Using an embelisher

With a meeting coming up, where we sahll be looking at the use of embellishers, I thought that I ought to metaphorically, dust mine off. An embelisher is like a sewing machine, but rather than an threaded needle that goes up and down, it has pronged needles that 'needle-felt' flet nad fabric into a background. although there is a lot more you can do with them I am sure - and hopefully will find out just what next week - watch this space! In the meantime ..and 'dusting off' here are three ice inspired semi abstract pices - made with an embellisher, incorporaating marino tops, dyed muslin and other fabrics and wool and  then a bit of machine stitching was added. What to do with them next is the question, as they are ok in their own right, but shall I chop them up and incorporate them into another piece? 

Bowberhead Wet Felting Workshop

 As it was National Meadows Day, Cumbria Wildlife Trust had an open day at Bowberhead; allowing the public to explore the beauty of this upland hay meadow. As part of this I was able to run two workshops: in the morning a wet felting workshop and in the afternoon a sketching workshop. I began both by leading a guided walk through the meadows looking at the flora and management of the meadows and hopefully inspiring participants for their artwork! The meadows, due to the weather this year, are past their best, but there was still plenty to see with notably good displays of Hay Rattle seedheads, Betony, Knapweed and a range of grass species. Due to the unpredictability of the day's weather, we felted inside the lovely old cattle shed ...everyone was pretty much a beginner and threw themselves whole heartedy into the process! The photos below are while the felts were wet and some will be embellished with a bit of needle felting, embroidery or bead-work once dry. Well done all!

Workshops week

Part of my way of thinking is to try to free up weeks, by concentrating 'work' into a single week...so this week it was wet felting and drypoint courses as well as an evening talk. Great work produced by all and it was particularly helpful that the sun shone to dry the felt! Much of the felt will be sewn into to finish it and drypoint etchings may be coloured too. 

The ideal drying rack! 

Some fabulous drypoint etching...

Felted Primroses

We all look forward to spring and being as it feels nothing like spring - here is a sample piece that I prepared for a forthcoming workshop,  primroses. 

The finished sample.

Layng down fibres ...

Needle felting onto prefelt...

Adding detail...

Geting there ...

Needle felted ...

..and wet felted. 

Needle felted fungi

The other morning I led a needle felted fungi workshop. It was a lovely morning and as it was poorly attended allowed me to play too! 

Eycott Hill Felting workshop II

After an excellent guided walk round Eycott, led by Cumbria Wildlife Trust's Northern Reserve's Officer, we returned to the village hall at Mungrisdale to create our felted pictures. A really enjoyable afternoon - with participants eagre to learn and some lovely results inspired by the morning's walk! 

Eycott Hill felting workshop I

As part of my artist's residency with Cumbria Wildlife Trust we are running a series of workshops that are based on different nature reserves. Yesterday's was based at Eycott Hill, where after an excellent guided tour, by the Trust's Northern Reserves Officer, Kevin Scott, we returned to Mungrisdale Village Hall to learn how to wet felt a picture inspired by the morning's visit...the weather couldn't have been better! With spectacular views there was plenty of inspiration - although I can't but feel that the belted Galloway cattle - heavily in calf, stole the show! The next blog shows our felting results.

Needle felted shells

This was a two part workshop - which worked well. The first week I demonstrated  the techniques needed to needle felt a realistic shell and then participants took materials away to create more, before returning to finish and attach their shells to drift wood in the second session.