'FELT ALIVE' EXHIBITION

FISHY FUN with Mandy Nash 23rd June

Firstly thanks to Mandy on delivering some fishy fun & of course to the Committee for arranging today's workshop.

Mandy uses Bergschaf (Tyrolean mountain sheep) wool. This is a wonderfully short staple lightly crimped fibre which felts relatively quickly. A vast array of colors were available to use together with various shaped resists. The 3-sided resist provided the basic fish shape with masking tape used as a resist for scales & slashes. Following lunch the group concentrated on tails, dorsal and ventral fins. Then had a whale of a time rubbing and rolling. 

Certainly at the 'top' table (youse know who youse are!) there were a few fun puns with (unsurprisingly) a fishy theme. Poor Marie had a 'haddock' (a Lurgan headache); Sarah thought this wasn't the 'plaice' for it & Fiona had to 'clam' down & 'mullet' it over. If anyone else has a good fishy pun let 'minnow'!!!!!! 

Anyway after some more rubbing & rolling, heating & throwing it was almost time to leave. However, a few felters managed to remove the resists and begin shaping eyes, mouths, spikes and almost complete. Below are just some of the results. Please bring your completed fish along when we return in September.

Again thanks to Mandy Nash for a great session. Lots of pics below. 🐠🐡🐳

Finally thanks to Lisburn Council and the Deputy Mayor, Amanda Gresham for their continued support to Feltmakers North.

Sorry Gail!

 

Felt-in 16th June

Such a busy morning. Thank you to everyone who brought along items for the Felt Alive Exhibition, 7-29th July. As space in the Loft Gallery is limited the Committee are going to have some difficulty in selecting items which will demonstrate the variety of techniques & applications of Feltmaking.

The Exhibition launches at 2.30-4pm on Saturday 7th July so please come along to view your work & support fellow feltees. 

Feltmakers North AGM took place last month on 19th May and was followed by a workshop with Gabi McGrath. Gail thanked those who had completed the questionnaire & advised that results of this will help to formulate next year's felting programme. Indeed in response to the suggestions from the questionnaire an exciting schedule has already been drawn up for the Sept-Dec period & shall soon be added to the blog. 

Committee members
(Left to right) Helen, Jane, Elaine, Mandy, Jayne

The next felting year, 2018/19, will see a focus on felting with differing wools & fibres, laying, edging, pockets & flaps, UFOs (UnFinished Objects). There will be exciting workshops incorporating both wet & needle felting. We will see 'homegrown' and international felters  share their skills and experiences. All very exciting & something for new & experienced  felters alike.

LAMPSHADE WORKSHOP 19th May

A great afternoon felting with Gabi McGrath & Yvonne Shields. Using cotton gauze bandage was new to all & with only a single layer this felted up really quickly. Lampshades everywhere lit the room.

 

FELTING HOLES with Mandy 

Our thanks this month to Mandy who lead a morning session on incorporating holes/slashes into felt pieces. Using a wool layer base, scrim/silk layer, resist & top layer of fibre or prefelt gorgeous textures and interest can be created. 

As always Mandy brought along a selection of samplers showing different ideas & styles. Following a demonstration Feltees got down to work and as can be seen below there were lots of styles and ideas. 

This is a valuable technique for every felter to master and, can be readily adapted into many projects. 


A (w)hole lot of thanks to Mandy :-)

Our next usual Felt-in will be 15th September but if you are worried about withdrawal don't forget to come along to the Felt Alive Exhibition, 7-29th July, The Loft Gallery, Portaferry. Or perhaps you have availed of the summer workshops - 23rd June Sea Creatures with Mandy Nash and/or 25/26th August The Art of Embossing with Wendy Bailye.

Keep an eye on the blog/Facebook for info and updates. 

& to keep your summer garden tidy perhaps avail of a this eco friendly lawnmower comes with free fleece.......

Have a great summer & hope to see you all in September.

The Editor