Simplify, simplify, simplify

See what I'm talking about? It's really hard for me not to take a thing too far. Simplify. That's all I need to tell myself. That's what I'm going to try to do for my next felt project. Simplify. Breathe. I'm thinking of felting interlocking circles in shades of grey. And then see what I can do with texturing the felt. Adding beads and beautiful silk embroidery threads in jewel colors are things that I love to do , but I need the lesson of simplicity. I'll see where it takes me.

Later, although not the same day...

Here is my simple, unadorned piece. Layers of felt and yarns worked on both sides. I really liked working with three dimensions in the center, like how the shadows appear and disappear. 

Below is the same piece, embellished, because I couldn't help myself. Oh yes, I can see a difference. Although the second has more texture and a few colorful elements--embroidered French knots and a few beads-I don't think it's as strong. What say you? I'd like to know.

What I also thought was interesting was how the photos look so different, even though the set-up was the same. The first photo was shot in the early evening without a flash, the second in early morning, also without flash. The black background was exactly the same.  

Abandon ship

...and don't forget your design plan.

Or did I have one to begin with? I had a general idea in my head, kind of an unformed vision that was ethereal, beautiful, mysterious, Asian. But I didn't stick to my vision. Or maybe I had double vision, too many general ideas and not enough focus. 

It began with a lovely printed envelope for a cookbook brought back from Thailand for me. I've always wanted to do something with that, so I printed it on a piece of silk chiffon. You may see some of its pattern on the upper left. But the print was too light, and it quickly disappeared.  

I continued to add bits of yarn, felt and fabric to the base, but the piece wasn't coming together so I thought that more of the red fabric peeking through might help. Unfortunately, I didn't design my cuts very well and began slashing haphazardly, which frankly is a little scary, don't you think? (Is this where I mention an obsession with Law & Order?)  Next time, more thoughtful planning is in order.

This was not looking good. I was about to jump ship when I decided to risk it all (cue to theme from 'Titanic') and cut the piece up, rearrange and re-piece, much like a quilt.   

 I play with some ideas for rejoining--hook & eye, thread--and remembered a bag of silk paper string purchased years ago. It looks similar to raffia, but is stiffer. (If fingers could talk as well as walk, that's what mine would say.)

"Cut and comfort" 11 1/4-by-8 3/4-inches

Beads and additional stitching, with cotton embroidery thread this time, and the experiment is finished. Lessons learned? Uh, stay tuned for further episodes. (Note to self: too many themes, i.e. Law & Order, Titanic. Need to refocus.)

Old Growth

Who said kids have all the fun? (Or was that blonds?) Here's a pile of stuff to play with.

 A beautiful piece of fabric. A hank of yarn or embroidery thread. A photo or clipping from a magazine. A textured basket. An inspirational quote. 

How can the well of creativity ever dry up with so much to draw from? But occasionally, external or internal stresses cause it to do just that. To get past the block, one artist I know uses flash cards he developed, each card listing a different idea or challenge. Many use journaling to break down the walls of self-doubt. 

Each month, I receive a newsletter via email from Design Matters, a mother-daughter duo based in England who specialize in art quilts. (Visit their website at lindakemshall.com.) Their work is dynamic and inspirational.

Recently, they extended a challenge titled Love Colour! (UK spelling.)  Entrants received a color-coded pack of two of Laura Kemshall's hand-dyed cotton fabrics and embroidery threads, as well as two reels of rayon thread. The only restriction was that the elements in the package had to be used in the project, but other fabrics and threads, beads and embellishments could be part of the design.

It was the leaf-like impressions on the gorgeous gold and olive green fabrics that gave me a starting place. 

Photos, drawings and magazine pages taken from my filesImages from my folder of trees and bark, as well as a poem by Mary Oliver, provided lots of ideas for designs. Even before venturing into this passage called middle age, I've always loved the beauty and symbolism of crosscut stumps, each passing year marked by a ring.

With the design sketched out and ingredients chosen, I began by ironing gold textile foil onto a gray felt base, Then fabric shapes were cut out and arranged on top. The process is almost like a collage; putting down shapes layer by layer, then basting in place with a felting machine.Bad lighting. Good beginning.

More layers of felt and fabrics have been placed on top and felted on the top and back sides.I love felting because texture becomes so essential to the finished piece.

Layers of fabric are added and felted, adding additional color and depth. Now here comes the fun stuff.

 Additional fabrics are layered and basted down. If I'm not happy with the results, I can pull the top layer off and try again. The final machine felting, worked on both the front and back of the piece, locks all of the layers in place. 

Embroidery and beading enrich the surface. Love it, love it, love it.

Here's my favorite part. The piece was further developed using embroidery stitches--blanket and some ragged satin stitches as well as French knots-- and beads. There's a fine line between adding too much or not enough, and I had to hold the reins in tightly. The finished piece has all of the elements I love: thematic interest, layers of texture, and rich color. 

"Repurposed"

When I see the word "repurposed" bells go off in my head, and it's not a pretty sound. Like "found art", the word sounds trendy and fake. 

But I recently discovered a piece that I had worked on and abandoned without finishing, and realized that it may be a fun surface to experiment on with felting. So now I've given myself permission to "repurpose", and those bells have began to ring more clearly.

The original, abandoned piece (look at the middle section of the photo to the right for the closest version before I began "repurposing") was made of painted and printed paper fused onto light interfacing. I thought I would add an extra layer of felt on the back, some felt shapes on the front, and then felt both sides.

Above is the back of the cuff as it's being worked on. As you can see in the top section of the photo above that, the turquoise blue is beginning to become more apparent on the front as the piece is felted from the back.

Here are a couple of close-up details of the felt cuff as I was working on it. There were satin stitches on the original piece, so more were added. There were also detached cable stitches, which, when felted, became almost distorted. 

 

 And here is the finished cuff wrapped around my wrist. The edges are enhanced with the trusty blanket stitch. I'm wearing the cuff with pride, and, you know? It's offsetting the winter chill with just a bit of extra warmth. And, when out to dinner with friends on Saturday night, the server complimented me on wearing color on such a gray day. I think it helped her mood, as well as mine.

A silver felted cuff

From a beginning, to "oops", to an ending.

In the beginning, there was an idea: To place felt leaf shapes on top of a felt band, then to needle felt the layers together. I would add silver textile foil , then add embroidery and beads.

Oops! I thought that the silver foil would adhere to the raised leaf shapes, but they weren't high enough for that to happen. So I ended up at a second beginning of sorts. Now what?

I added more felt shapes on top of the silver foil, then started felting from the back to bring forward some of the black felt to the front of the cuff. I started looking at some colors of embroidery threads that would compliment the silver and black.

With embroidery added (including French knots and buttonhole stitches) as well as beading, the cuff is close to finished. Now I just need to line the back, add a closing, and finish the edges.