Felt Fest 2013 Saturday Class

     

 

 3d Workshop at Tin Thimble Felt Fest 2013

Saturday class with Nicola Brown an international instructor from  Ireland.

The first workshop was three dimensional wet felting using the open resist method. We also learned how to embed glass stones into our work. Also we learned how to make spikes and dreadlocks.

The first thing I did was make spikes leaving loose fiber at the bottom to attach to the vessel.

Next I began working on a vessel which turned out to be more of a bowl shape.

This photo shows the vessel at the stage where all the wool has been layed out on a plastic circular resist on both sides. The other side not shown has an opening left in the center for the top of the bowl and for removing the resist. The photo shows what will be the inside of the bowl. The spikes are being added to the bowl by spreading out the dry fibers left on the spikes and wetting them down and felting them into the bowl fibers.

 This is the bowl as it is being felted more after adding on the spikes. At this point it is inside out. It still need to be fulled and shrunk more in hot water.

This is the completed vessel. Not quite a masterpiece but not bad for working in a workshop situation. This spike technique can be used in many different forms such as on hats, in the center of flowers, on wrist cuffs etc. When felted well the spikes will stand up quite stiffly and can be formed when wet in to spirals or curves.