Merino and Silk Collars…..

Today’s students were Jenny, Felicia and Anne, three friends from the Derby area who travelled up for the day to make Merino and Silk Collars.

As you can see from the photos of their finished work the ladies did a wonderful job and achieved some fabulous textures.  They even got done in time for a quick Tyvek demonstration and each made a Tyvek brooch.

Felicia’s finished collar

Jenny’s finished collar

Anne’s finished collar

Jenny, Anne and Felicia…..all hoping the damp, cold weather continues a while longer!

It was a pleasure working with you ladies.  I hope you all enjoy wearing your new creations and go on to make lots more!

Experimenting with Nuno Felting…..

Yesterday I was teaching in Risley, just outside of Derby, working with a creative group of ladies called “Material Girls”.  They had invited me over to spend the day with them experimenting with Nuno Felting.

The ladies all brought a selection of lightweight fabrics ranging from pure silk, viscose and muslin through to polyester and netting as well as Merino fibres.  The idea was for this to be an experimental session making samples which could later be stitched and framed, making a unique piece of textile art.

The results were absolutely stunning!  Depending on the choice of fabrics this process can be very time and labour intensive and therefore I was a little concerned as to the staying power of my group!  I needn’t have worried….there was a lot of coffee, biscuits, laughter and determination to keep us going and the results really paid off.

Once their work was finished the ladies used picture mounts to select certain area which appealed to them for stitching.  Non of this fabric will get wasted as even small off cuts can be used for making brooches or used in card making, mixed media work, etc…..

Once again, it was a pleasure to work with a group of like minded ladies and be able to share my enthusiasm and passion for Feltmaking and Textiles.  Many thanks to Viv and Jenny for arranging my visit and helping to make the day a success.  I look forward to seeing you all again sometime.

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A quick update on the pictures made at this workshop and a big thanks to Anne who has sent me photos of the two pictures she made from her Nuno samples.  Just a little stitching is all it took to transform the fabrics into beautiful landscapes…..

Nuno Collar….

I’ve been busy making samples for a Nuno Collar Workshop which I have been asked to do at the Thomas Garrett Rooms in Heighton in the Autumn.   I deliberately steered myself away from my usual pallet of greys and muted colours and I’m really pleased with the results.  These collars are incredibly lightweight (approx 35gms) making them very comfortable to wear.  Each one is held in place with a Tyvek brooch.