Monday 24 November 2014

Wall Hanging Workshop

We invited Jeanette Sendler and Alison Mountain back for a one day workshop, it was an interesting and challenging day. We were asked to cut paper and use shape to create a plan for our wall hanging, this enabled us to get in the Zone!!
It was a good idea to have a plan even if it was vague before we started to cut out prefelt and silk fabric!
Jeanette and Alison are lovely tutors who encourage and build the confidence of the students as they progress with their idea. Here Jeanette is giving us ideas on shapes and cutting techniques. 
The girls had brought with them some of their amazing knits, hand dyed silks and prefelts which Feltmakers North participants were able to buy to add to their work. 
The work was the most varied I have seen at one of our workshops in colour, shape and style, which was an added bonus to all that were there.
Even during lunch Sarah couldnt switch off being creative, look what her sandwich wrapper turned in to!
Sarah with her completed piece, which includes some yarn she spun herself!
Dympna beautiful piece reflecting her home down on the peninsula.
Jeanette having a wee chat at the end of a very enjoyable workshop!
Ann and Alison holding up Ann's completed piece!
It was a great day that flew by, full of creativity, fun and friendship what better way could you spend a Saturday in November!
We look forward to seeing you all for our December felt in and Christmas lunch on 13th December, please email Gail if you are attending the lunch
gail.cooke1@btinternet.com

For next month's felt in remember to bring in addition to the normal felting kit, your silk paper and a little merino tops, if you do not have silk paper there will be a little available to buy. You will also need a small piece of resist! Great see you then, take care.
Fiona Harvey

Tuesday 18 November 2014

Christmas Bowls

There was a great atmosphere on Saturday when Dympna got everyone into the Christmas mood by showing us how to make little bowls decorated with berries and Holly leaves. Most people worked in white, red and green and created some lovely lttle pieces with spots. leaves and the odd little cord. There was the options for surface decoration and also how to cut the top of the bowl when removing the resist.
At times the room was unusually quiet as concentration was needed to remember where to place the leaves or where to cut the opening!Everyone went home promising that they would be making more and Tina later commented that she already had lots of orders from family members!
A big thank you to Dympna for sharing her skills.
Another massive thank you to the girls who brought more sample squares to help towards our blanket project. Many of the squares demonstrated the techniques which members have been perfecting- so lots of hard work there!

It was great to see how many members brought their infinity scarves from Fiona's workshop to the show n tell and to see that lots had made at least one other scarf!
There was free felting in the afternoon and it is such a great opportunity to simply felt together and enjoy a bit of craic which was aplenty!
Some happy girls bowled over!

Gail Cooke

Monday 10 November 2014

Christmas Felt in


On Saturday 15th November we will be having our seasonal Felt in, Dympna will taking the felt in and making a seasonal themed bowl! Please bring your usual felting kit, including some white merino wool, scissors and green and or red prefelts, do not worry if you do not have these items as Dympna will have little kits to buy at £5. you will also need a resist so please bring a small piece with you! 
In the afternoon we will be having free felting, which means you can bring a pack lunch and carry on felting until 4pm, for non members there is a small additional fee. 
Don't forget we are also at Wallace High School Craft Fair on Saturday 15th November, which we hope will be a 
successful venture for us!
Hope to see you on Saturday 15th November Hillsborough Village Centre, at 10.15!
Fiona Harvey