Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Able to cable
Monday, December 17, 2007
The final curtain
Sunday, December 16, 2007
finished felting
You'll see how extremely sculptural the felt became in the washing machine. All hills and valleys. I also machine felted all the scraps and decided to use them, just as they came out of the machine, to join the pieces together.
Buttons and button holes did the trick and here we have all these strange amorphous joining pieces looking like shrunken socks.
A few of the scraps assembled themselves together in the washing machine and became an impromptu sea creature. Must remember this for future projects!
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Practicing scales
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water...
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Keep your sunny side up
'Stop!' I hollered. 'Turn all your soft felt over so the best side is facing the table. The tops on top is going to become the tops on the bottom!'
And they wonder why kids today are confused.....
Having rectified my error the kids all achieved three clouds of fleecy tops lying over the offending pieces. We damped our clouds with warm water - and the bell rang. Timing couldn't have been worse.
From my dim and distant felt making past I can remember heating cold and wet pieces up in the microwave before I started felting them again but won't be an option for us. Guess we'll just have to add more hot water and hope for the best.
Friday, December 07, 2007
Meanwhile back at felt school.....
I was lucky enough to find an old glass washboard a few years ago. It's been in my cupboard ever since waiting for a jolly felt making outing and today's the day!
Introducing Mr Mophead
I have a puppet project starting after the holidays in a special needs school. They want to make rod puppet so here's my simplified version made with a dish mop and some clothes line. An elastic band round the mop part gives you instant delineation between face and hair. I painted this face which worked well enough. You could also paint the hair but I think I'd me more likely to add some kind of wig or other headgear.....and clothes of course. This will be happening in January after all!
Friday, November 23, 2007
Hanging by a thread
A bit unsure about where we go from there. We have to cut shapes from this stitched soft felt so do we just let the thread ends do their thing? Do we give it a wee wet rub with vegetable net before we cut it to bed the yarn in. I think that might be an idea. If you have experience or advice to offer, I would be very grateful.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Puppet up
Monday, November 19, 2007
What a contrast
The kids are keeping a sketchbook throughout this project in which they will write each week what they have learned, how it made them feel and whether or not they enjoyed it. One boy asked me what you call it when you feel nothing so I told him the word he was looking for was numb and that was a perfectly valid way to feel. (Obviously I'm doing a grand job). I'm pleased to report his recorded feeling for today was happy so that's definite progress.
We had out first mass, hands on felt making trial today and the results were better than I had dared hope. On Friday everyone is making their own individual piece and I'll take more photographs. Feeling a lot more relaxed about the project now and can see success in sight. All feelings of numbness brought about by my fake it until you make it way of working have now evaporated.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Sheer extravagence
Linlithgow
Friday, November 16, 2007
Kandinsky homage
This was my less than inspired effort yesterday. Shiny PVA makes it difficult to photograph. Trying to be all very artistic but sadly it still just looks like a smiley face! I'm sure the kids can do better.