"Katia's" shawl

The shawl I made in Katia's workshop

was nearly finished when I took it home.

I knew I wanted to do some stitching with the machine

(like Katia herself does)

and also some stitching by hand.

But when trying it on when it was totally dry

made me realize I didn't like the way it lay around my neck.

I like it because it's beautiful

but I also want it to be comfortable and warm !

I had my doubts about making it wet again

and trying to shrink it some more

in the right place

.....

I decided against that 

but made some very narrow pleats instead !

That just did the trick  ;-)

The pleats (that you can see at the back of the collar)

take enough of the extra space away

so now it fits much better.

I'm very happy with the way the silk

(habotai and chiffon)

that Fiona handdyed for me some time ago merges into the wool.

The habotai took a bit more effort 

(uhhhhm ..... a sander) 

but it looks very nice !

The "button" was in fact a mother of pearl disc

with only one big hole .....

so I put a little felted ball on top.

(for the inside of the machine stitching

I used the same rayon thread 

but only in a dark turquoise colour so you hardly notice it)

Very happy !

Thanks again Katia !

loooong ago ... and a new felting exchange start

November was rushing by

and the last month of the year is nearly upon us !

Time flies ...

That was what I thought 

when I received, a few weeks ago

an invitation for a reunion.

This photograph,

of a looooong time ago,

was put on FB ...

and it started the search for others who were in that class

in 1971 !

Some of the children of those days

which are adults of 50 now

still live here in this village

(like I still do ...

and that very young teacher was me)

Yesterday I met with a lot of those "little pupils" ...

I had a hard time recognizing some

and knew others right away !

(one of the "girls" even came all the way from Rome

where she has lived for 25 years)

IT  WAS  REALLY  FUN !

*

I finished and send away the four extra felted jewels

that were on commission

The end of November also meant 

that I needed to hurry finishing  my piece for the new

felting exchange !!!

The theme was 

"fish"

and it had to be bigger than the postcard size

of the last two years :

20 x 20 cm !

The start with some prefelt and a cobweb bit

There were more prefelt bits  for the fish 

and on the back I put two more layers for strength.

In the end it turned out the prefelt for the sea horse

was absolutely too thick ...

But :

with the stitching finished ...

a bit fuzzy

but definitely a sea horse

(I think)

Tomorrow it will go in the mail !

I learned a lot ... (post 555)

Last Friday and Saturday I was in Amersfoort

for the long awaited workshop with

Katia Mokeyeva

I admired her felt work for a loooong time,

so I was glad to be able to attend her workshop !

Because it was a two day workshop,

I could stay with my brother and his wife who live near Amersfoort :

mmmmmm ... just to come home after a long felting day

and have diner right away.

what a luxury !

The first day was used for a lot of explaning of different techniques and layers

and all of us began the lay-out of a big shawl.

We had lunch, coffee tea and talked a lot about our plans.

On the second day the actual felting could begin,

we had another lunch, lots more coffee and tea

and gradually more and more shawls were nearly finished.

We tried them on 

(still wet, which isn't very comfortable ... !)

with a little helping hand of the "master"

And when you look at the smiles :

HAPPY with the result !

(but not yet finished : a lot of stitching and a button are still needed)

Then there was still enough time left for some of us

to give the arm warmers a try ...

(I used some gorgeous handdeyed wool of Adrian for them !)

They were still wet, but finished.

Totally dry at the end of Sunday I could start with the stitching :

uhhhhhm : a bit like Swiss cheese ...

only a different colour !

I'm sure I'll make these warmers 

(or the other pattern ) again some other time !

THANKS  KATIA !

I had a wonderful time

and learned  A  LOT !

11 - 11 - 15 ..... a mandala and more felting

Today was our mandala evening

(with mythical figures this year)

I have to catch up with Persephone

from October on Man's birthday,

but tonight was about the Japanese Benten

and the dragon.

(only the dragon emerged and no Benten)

*

When I was busy with the felted jewels

that I have to make on commission

there came also some new scissors pouches

( ... "with a little help from my friend ....")

and some more felted jewels

...

(and busy with another few)

But the day after tomorrow I will go to a new workshop

this time with Katia Mokeyeva !!!

So more serious felting coming !

I'll tell you alllll about it when I'm back !

THANK YOU !

Well, yesterday evening 

when I posted my last felted jewel for Pink Ribbon

(which was gone within ten minutes !)

I didn't count on being back here so soon

.....

But this morning I received an e-mail

from a dear dear friend in Germany, who told me 

she wanted to take all the jewels that were still there !!!

I can tell you that it brought tears to my eyes

(and it also reminded me of the warm letters and postcards from friends,

seventeen years ago, after the operation)

So that's why I'm back so soon

telling you that I will be able to donate

€  360. -

to the Pink Ribbon fund !

So THANK YOU very much :

 Delia   Joke   Jolan   Judith   Doris   Marian 

 Madelon   Jolanda   Birgit   Maartje   Larisa 

 Hermien   Roos   Jane   Siets   Caroline 

 Yvette   Petra   Kate   Rina   Jana   Natima 

 Mirjam   Margriet   Helma 

;-)