Progress photos - felting my wave

I usually get so caught up in my projects that I forget to take progress pics.. I am trying to remember though.  And I did take a few as I was laying out the wave panel in my recent cushion cover..

4 merino base layers

You cant tell from this photo (on my moniter you cant anyway!) but the base layers were all a deep Atlantic blue that I had dyed myself.  I used Landscape dye for this, now I have always found Landscapes to be very colour-fast - I like them.  But I wanted a very deep, dark blue so I used the full amount of dye for the dry-weight of fibre I was using.. to get the deepest colour possible from it.  Dont know quite what I did wrong (maybe should of cooked it a little longer?) even though I thought I'd rinsed the fibre well.. when I started felting with HOT water the blue ran! 

I liked it just like this..without doing anything else to it at all.

On the surface I used LOADS of white silk for the surf & spindrift; mawata silk hankies & caps, throwsters waste, and some bleeched linen fibres too. 

I added a some white merino to the mix too

So, with all this white detail, I started to panic a little when the blue started to run..  Nothing much to do really though at that point but keep going and see how it turns out.

Close up of what had been white surf. 
This photo catches the sheen of the silk quite well..

The colour run did lend a blue-hue to the white areas, but it was a happy accident - I really like it.  To me it looks like waves do in bright sunshine.. you know when they are sparkling so brightly that it almost hurts to look at them? 

I DID forget to take a photo of the finished panel BEFORE trimming and sewing

I trimmed the edges nice and square with my rotary cutter, and added a nice backing fabric with a double row of stitching around the edge.

So, now I really must try to remember to take more pics..  I do have one more recent (& as yet untold) project with lots of pics to share with you later in the week :)

TTFN xx 

Going Coastal!

You an certainly tell that we have been to the seaside!  Look at whats happened to my work...

Only had 2 cushion pads when I took this :(

I had been planning to make some seaside inspired cushion covers, a trip to my local fabric shop presented me with the perfect backing fabric for them :)

If I had my dream cottage by the sea I would have things like this there...

I made a mess cutting the back of the first one - my brain was totally out of gear and I forgot to add the seam allowance!  Didnt want to waste the fabric though, so I have just finished making them into lavender sachets for my mother-in-law (she mentioned wanting some a few weeks ago).  She was born & raised in Cornwall and loves everything that reminds her of the sea, so I think she will be happy with these.

Different picture each side

Fishy keyrings were next on my list.  I find it hard thinking of anything 'blokey' to make from felt - I think these fit the bill quite nicely.  Pity I didnt get them done in time to go in my shop for Fathers Day!  Never mind theres always next year..

These are cut from super chunky Swaledale (spun by Clare) crocheted, I wove blue & green mohair through in places and then fulled in the washing machine.  Just right for these, its about 1cm thick and very sturdy.

And finally the yarn that I was spinning from the batts with banana fibre in..

I'm thinking of making myself a beaney hat from this.

Tuesday being the summer solstice we had planned to get up early and climb Clent hill to watch the sunrise.. didnt bother in the end though as it was pouring with rain on the night and promising to be a cloudy sunrise.  We got a little bit of sunlight through the day, then the cloud cover came back to hide the sunset.  Always feels like we should have a blazing bonfire, with music and dancing (and maybe jacket spuds!) to properly celebrate midsummer like our ancestors did.  Something else to do when we get a place with a little land!

Blogger is behaving EXTREMELY strangely lately, dont know if anyone else is experienceing this..  I'm having real trouble commenting on some blogs (which makes me wonde if people have trouble commenting on mine - I know it wouldnt even let me comment here a few weeks ago!).  Yesterday it wouldnt let me add any photos to this post, today it has...  And now the spacing has gone mental, I hit delete on one line and it deletes from the previous paragraph?!  Seriously weird.  Hope it resolves soon.

Hope you have a good rest of week & weekend :)

xx