May's makes...

The biggest project I worked on through May was a pixie hooded vest!  I made a really sweet blue one a while ago, but had an idea for getting 'proper' shoulders in there by working the vest and hood separately up to prefelt stage, then stitching the hood in place and felting..  

Easy enough in theory :)

The brim is going to be folded back.. like a cuff,
so decoration and locks go down first so they're on the outside once it's
finished and folded back

2 fibre layers on the hood so it's softer, finer felt than the body..
Loads of silk, locks and yarn embellishments :)

Laid the body out in the same way..
except I used 3 fibre layers for a sturdy felt

I really love the teal curly Teeswater locks!  All brought back from Wonderwool 2014..
they were hand dyed by Sara's Texture Crafts  she does lovely variegated colours!

A nice nuno spiral.. vintage silk chiffon sari fabric (one of my favourites)

More gorgeous silks.. mawata squares and dyed cocoons from Oliver Twists
(also brought back from Wonderwool 2014)  I love love LOVE their silks!

stitching the hood to the neck hole

This is where it got awkward.. rolling!  The torso flattened in one direction
while the hood flattened the opposite way.. Once I got so far I was glad to start throwing!

It was a rather fiddly once the hood and body were joined.. but I must admit to being very pleased with the result.  And I have commissioned some really special buttons to go on it.. can't wait to receive them.. (really hope they suit it!)

It was still a little damp here..
notice Sally in her cling-film wrap? :)