Dympna Does Christmas!!

Christmas came early for us on Saturday when our very own talented Dympna showed everyone how to create the perfect little Christmas tree pendant or, even better, a little necklet.

 Everyone was intrigued as she needled away giving constant advice about how to hold the needle, how to shape the pendant, how to stay comfortable and how to avoid the dreaded pricking!

Before we got the show started Ann, who visits us from Ballymoney showed us just some of the lovely little creatures that she has created using needlefelting.

Not sure who my favourite is!

 It wasn't long before everyone was beavering away and a very unusual quiet descended as the concentration on the task in hand took over.  It didn't last long though!!

Throughout the morning there was  constant coming and going as the pieces for the Community Arts Project were gathered in and last minute notes for the start of the Project were issued.  Everything kicks off at the Island Arts Centre in Lisburn on Monday 18th November and everyone is very excited to be involved in such a major project.

 The Project will work with various community groups throughout Lisburn and Castlereagh and will focus on aspects of life in the Borough.  Linen played a major role in shaping our local community and it was very special for us all when Sarah brought some of her own flax which she had grown this summer, to share.  Deirdre and she will be using the flax as part of the Project next week. 

A buzzy little bee for the CAP

The Community Arts Project is part of the Festival of Felting being hosted by the Island Arts Centre and will be the focus for our Guild's launch of the 10th Year Celebration of Feltmaking.  The launch will take place on Wednesday 4 December at 7pm in the Island Arts Centre, so make a note in your diary to come and catch up with felting friends, view some felted art pieces and be a part of the unveiling of the Community Arts Project wall hangings.

These beautiful pieces have been made by our members and form part of our contribution to the final hanging. 

The pics below show members behind some of the preparatory work.
 
Why not drop in and lend your support to everyone next week at the Island Centre.

 Well back to Saturday!!  What a super little collection of pendants all created in a short time on Saturday under the watchful eye of Dympna who was at hand to help when needed.

And what about this from Veronica, her first time at Feltmakers North! 

I think Dympna was very pleased!

 





 Our next Felt-in is a week early this year to accommodate last minute Christmas stuff!  We will meet in Hillsborough Village Centre on Saturday 14th December when we'll have our annual Christmas feed and before that we'll be looking at spikes and craters and all things strange as we reflect on the learning at Jenny Pepper's recent super workshop.  Members will be sharing what they learnt and hopefully everyone will be inspired to try something for themselves.  Our  Christmas Felt-in will also feature a bring n buy sale so start thinking about packaging up some of the stuff you haven't used in a while or bringing one of those felting books that you're finished with.  Everyone's always looking for prog!

I'll sign off now with a few more of the Community Arts Project photos.  Such lovely work. . . . .

Looking forward to seeing everyone on the 4 December 7pm in the Island Arts Centre and on Saturday 14 December for our Christmas Felt-in. G

Beautiful Bumps and Lovely Lumps!!

 Our October Felt-in saw everyone beavering away making yet more little pieces to be added to the Community Arts Project hanging.  Deirdre updated us about the project and how it has emerged from a crystallise of an idea to fast becoming an amazing butterfly!!

The sample prefelts are rolling in and a big thank you to all those who left bundles into the Village Centre over the last while. 

the ideas keep on rolling in!

Deirdre, Helen and Deborah have been meeting regularly to work on the project in preparation for the community workshops in November at the Island Art Centre as part of the Island's 'Festival of Felting'.  

Deborah there in spirit! 

We've all been encouraged to consider various ways of depicting the essential and meaningful aspects of life in the Borough and yesterday saw yet more super ideas with members taking responsibility for developing various aspects of the hanging.

Helen and Deirdre demonstrated yet more techniques to add texture and surface embellishment together with 3d effects.

There's been great inspiration around and we all think this is a super way to work together learning and developing ideas together.

There was still time in our morning session to do a little Show n Tell when we saw some lovely pieces created by members.  Mandy had perfected two little bowls which were incredibly smooth and even.  Jane shared a book of sample wools which she is making as part of her IFA accredited feltmaking course and we saw Patricia's wonderful cobweb scarf.

Lots of us had been at Jenny Pepper's workshop a fortnight ago and our creatures were definitely holding their own!

Do please continue making little prefelts for the project and if you can't make our November Felt-in, drop them off at the Village Centre. 

Finally don't forget that alongside the Community Arts Project, there will be a small exhibition of pieces made by Feltmakers North, so get your thinking caps on for what you would like to contribute.

Bye for now guys!

SUPER SPIKY VESSELS !!

Jenny Pepper's Amazing Workshop

One of Jenny's fabulous samples

Last weekend members of Feltmakers North had a great weekend learning some of Jenny's techniques to create amazing 3D shapes.  Jenny presented a number of techniques and we were able to choose which ones we'd like to incorporate into our vessels.  From spikes and craters to bumps and hollows, we had such fun learning and then making the vessels.

sample showing a two in one technique

options for spikes

Craters galore from Jenny

Jenny took us through each stage of our creations so that we were all working in harmony and by the end of the first day, things had begun to look very weird!  Then when we returned on Sunday morning the hard work began as we spent lots of time rubbing away to secure each of the additions to our base.

By late afternoon the  vessels were finally born and lots of great pieces began to emerge.

Some of our creations before drying

Our thanks to Jenny for travelling from Scarborough to share her skills with Feltmakers North and to our super workshop secretary Pleasuance for organizing everything.

Jenny's sample using native wools

hanging to dry

Had to get a good angle for the shot!

It'll be so good to see all the creations finally dry and shaped at our Show n Tell  bit of next week's Felt-in on the 19th.  A wee reminder please to bring all your prefelts from last month so we can continue to build the collection for the Community Arts Project.

Don't forget,  coffee at 10.00 and 10.15 the fun begins!!  See you all then.