Woolgatherers meeting and challenge #3

I'm a little late posting this.. been busy as ever!  Just over a week ago the Woolgatherers met, at Clares new home (thank you for hosting Clare :) ).  We had a lovely morning filled with the usual drooling over fibre.. eating cake.. drinking tea.. (and baby cuddling!)

Sue was unable to join us, and I know that she has felted some flowers for the challenge.. but for now here are the others :)

Challenge #3
' Flowers'

set by Brenda

On the spinning wheel is Clare's challenge piece; thinking laterally about the theme she brought nettle fibre & bamboo fibre to spin.
The beautiful pink flower is Brenda's beaded brooch.
I felted 2 seamless cushions.. which I'm planning to post about soon (guess what - I took process pics :)

Our 4th challenge theme is 'Holidays'.  We are set to meet next right in the middle of the holiday season - Fri 5th August .. anybody in the Birmingham, Worcester, Kidderminster area.. if you fancy coming along give me a shout, we would LOVE to meet you!

I made out like a bandit from the meeting.. Clare gave me a big green wool blanket to do 'as I please' with :)  Great news for me.. I'm planning to make a woolen coat for myself this winter - and I LIKE green.  Brenda has lent me a lovely (and what looks simple) pattern. 

Blanket behind.  I want to make the short green coat

Brenda has also, very kindly, given me a large microwave oven to do my dyeing in! How great is that?! Its living out in the garage too, so my family will be spared the smell in the house lol. 

Funnily enough they don't actually complain about the smell.. possibly because they know I can do MUCH worse things with a microwave :D - like the time I microwaved TRIPE  for Jesse (our oldest dog).  It wasn't long after we had her & she had been raised on tripe.. I had to ween her off it - the smell made me retch.. and this was the only time I gave her cooked tripe!  OMG worst smell I think I've ever come across.. The children were about 5 & 7.. they ran down the garden and wouldnt come back in for 2 hours!  Apart from the smell, it was pretty hilarious.  To add to the farce, our next door neighbour chose that day to lock himself out and ask to come through our house to climb the fence - I dread to think what he thought - it stunk to high heaven! 

And now the kids are just about ready to break up for the summer holidays!  I'm felting like a mad woman trying to get as much done as possible this week..  I have a few projects planned for the holidays.

I have been enjoying my new freemotion embroidery foot on the sewing machine :) and have got a thing or 2 to share with you over the next little while.

xx

Woolgatherers Challenge #2

Vintage Button and Beads

Set by me

All 3 pieces

Brenda Marshall

This lovely, tactile piece features of an old enamelled brooch pin depicting the Virgin Mary. Brenda incorporated it with some beading on felted fibres.

Clare Atfield

Clare brought some sweet little plastic owl beads from the 70s that she planned to use for this challenge but with a new baby to look after didnt get chance to work on her project.  Instead she crocheted with wire & gemstones this retro inspired bracelet.

Mine

I pulled one of the silk caps I dyed recently into a very thin roving & crocheted this simple choker.  Button & beads have been rattling round in my stash for yonks - its good to use them on something :)

Next challenge: Flowers

Crafts with Purpose

Woolgatherers

Operation Bunny Drop

As promised here are photos of the Woolgathering girls bunnies :)  I snapped them at our last meeting.





by Brenda Marshall

Two lovely felted bunnies :)  with soft velvety fabric inners to their ears - very cuddleable (am I inventing words?)



by Sue Longley

Sue knitted the lilac bunny, he is SOoo soft and squishy, definately made for hugs.  I love this little fella, Sue recycled a felted jumper to sew him - he is just the right size for little hands to hold.

Clare Atfield
Better late than never :)
(Only late on here, not late being sent)

LOVE him!!  So simple and well shaped.  Clare sent 2 of these bunns, and also got the knitting group she goes to involved making more - brilliant.

I think they will all be well loved.

Checking the Crafts with Purpose Facebook page, as of yesterday 365 bunnies had arrived safely & there are lots more on their way.  One lady even managed to make 50 - what a generous soul, lovely.  Hope they reach their target..

My bunny has arrived safely.  I did only manage to make the one, I'd hoped to make 2 but just didnt get round to it...feel a bit bad about that really. 

Woolgatherers Challenge #1

Tiny Frames

Challenge set by Sue ~ who also kindly provided the frames.

Sue is still working on her piece so unfortunately its not featured here

These frames are so pretty, and SO tiny!  The area where the picture goes measures just 15mm x 13mm.


Brenda Marshall

 This stunning little landscape is made from embroidery threads.  Fantastic!


Clare Atfield

E is for Evie - Clares beautiful baby girl.  Patiently knitted on super skinny needles :)

Mine

 I embroidered the hand on a scrap of felt.  The ribbon is frayed bias cut silk, handpainted.  All the symbols on the frame are often associated with Goddesses.. so I stuck with the theme :)

Next time: Vintage beads & buttons

xx

Lace, Woolgathering and exciting weekend plans

Yesterday was the 2nd Woolgatherers tea morning.. and a lovely morning it was too!  Brenda brought me a suprise pressie :) which was very kind and really amused me.  While shopping in Stroud she came across this and thought of me

Gift wrapping paper made from sheep poo

A bit gross.. but totally tickles my funny bones.  Bless her, she carried it carefully around the town for the rest of the shopping trip, and stored it carefully to avoid creases :)  I have to think of something 'interesting' to do with it now.  I'm thinking along the lines of using it as a backdrop for a piece.. maybe.  Any suggestions will be welcome :)

I'm not going to report back on the tiny frame challenge as Sue, who set the challenge & provided the frames, was unable to join us.  Next time we meet I shall take photos and post them, in fact there will be 2 challenges to report on then.  This months challenge is 'vintage buttons and beads'   - we can make whatever we like - so long as it features vintage button/s and/or beads...

Wednesday and Thursday I played around with lace.  In Fabulous Felted Scarves by Chad Alice Hagen & Jorie Johnson there is a bridal wrap made from lace and strips of merino fibre sort of woven and then felted.  I didnt want to make the wrap project in the book, but the idea really appealed.  SO, when I got my hands on a shoe box full of vintage lace (my aunty kept it from clearing her parent-in-laws house after they died) I decided to play.

Laying out.  I lightly veiled the edges of the lace on both sides. 
There are 3 perpendicular layers of fibre on each of the felt strips

I cut one of nans vintage chiffon scarves in half diagonally & added that as the focal point in the middle of the back.  Threw a sprinke of white firestar in between the merino and chiffon for a little glitz.

Felted & finished and modeled by Rachael - who is too small for it really bless her. 
Will get better photos in the week.

My bunny that will be going to Japan is still unfinished, as is the orange bag.. but as the kids have just broke up for the Easter holidays (which means no felting for a couple of weeks!) I can get on with them this week hopefully.

So whats the exciting weekend I have planned?  We are going to Wonderwool Wales tomorow!  This is the third year that I have wanted to go.. and I'm going YAY.  We are heading off for a family day out.. hope the others enjoy it as much as I am sure to!

I'm off to enjoy the spectacularly sunshine - its been gorgeous the last couple of days; summer clothing weather!

Whatever you are doing this weekend - enjoy xx

WOOLGATHERERS

This morning I had the absolute pleasure of the first Woolgathering! 

Brenda & Susie came along, Clare had planned to come - but having given birth to her first child just 5 days ago, she couldnt make it. We were thinking of you though my dear & wishing you well - I cant wait to come cuddle your little princess. 

We had a really lovely morning!  There was a good deal of tea drinking, book browsing and fibre fondling - as you might expect from a group of fibre addicts.  I thought that it would be nice for us 'founding members' to each have a Sheepish pin..(pictured in the last post)   so the girls got to choose a little lambie to take home with them.. my flock is getting smaller again :)

Susie has issued a challenge over the next month.  She gave each of us a gorgeous tiny metal picture frame... which we are going to fill and bring along to the next meeting.  Quite exciting this... 

Whole new territory for me working on something so small! 

Now the sun is shining - and there is Spring in my heart.  This week has been satisfyingly productive, both in relation to felt made and... 

 A friend safely delivered a health babe.....

Our first Woolgathering went really well ... I have just spent a whole morning chatting with 2 friends over felt & fibre - sidestepping occasionally into such realms as music, yoga & strange phobias :)  It has done me good.

Hope you have an excellent weekend - whatever you have planned

xx