Playing With Fibers

Playing with closures

Wool batting with silk lap and
 more fun closures

Wool batting with burnout silk
on the sleeves

Turquoise silk lap

I have been playing with different styles of scarves and a few vests using odds and ends of materials that I have had on hand for a while. This is the first time that I have used a large amount of wool batting, and it's amazing how much faster the felting process goes. Silk fibers and wool locks seem to adhere and blend into it very nicely.


 I have also just used some silk lap that I purchased some time ago. It was difficult to find a source, but I finally found a good one. Silk lap gives a garment a beautiful sheen and wonderful texture. The only drawback is that if your hands are rough the silk sticks to them like crazy.

The centipede looking scarves look funny in the pictures, but are actually quite attractive on. As can be seen,
some of my scarves would also make good table runners.

Centipede scarf

I should be finishing up all of the things that I am taking to the fair, but I just can't seem to stop making more new things. And now after talking about this fair so much, it will be very embarrassing if I don't sell anything. No matter what, this will be an adventure, lots of fun. The fair is only a week away now, I am excited.

Wool batting with silk
 fibers

When the fair is over I am going to have another drawing. This time I will have some of my own things in the drawing as well as a couple of the lace dresses. Look for this the week of October 11. Hugs...

Buying Books and Taking Pictures

Yesterday my granddaughter came over and we ordered her college texts from Amazon. After that I asked her to model for me again. She put on both the "plain" jacket and the "scrappy"  jacket

and made both of them look great.               

                

A few weeks ago two of my friends came over and told me about a vest pattern that they had seen on a woman. The vest had a long "V shape collar type, hood type thing" going down the back. One of my friends even drew a picture of it. I had some extra felt that I

 didn't have plans for so I decided to try making a vest with this v shape collar hood type thing on it. Why not? So I made 3 of them.

 The body of the vests was made of very soft merino wool that was multicolored in plums, pinks and blacks. The collars were made of whatever I had on hand that looked okay with the felt. Rachael made them look great.

She also modeled a couple of the purses that I had been playing with. They were the ones that had the silk metallic fabric in them. I used Heather's idea for purse handles, and felted over cotton cording. It made a great, secure handle.

Now, I have no idea what to charge people for my goods as a vendor at the fair. We are in a recession and I know that folks don't have as much money on hand as they did. Any ideas out there?

Scrappy Jacket and Messy Again

Last time I showed you the scarves I had made using up the scraps of felt that I had on hand. Well, I decided to make a "Scrappy Jacket." As you can see, it's the green one with all the stuff on it. It looks much better in "real life." Some of you will still say,  "Why did she ruin that jacket?"

The second jacket was going to be very plain. I have a hard time doing plain, I can't do plain. As I laid out the felt, I added one kind of silk, then another, and still another. Then when the jacket was finished, I needle felted pieces of silk chiffon into it. As I said, I don't seem to be able to do plain.

And then I come to what was once a wonderfully organized room. Remember when I first got "Big Red." I cleaned and organized my work room and it looked so much better. Well now I have been getting ready for this fair and everything has gone totally and messily downhill. Every surface is covered with unfinished projects. I need to stop creating and start finishing.

 I have this whole suitcase full, and still have all these things to finish. As my timeline draws near I am getting more panicked. Help!!! I thought that I had all this time, and now I may have to rush. I have done it to myself. Wish me luck.