finally got round to doing this using beautiful 16 micron merino tops as the base.  On to this I placed the grey angora fibre and some silver dyed merino tops.  I also used white silk sliver (just to finish it off nicely).

Cobweb Scarf before Dyeing

Close Up

I then mordanted the scarf using alum (this improves the quality of dyeing) and then dyed the scarf using osage orange crystals from Earthues.  I’m not sure how available this dye stuff is in the UK as Earthues is an American company but a British stockist should be able to get it in.

Cobweb Scarf dyed with Osage Orange

Close Up

Unfortuately my photography is rubbish but the grey angora fibre turns a beautiful greeny grey which really compliments the orange colour.  I would love to know if there are any other dyes from which you can obtain two colours.

In February I ran two nuno felting workshops and had the pleasure of teaching this beautiful technique to 15 wonderful people.  We had great fun playing about with fibre adding lots of silk freshly imported from Treetops Colour Harmonies for an amazing finishing effect.

Unfortunately the workshops were so busy at the end that I forgot to get finished photos but I did take photos of some of the scarves in progress.  I think you’ll agree that even unfinished they took fantastic.  I have uploaded the photos to my flickr account.

Finally my laptop is back.  Number one son has managed to do something to it which means I can use it again although it is still a bit slow.  I’m so pleased to have it back.  I have been accessing my email account via my little son’s laptop but could only use it briefly at a time in case he missed something vital happening on Facebook!

I have been busy doing lots of felting which I will tell you about and running workshops.  I was also commissioned to make a handbag for one of my customer’s called Kathryn.  She asked me to make a handbag incorporating some of her felted knitting.  It took me several days of double checking my maths before I took the plunge and cut her felted pieces.  It is one thing cutting fabric when you know you can just make/order some more and quite another when it is your customer’s work.

Kathryn

We were both really pleased with how the bag turned out.  Kathryn’s hand knitted felted pieces complimented each other beautifully and were very strinking against the black machine knitted pieces.  A gorgeous beaded handle was all that was needed to finish the bag.

Happy 2011 to you all.  It has been pretty dramatic for me already as I have had lots of computer/broadband problems (which hopefully number one son is resolving) and then two weeks ago I had my second car crash in six months after I skidded on black ice and put my (new to me) car in a ditch.  Needless to say the car has been written off but luckily my little son and I are okay.

But the good news is I have received all the fibres I ordered before Christmas and am ready for my felting workshops which start in two weeks.  I was particularly excited to receive my parcel from Treetops Colour Harmonies in Australia.  I usually like to dye my own silk as it is so easy to do but I have been so busy recently that I haven’t had a chance and the colours from Treetops are sooooo delicious I couldn’t resist.

I am also busy designing what we are going to make in the felting/dyeing workshop in May.  I am hoping to design a felted cuff and necker scarf which can be over dyed with two dyes, probably weld and woad/indigo.  I will let you know the results.

I have organised an additional workshop date for nuno felting.  It will be Saturday 5th February 2011 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require any further information or wish to reserve a place.

I apologise once again for the lack of posts.  As soon as the silly season Christmas is over I will wrote more posts and tutorials.  I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and peaceful 2011 and hope Santa brings you lots of beautiful fibres

My beautiful web designer Amy is still very unwell so I am posting the details of my 2011 workshop dates here.  Please send Amy a healing prayer.

Saturday 12 February 2011   Nuno Felting Workshop                         Make a beautiful scarf

This workshop is now full - please contact us if you are interested in learning nuno felting as we will arrange another date.

Saturday 12 March 2011       Cobweb Felting Workshop                     Make a beautiful scarf

Saturday 26 March 2011       Nuno Resist Felting Workshop            Make a little black bag

Saturday 2 April 2011         Felting Around a Balloon                         Make a fun bag

Saturday 7 May 2011       Natural Dyeing/Felting Workshop                Full details to follow

For full details of each workshop please visit www.stickypawsfelting.co.uk where you can view/download a brochure.  Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require further information.

As promised I have taken some photos (not very good ones) of the felted handbags I have been making for upcoming craft fayres.  The handbags are all made from felt which has been machine knitted from 100% lambswool or a mixture of lambswool and a synthetic fibre.

Black Felted Handbag

This handbag is made from felted lambswool with marabout stitched around the opening.

Mixed Fibre Felted Handbag

This handbag is made from one strand of lambswool and one strand of synthetic fibre which when knitted and felted together produces a gorgeous velvet effect.

Link Handle Felted Handbag

This handbag is made again from lambswool as is the handle which is made from strips of knitting sewn together to make a link strap and felted.  If you would like to see more of the handbags I have again put them on Flickr.

Last Monday at Mix and Match we made Angelina Fibre Angels.  Not only are they fun to make but it was also really an excercise in using angelina fibre.  There are different types of angelina fibre available and we used the ‘hot fix’ type which is heat bondable irredescent fibres.  Most of the group hadn’t seen Angelina fibre before but it is really versatile and can be used in so many ways.

Angelina Fibre Angel

To make an angel, lay some angelina fibre on a piece of baking parchment in a sort of semi circle.  Cover with another piece of baking parchment and using a medium hot iron, pass the iron over the baking parchment a couple of times.  Do not leave the iron on the baking parchment as the angelina fibre will loose its lustre.

Angelina Fibre

Roll the angelina fibre into a cone shape and very carefully press it against the iron (which is sitting upright) ensuring that you hold a piece of baking parchment against the iron.  It is a bit fiddly but works better than trying to use glue, but please be careful not to burn your fingers.

Angel Body

 Lay some white angelina fibre on the baking parchment in a small semi circle and iron as before.

Laying out Fibre

Cut out a pair of wings leaving the lower part ‘frilly’ if you want to.

Finished Wings

Cut a piece of cord, string or yarn just over twice the length of the angel cone.  Put a knot in the end that is folded about 2 cms down, and put a small bead on each cut end and knot.

Cord for Angel

Carefully push the cord through the top of the cone, using a knitting needle if necessary.  The knot should be big enough but if it slides through the top of the cone make a bigger knot.  Cut a small slit in the middle of the angel wings about 2 cms down from the top.  Slide the cone into the slit.  If the wings stand away from the cone carefully place against a warm iron the same way as when making the cone.

Angelina Fibre Angels

I haven’t tried it but I am sure it is possible to make silk fibre angels as described in my silk paper tutorial.  I haven’t tried using angelina fibre in felting (it is on my to do list) but would love to hear from you if you have.