More February Fun!!

 Some beautiful colours of Kap Merino, the wool of choice for Saturday's session when Ann demonstrated how to work with it to obtain a beautiful flat surface of firm felt. 

However before we began our felting morning, Tina took a few minutes to talk to us about her ideas for our community outreach project with Brookfield Special School.  We decided to concentrate our efforts on making little tactile objects using felt as the base for the children to fiddle with.  There were loads of ideas from covering stress balls to provide resistance objects, to spikes and beads and stones.  Everyone is very committed to contributing individual articles as well as working together on larger pieces at our monthly felt-ins.  Tina will circulate lots of pics in the coming weeks to keep the ideas flowing so watch out for those and don't forget to try a few things now.  Sharon got us all excited when we saw the little pieces which she's made already to get us rolling - lovely little balls within balls with finger holes and little bells trapped inside.

 Ann then got us all started by explaining all about Kap Merino and working with batts rather than roving or tops and demonstrated how to do a basic lay around a small resist.

Kap merino is new to a lot of our current members so it was great to be able to experiment with it and to try making a little purse. 

One of Ann's lovely samples

It didn't take long to get everyone started on their project for the day.

Each step was completed by everyone before moving to the next stage which meant that no one was left behind.  Ann ensured that everyone understood each step and it was great to see the efforts being made by everyone especially our new members, some of whom are completely new to feltmaking.

Norma's helping hands!

  

  

Say hello to Helen's Mum!!

There was plenty of chat and fun and the morning flew by but everyone managed to get to the final stage of their little purse.  Some deciding to keep as a single with a fold over top and others making two little coin purses, the tops being secured with a zip.

Ann ensuring the attention to detail!

Mandy counting layers

Lots of smiles despite the hard work

Some lovely examples of little purses or folders to keep all those important things made with Kap Merino.  Big thanks to Ann for all her careful preparation and great teaching.  

At the March Felt-in we will all be working together on the first stage of the individual and group projects of the Community Outreach Project so do please keep any odd bits and pieces of wools and silks to use up.   It'll be great to see the finished purses at next month's meeting and perhaps a few more made in between!