tiny felts

When I saw daughter's little leather amulet bag

it was an inspiration for some tiny felts.

Three tiny bags with the flap folded over.

When they're completely dry, there will be a thin cord

through the top of the bag

(and around the neck)

My assistant today was very helpful

when I started the next one.

He even insisted to help me rolling !!!

Seeing that it was getting smaller and smaller

he thought it was a fun hat

... though better suited for his monkey

HA !

*

Daughter has been knitting some "earthmothers"

They posed for the picture on the garden stairs.

(the dark green one also of home spun wool)

The lovely rainbow-mother close up.

going to solstice and ... a present

It is really quiet down here.

(I visited the Christmas market here today :

and I'm very glad I decided over a month ago

not to participate this year ! 

I'm sorry to say that there were very few stands that I liked !

Really must find another type of market for my art.)

Because I made a little solstice quiltlet this summer

I thought it would be nice to make another one

this December.

I decided to make them "sisters in size"

20 x 20 cm

I "glue stitched" the first bits and then pinned down 

a lot of others scraps.

I started stitching, but didn't take a picture of the progress yet ...

My studio assistant was very much attracted to the boxes with scraps !

He loved to put them in his chair, the little buggy instead of his bear,

and opened and closed the lids ...

(I was glad he didn't tip them over) 

Then arrived in the mail a fun envelope :

Helmi had already send me an email for my address,

so I knew something was coming  ;-)

Thank you Helmi,

for this lovely surprise !!!

They will decorate the room or xmas tree this year !

Apart from the angels, there was also this fun little scrap 

with a goat (screen) printed on it 

She makes such fun things,

and I love what she teaches at schools !

bags

This time the bags I've been busy felting 

don't look like the bags 

I'm usually making
...

I wanted them to be a bit more simple to felt

and possibly combine them with fabric.

(as long as cat-assistant leaves my wool in peace

she's allowed ón the table)

The pattern is just a long strip : 

front - back - flap

The rest is still a bit of a mystery (to me) 

Using a piece of net, to prevent the "nuno" parts from shifting

(though my hands don't like rubbing on the stiff net)

This one's dry now and waiting for the fabric gussets.

*

The next one in a different colour scheme

just four layers : two for the inside (light pink)

and two for the outside (reds oranges and pinks)

This one's still wet and not all the nuno pieces are well attached :

the silk and cotton were okay, the mix fabric (big dots) not quite.

And my other assistant ?

bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

doing some vacuuming for me,

(with my felting "swimm noodle")

new toy .... new exhibition

Ooooh ... it took me a   l o n g   time

but I finally bought 

an embellisher !

It's more than a year ago 

that I visited the workshop with Sara Lechner

She started as a quilter

but switched  to work with the embellisher

You can also use a simple felting needle

(or "Clover" felting tool)

but the embellisher does the job a lot easier !

It looks a lot like the simplest of sewing machines,

though you use no thread,

just wool rooving 

(and all kinds of other materials)

My studio assistant was having fun with the box ...

... and this swimming lady was my third try

(the first and the second ended up in the bin

hmmmm  ... I had forgotten much ...)

The size of this ??? ... very small

I usually photograph all things lying on the floor :

the boards are about 7 cm wide.

Onto the next

( broke the first needle ! there are five in the needle head ....

the needles have to be moving fast before you start moving your work !!! )

"mother and child"

machine or hand stitching is next

*

Tomorrow starts in Veldhoven, near Eindhoven, the show of the 

Open European Quilt Champignonships.

The author of our book "Art quilts in Nederland"

asked some of us to participate in another exhibition during the OEQC show.

The very talented collegue / friend Sary Maas 

brought her own work ánd my "I want to break free" pink torso to Veldhoven.

Man and me go to the show on Sunday 

and afterwards take the work home again.

young assistant

Last week daughter had time 

to do some serious felting.

I showed her working on the Ouessant fleece,

but she made some more 

little curly rugs,

using other types of wool.

Indeed, a lot of work !

So who wouldn't be very thankful for a little help ?

Hi Mom 

I'm here to help you 

She also finally managed to make a bag for a friend.

(she had promised that a long time ago

but didn't have the time or energy to do so)

step by step

the beauty takes shape

Today (washed, dried in form and with the strap attached)

YES really a beauty

While daughter was doing the felting 

I finished all the bits and pieces of my Sophie Digard inspired crochet shawl

and look at that  assistant again  :

proudly showing my work !!!

(he is such a good helping hand !)

Making the last choises ..... and done !

Going all around the border 

is the last task before blocking !

Yeaaaaah !