How I Felt Today

Well what a sight for happy eyes. Colour, texture, lace, silk, fleece, wool, silk, luxury.

The whole table full of beautiful fibres, flowing and floating around.

Laurie Steffler  had graciously visited the
  Victoria  Handweavers  and Spinners Guild..and introduce us tp some of the articles in her collection from her Gallery.

In Lauries words felting involves :"Fiber fushion and the nuno felting technique is so exciting to work with. Felting merino wool and specialty fibers with silk fabric creates luxurious art to wear. Its fun to explore because of its infinite creative design possibilities. Playing with colour,
creating images or being abstract and fusing other fibers in with the wool always provides wonderful results. We lay out our designs and then use hot water, soap and agitation."

I have been dabbling in felting, both wet felting and needle felting.

 It is liberating and exciting..

You start with lace, or silk, or chiffon. Add merino, or a drab of silk, stir in a large amount of free thinking and imagination.

You can create gowns, shawls,hats, vest and blouses as light as a feather that float around you like a dream on a warm summer night.

There is so much to show. Please look at her sight, or better still visit her studio or in the Summer at the Salt Spring Market

One of her many  skills is that of hat making.

 It is pure genius to see how she she takes fibre and creates hats with no seams.

 Even more enchanting is the way she refreshes her wardrobe.

 She will felt and reshape a hat, over dye a shirt or vest, chap a piece up and add it to a fresh creation. 

This can only come from a deep love of the art and colours on the West coast.

 She notes that if she  had her way, she would kayak around the Island, stopping to create what the day would lead us to in our soul then paddle off in the mists of the coast.

You can start with some needle felting.

 It is very inexpensive to start and their are course at Laurie's and other places like Notty by nature

Google for free patterns for felting, both wet felting and needle felting.

This young lady gives and excellent demonstration on how to make a felt hat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EP_5JXkFWg 

There are some excellent video workshops for free on You tube.

So far all I have sold are my felted dryer balls, but I have my eye on the bigger picture. I have a good book, needles, imagination, and who knows how I felt tomorrow.

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