Monday 20 April 2015

A Busy April!

This is our fabulous stand at The Creative Stitch Show in Belfast, Elaine Mc Combe had worked very hard and we were very pleased with the results!There was a lot of interest in our stand and the workshops we held in felt making.
It is always lovely to meet new people who are creative and interested in our craft, we had mini demonstrations going on over the three days at our stand!
Saturday was also our felt in, so it was extremely busy for the committee, unfortunately Mandy was unable to take the felt in, so I volunteered to stand in.
We had decided to explore adding texture to our felt, to inspire our members to be more experimental with their pieces for up and coming exhibition, it was also a good chance to show our new girls how exciting making felt can be!
We started as usual with a show and tell, always fun and gets the chat started! Sara had needle felted this unusual fellow!
I showed the girls how using a touch of another colour can add real life or buzz to your work, for my visual aid I used my wrappers from my Easter eggs, which of course I bought only for the tin foil colours!!! 
Some of my sample pieces incorporating a silk window in the centre, with bands of silk fabric and an unusual knitting fibre! 
This sample is to illustrate N Ireland as we have lots of tiny fields all different colours, these are made by using different squares of fabrics from silk to cheese cloth.
It was great to see the variety of work being created, there was a lot of experimenting going on. We also had quite a few new people whom we had spoked to at the show, and it was lovely to see them and we hope we will see you all again ( I have a funny feeling we will!)
I am going to include some comments from the girls present at the felt in.
Enjoyable and inspiring!
Really enjoyed the day of experimenting!
Great way to spend a morning!
Great teacher, good follow up and keeps you right!
Great way to use up all my bits! Great Atmosphere!
I will end with one of new first time felt makers comments
I made Felt and really enjoyed it!!

Next month is the AGM for members only, for those attending remember to look out your UFO UnFinished Objects, or bring along any Felt item you would like advice on, we have a small panel to give helpful and constructive advice!
We will have our usual felt in, in June, so we hope to see you all then. Take care and keep felting!
Fiona Harvey