Congrats Fiona. Your work continues to challenge our notion of what is a fibre? It also pushes against the division of art-making into (fine) art and (fine) craft. It is visual, conceptual, experiential and sensory.
I hope I have a chance to see it in person in the future.
Sue Sacchero
October 15, 2019 at 7:35 am
Good luck with the exhibition.It is a pity to miss it.I hope you will be able to post photos at a later date.Cheers Sue and the Safety Bay Spinners
Trish Malanaphy
October 12, 2019 at 11:09 pm
Life evolves we are so lucky to have the opportunity to be able to see these things clearly. For me one of my favourite quotes is from Jay Shetty.
When you learn a little, you feel you know a lot, but when you learn a lot you realize you know very little.
Your work is stunning .
Trish Malanaphy
Deborah Brooks
July 15, 2019 at 11:39 am
The Salt Spring workshop must be full as there is no link for that one. Is there a waiting list? Thank you!
Fiona D
July 15, 2019 at 3:30 pm
Deborah, the registration for the Salt Sring workshops opens at 2pm (PDT)-in about 5.5 hours from now. It will be wonderful if you can join us!
JP MacConnell
July 14, 2019 at 6:50 am
Hi Fiona,
I live in Bellingham WA and I took the Surface design, and Felt Illuminated classes from you online. At the Felter’s Fling 2017 I told myself that I would jump at the next chance to take a class from you on Salt Spring Island. I see that the registration opens at 2 PDT, is it here on this website that we register?
Looking forward to meeting Ellen as I could not attend the Felt Feutre Canada last fall. Crossing my fingers………….JP MacConnell
Fiona D
July 15, 2019 at 3:29 pm
JP, it would be lovely to see you here! Registration links will be on my website at 2pm (PDT) today.
The links will be on this page: https://www.fionaduthie.com/workshops-2/
Rae Cochrane
July 13, 2019 at 11:31 pm
Such a beautiful garment Fiona, Great tutorial. Rae
Jackie Bartolini
July 9, 2019 at 9:03 am
Thank you Fiona!!! Making a garment has been on top of my bucket list. I have so enjoyed the 2 courses I took with you. You are extraordinarily talented and very gracious to share your gift🤗
Kathleen Drinkwater
July 6, 2019 at 10:02 pm
Hi Fiona,
I saw the Posting about these new classes for next year and am excited!
In looking at the Fibre + Paper + Ink online class I’m wondering how much overlap in the course materials there would be in the Raised Surfaces in Felt class.
Are you able to tell me what time registration will start on the 15th and how many participants you have room for?
Thank you!
Fiona D
July 9, 2019 at 4:43 pm
Thanks for your message, Kathleen! There is no overlap at all between the Fibre + Paper + Ink workshop and the Raised Surfaces Workshop.
Only that in the Raised Surfaces class we will do some felting with paper- but much less intensive study of that medium than in the other class. InRaised Surfaces our main focus is on textures that stand well above the surface, often on felted stems. There are 12 spaces in each class and registration will open at 2pm, PDT (Vancouver, BC time)
Mary Turpin
June 26, 2019 at 1:47 pm
Good morning Fiona,
I am really excited to register for the Holland 6 day workshop in 2020. I don’t want to miss out due to time differences between when you post and when I see it. I am in the United States in Maryland and in July we are on Eastern Daylight time.
Fiona D
June 27, 2019 at 6:01 pm
You have two workshop options for this collaboration!
One is on Salt Spring Island, in BC. Registration opens for that workshop on July 15th at 2pm (PDT).
Ellen is accepting registration for the workshops in Holland. That registration is open now and you can find all of the information here: https://colorsofellen.com/en/shop/workshops/product/6-day-workshop-silk-painting-and-felting—fiona-duthie–ellen-bakker
Thanks for your note on the dates! I hope you’ll join us for one of these workshops!
silvana
June 22, 2019 at 9:35 pm
Thank you so much!_
Charlotte Moore
June 20, 2019 at 2:22 pm
i have a question, more than a comment: I took Fiona’s online course in surface design. It was fabulous!! You are the best, most responsive teacher ever. I always learn an enormous amount from Fiona — and her personal comments and critiques are always generous and valuable.
Now, what is the difference between that course and the raised surface course on Salt Spring Island?
Fiona D
June 20, 2019 at 3:58 pm
Thank you so much for your comments, Charlotte! The raised textures really take things up and above the surface of the felt. I also think of it as canopy felting- like the treetops! Many of the techniques we will look at involve using short felt stems to lift the design elements up above the felt surface. Plus we also look at working with paper incorporated with the wool. We will cover about 6 different raised design elements, plus the paper felting. There is only one design element that overlaps with the Surface Design course and that is the raised prefelts. If you have any other questions, please do email me!
Patricia Silva
June 19, 2019 at 9:48 pm
Many thanks from Argentina
Jane Dolan
June 19, 2019 at 10:32 am
Those two big lay out photos are a bit of felting bliss to me. Thank you for sharing this great pattern it looks amazing. It is lovely to see you wearing your own beautiful felt creation. A delight all round.
Barbara King
June 19, 2019 at 5:00 am
Wow .beautiful Fiona – thank you so much for more inspiration. You are amazing. Hope to see you back in New Zealand
Margo Duke
June 19, 2019 at 12:01 am
Fiona, thank you for this inspirational tutorial! You are so talented and so kind – I feel a kinship with you since I am from Scotland and love reading about your adventures! I will be there for the month of August, alas, I will be teaching and how I wish I could take your course!
Lindy Huber
June 18, 2019 at 10:41 pm
Soooo cute and great instructions! I can’t wait to make one to wear to the retreat in September. Thanks, Fiona!
Lindy
June 18, 2019 at 10:32 pm
I’m so excited about these possibilities, Fiona!
Lee Downes
June 18, 2019 at 10:05 pm
Thank you – I can’t wait to make it!
Marianne Quist
June 17, 2019 at 10:51 pm
My goodness. This is just gorgeous thank you for sharing.
Sue Sacchero
April 28, 2017 at 6:12 am
Thank you this really inspiring!
Anna Ashton
April 27, 2017 at 8:43 pm
Exciting! it will be good to explore up there.
Carol
April 27, 2017 at 5:51 pm
I find it heartwarming to read your progress on your residency. I have done 2 residencies and with each one I have gone with a set idea of what I wanted to accomplish – perhaps influenced by the notion that I had to make the most of the precious time I had been given to devote myself solely to my work. Each time, my original ideas have been blown to the wind and I have found myself doing something that was unplanned and very influenced by where I am. I’m thinking your experiences along with mine are lessons I need to be mindful of. Thank you for your post. I felt compelled to respond!
I so wanted to come but wrong year. How lovely to be able to get wisps of your work via the blog. Thank you.
Deb
April 27, 2017 at 1:50 pm
Thank you for being so open and honest with your experiences. I find reading about your process very inspirational as I am just beginning my own explorations. Looking forward to finished photos!
From Viking lineage myself, I love the boat you are making. Some of the decor on the side remind me of petroglyphs, rock carved pictures found on walls and caves. Please show us the finished work when you can.
Will be following this eagerly.
Anna
April 24, 2017 at 12:35 pm
It’s really generous of you to share these insights…and helpful to understand the work that follows…
Meg Brooks
April 18, 2017 at 2:54 am
More excited than ever at the opportunity to be in the Shetlands. Looking forward to meeting you Fiona.
Anna
April 14, 2017 at 11:11 am
Great to see this before getting there! Thanks Fiona.
Alison
April 14, 2017 at 8:26 am
Hi Fiona
Lovely to see how well you have settled in. Looking forward to meeting you and being back on the island.
Hope the felting goes well.
Best wishes
Alison
Lindy Smith
January 12, 2017 at 6:41 am
Fiona, I am always amazed at the next concept that you come up with. This is amazing!
Anna
January 11, 2017 at 9:40 pm
It’s a beautiful concept…I love the idea of words emerging from the final piece in a random way….who knows just what will appear?
I love this so much, Fiona. The words/feelings still there, legible or not…and in fact more mysterious in not being easily read….in whatever form it later becomes. I love the mystery of it….the story continues in the mind of the creator(s) and the viewers. Great first project of 2017.
Wishing you the Happiest of New Year’s wishes, Fiona.
Penny
January 10, 2017 at 1:34 am
What an intriguing idea and wonderful outcome. Great to see what you are doing. Happy new year to you and yours x
Anne
December 18, 2016 at 1:27 am
I wish I lived closer I’d sign up for this in a heartbeat. I’m a perennial student in the arts and love ceramics and fiber art and metalsmithing. Combining different mediums is something I love doing. I just signed up for your emails so I’ll happily look forward to them. I want to see this lamp when it’s done!!!!!
Waltraud Hoffmann
November 8, 2016 at 5:14 pm
Hi, I am new here. Wonderful article! Thanks a lot.
Sue Sacchero
October 10, 2016 at 10:21 am
Thank you Fiona, I will try to track downs some coloured batts, perhaps I will have to dye them myself
Marlene Kluzek
May 23, 2016 at 10:25 am
i am usually very conservative with embellishments and colours. Some how the penny dropped reading your prefelt instructions resulting in 4 colourful prefelts.
MCH
March 29, 2016 at 6:42 pm
Hi Fiona great article about pre felting.
I was just wondering can you make pre felts by needle felting ot using an embellisher machine? I think you may lost some of the subtle merging colours you get from wet felting.
Åsa Hertzberg
February 27, 2016 at 11:13 am
Thank you Fiona!
One less experiment for me to do!!!
ginger
February 20, 2016 at 2:13 am
Fiona, I’ve been trying to figure out how to manage my experience of the frequent quarreling of three young boys and their exuberant, abundant energy and everything that goes with that and all the other things that we live in our daily tasks and strivings in our chosen roles. Thank you so much for the imagery of the sea states. That will take me far, I am sure, in this adventurous voyage.
And your adventurous voyage makes me think of a ship on the high seas with the wind in its sails. Thank you for sharing the process with us. Your work is so inspiringly beautiful.
Barbara Fox
January 20, 2016 at 11:28 pm
The dress is gorgeous and s so representative of the attributes of kelp. I love the metaphor of the changing sea and our changing personalities. Beautiful work!
Still working on the diorama project, but can not wait to do a top with some of the tecniques you showed us.
Barbara Fox
December 13, 2015 at 11:25 pm
This dress is amazing! Thanks so much for sharing it’s process and 3 dimensional preparation. Beautiful…
Helga Yaillen
September 25, 2015 at 8:04 pm
Fiona, I so appreciate you and your art sense. Since I went as far as Kyrgyzstan to learn about ancient felting techniques I surely could visit you in nearby Canada to take one of your workshops. I any case I want to take your next on line design class.
Luvswool
August 18, 2015 at 9:38 pm
Only you could have designed such a beautiful dress! The sea theme is intriguing, offering so many possibilities. But, oh, the dress went into the water! Fiona, very clever idea but I hope the dress survived.
What a beautiful dress Fiona !
It must be (another) special cooperation with this time Katia !!!
Great to see the process , thanks !
Ha, ha, great photos too, the uncropped ones 😉
Love, Els
Eloise Holland
August 18, 2015 at 1:47 pm
oops, that was me below Fiona. (at 1:45)
Anonymous
August 18, 2015 at 1:45 pm
I love the metaphor of the Beaufort scale. It was part of our teaching when our boys were young. I loved the translation of a number to a statement of what you might see.( At 8 on the scale: “walking becomes difficult”.)
Attaching this to a garment, a piece of fabric art is mind blowing. So many things to think about here.
Amazing work as always.
Josie
August 18, 2015 at 9:58 am
Thanks Fiona for sharing. It took my breath away as I read through the catalogue and looked at the wonderful work from this exhibit.
Josie
August 18, 2015 at 9:57 am
Your work is absolutely stunning. I love the story about the dress and look forward to seeing your new exhibit materialize.
Gwen Martinuk
August 17, 2015 at 11:57 pm
Inspirational and beautiful and very spiritual. Love all the photos.
jonatha foli
August 17, 2015 at 11:17 pm
i live 6 miles from a northern california beach and can spend hours watching magic happen.
yesterday seals, blue heron, pelicans, gulls and a most wonderful pod of tiny silvery fish skimming
the surface just off shore. your stunning piece and words capture it all fiona and i cannot wait to see
where this all goes.
Anonymous
August 17, 2015 at 11:12 pm
stunning work. i live 6 miles from a northern california beach and
your words and work honor everything i love about the sea. you have
captured it all.
The anonymous comment from 8/17/15 was from me. I forgot to leave my name. I just love your work and so awe and admire all that you do.
Anonymous
August 17, 2015 at 10:27 pm
The whole thing is absolutely stunning…the dress, the images, the photography, your creativity. You are so amazing Fiona.
Teresa N
August 10, 2015 at 4:35 pm
Love this, Fiona! I’d like to do something of a smaller scale in my backyard. What is the structure that holds the leaves? How was it created?
Fiona D
August 14, 2015 at 4:13 pm
Thank you Teresa! The structure is split bamboo. Each leaf either has a sleeve felted in along the sides for the bamboo, or else is double sided, like a vessel, so the bamboo holds the leaf in shape under tension. We used copper piping to secure the bamboo at top and bottom. This was an exciting project, and I plan to explore this much more in the future…as time allows!
You inspire me! I am looking forward to playing with wet wool on our rocky Bowen outcrop. I love the idea of woolly shapes guiding visitors up a long steep driveway….
(hmmmm sorry, must have been "sleeping", that I only saw it nów …)
I love the leaves hanging out there ! I do love "land art", we change our environment a lot of times and a LOT of times nor for the best, but this is something intertwined with nature in a delicate and beautiful way ! No second thoughts here 😉 What a bonus when you found the leaves moved !!! Something extra you may remember (and use) the next time 😉 Would LOOOOVE to see the installation in person, but … Love, Els.
Gorgeous work and thoughtful statement/explanation, Fiona. I love this installation! Congratulations on creating such wonderful felt art. I love the play of light on felt and you have captured the effect beautifully.
Thank you, Monica. I am so excited about this work. I have a big project in the works to be installed in Scotland in 2016. Thanks so much for your comments!
Pat Taylor
June 25, 2015 at 3:57 pm
Land Art is so fascinating! I love your piece Fiona. It looks like your work will have an interesting and embellishing relationship with the environment. Bravo Fiona!
Thanks so much, Pat! Your words are important to me, coming from such a creative environmentalist as yourself! As you said, Land Art is a fascinating practise. I do also appreciate the other side to it, that questions why humans need to leave their mark or change a natural environment at all….it's good to keep this in mind also. Warm wishes! F
Thank you, Jzin. I get inspred by these projects also…I'm looking forward to working on my original proposal, plus another installation within this body of work. It's exciting.
I've had felt art work installed outdoors for over a year at a time with no ill effect at all. When the felt was taken down, it was a little dirty (being installed by the side of a busy road, but was in exactly the structural shape as when installed. This was in the Pacific Northwest, through a rainy winter. Since felt is made using water, it holds up well to rainy conditions, and all other elements in my experience. This parrticular work reacts with the space and elements in that on Salt Spring we get almost no rain for the four months of summer. The continuous sunny days provide the passive illumination that is part of this project.
Marilyn
June 11, 2015 at 11:29 pm
Beautiful Jane! I love it can be vertical or horizontal.
Hands, beautiful hands (yóúr able hands, I recognise them from the many photos and videos 😉 …) and clearly capable of much much more than felting alone ! LOVE the lamps , and that vase (with the flowers already there) I can imagine it must have been very relaxing to be "on the other side of the table" 😉 Great you did yourself this favour, so good to do something "else" occasionally ! Love, Els
Thank you both! We are just finishing up the last piece right now…the felt wall…it's huge and just about completely fulled now! One more hour of rolling and surface work to go! I'll be writing more about the making of the pieces and showiing the work over the next two weeks! Thank you both for your well wishes…I feel your support across the distance, and am grateful for it!
Dear Fiona, I really hope your year turns out to complete just as good as it has just started A great exhibition coming up (so sorry I can't visit), classes with fun people and enough leisure time to stay healthy ! 😉 Lots of love from Holland
Thank you, dear Els! I do love hearing from you, and checking in on your blog…I'm still so stretched for time..but just for a few more weeks and then I'll be sure to comment and connect more! A resolution for this year! Leisure time is the order of day! Starting in April…I'm planning a on a long, slow, oudoors all the time, quietly creative kind of summer! Love and big hugs! Fiona
Wow. That is so exciting. Well done everyone. I went to the opening of an exhibition here in Western Australia earlier this year with very similar concepts. A group of Printmakers worked in a similar way, with only a limited contact with their partners who were poets….. clever and amazing work was presented. As Pat said above, definitely some synchronistic energy was there too. Being a felter, I commented at the time that it would be interesting to do the same thing with felters and poets maybe but now I love your combinations allowing the inclusion of colour.
At first, I thought yours was a group exhibition but re-reading I realised the felt was all your work. Very impressive. Thank you so much for sharing. Regards from a new fan in Western Australia, Brenda Warner…..Feltnitnstitch
Ahhh Fiona, I would gladly have come as a substitute for one of the cancellations … ;-D (It would have been great to finally start with my "end piece" of last spring ….. still no oppurtunity to make the BIG piece 🙁 but planning to 😉 !) Congratulations to both "students" ! It must have been very special to have you for a private teacher !!!!!
Enjoy your stay and other classes Fiona, Love.
Anonymous
November 19, 2014 at 1:22 am
I wish I'd signed up for your newsletter earlier to know about your Okanagan visit and add to the numbers at the workshop. I am assuming that you won't be there much longer but would like to know what your schedule is, and if there's something I might be able to participate in. Please update me. Thanx muchly. Rosalie WIlliams
Ah, I am so envious of your time in that beautiful area and with such a small class. It truly is a gift! And the tops are absolutely gorgeous. i am still reeling with joy from the felting retreat at Meech Lake. Cathy (Luvswool)
Oh, this blue "migration journey" is wonderful Fiona ! Love the stitched journey from wishbone to wishbone too 😉 I envy you making another wonderful full moon dye day !!! An indigo vat !!! perhaps I will succeed in doing it (at least once !) Have a good week Fiona
Fiona, dear- If you thought that I was 'chomping at the bit' about our retreat BEFORE I knew what work you were going to feature, now it's even worse!! Giggle. I love this work, the metaphors, the incredible, detailed layering and conceptualizing…ohhhhhh…I can't wait!
Don't you just love it when things come together like this! There must have been some synchronistic energy between you and Barbra. Your stunning, living 'shift' sculptures fit and hang so beautifully. Bravo Fiona!
Your pieces came out beautifully – not surprisingly containing your wonderful details and subtleties! Also, amazing how the paintings and wearables interact and that neither of you mapped it out extra-intentionally beforehand. How exciting to have the shift dresses worn by models at the opening!
CONGRATULATIONS !!! Fiona (and Barbra) So great to have this wonderful exhibition together and it really adds up !!! Two pieces sold, marvelous ! (no wonder !!!) What a great idea to have the dresses on real models during the opening 😉 Love, Els
Anonymous
July 14, 2014 at 7:40 pm
and this dress is still in my dreams after the show…
That is so beautiful Fiona, and I loved seeing the thought process behind the sculptural surface. I'd love to be nearer to come and visit, but alas… maybe another time. I do hope you have a wonderful exhibition.
Hi Cathy, I remember your piece. It was beautiful and easy to see and appreciate the amount of time it must have taken. It was almost impossible to get finished pictures during the felting week. There was so much going on. After this exhibition, if I can find some, I'll email them to you.
Thanks for this post. I've always used roving (my parents live very close to World of Wool) but I'm just getting into using Piiku finnsheep wool and Kap merino so this is very useful information for me so thanks very much.
Just saw this today (looking for a blogpost of yours from the time of the on line SD class..) Lovely posting and I relate well to your description of retreating and emerging being able to be one and the same thing!!
Love your new gift! I know what you mean about the joys and difficulties of 'rhythm' in our creative lives. I am certain, however, that you are more than up to the challenge of any project your nimble mind can devise!! I look forward, with relish, to your future experiments and their wonderful results. XXO
Anonymous
May 6, 2014 at 12:42 pm
Fascinating. I'm lucky enough to live an hour away from New England Felting Supply, and have mostly used roving in the past, but I'm going to tackle some of my batting supply today!
This is an absolutely magnificent post! So generous of you to provide all this info along with the wonderful photos. I know how much work that represents!
Just what I needed ….more choices !!! More supplies, new ideas and endless fun, am resisting ordering the paper, but I am sure that won,t last long, on her site she says she no longer ships internationally, which explains my resisting! Lol
Hi Ginny! I'm so glad this is helpful! I've been wondering where you are! I hope to see you in the online classroom, or hopefully at Opulent Fibers on the 26th?!
Hi Fiona, I'm here..and following along, enjoying your posts and picking out the techniques I am most interested in right now…I'm not likely to show up in the classroom much as I not a very comfortable group person even on line! Also, am having a bit of computer trouble which as of today has seemingly left me unable to access all the postings. Somehow, once I'm logged in I can't then go to the other sections.. Hopefully that's not going to last…..April 26th..sounds like a lovely idea.. Do you happen to know of anyone I could ride with who is planning to come through Seattle and return the same day?
Hi Fiona-also over here from SDO Spring.. Just discovered my computer won't do mirror printing so looked for this about using other things; I have an idea which will combine a quotation I have been playing with a lot and several of your new week 2 techniques..thanks for this alternative to using the printer..and for all your other fine suggestions..
This would be a great technique to work with as a family to create a felted gift for someone…. making little pictures on the paper and at their own level, with a wish or memory to share with the recipient!
JennyB from Spring SDO
April 11, 2014 at 3:03 pm
This looks like a fun way to lure my not-yet-teen kids in to some felting projects!!! Lots of fun possibilities with this – thanks for this!
Yes, Jenny-my two boys are 14 and they enjoyed it! We've done things like this before when they were very young, but it's a good reminder to pull out some of these things again, and see where they go with it now, with their more refined skills… one son made a gorgeous leaping salmon picture, and the other a highly detailed kingfisher…. it was fun!
Elisabeth K from your class
April 11, 2014 at 1:29 pm
What a marvellous idea!!! Will have to play with that! Wonder if water colors would work or if that would wash the polymer layer off the paper … have to try!
Elisabeth, yes, I think they would work, as long as apples with not too much water so they would dry quickly. The colours might be muted…..a light was of acrylic or watered down fabric paint would be good also. I pulled out our paints yesterday, but then realized there was only so much time left in the afternoon to finish up the samples…. so next time!
I took Fionas Fall Session…blew my mind. Fiona is the best teacher, what an inspiration and a wonderful resource. Thoughtful and responsive, and she works hard at it too! Definitely more than worth it, a priceless experience. I loved it!
Thank you for taking the time to teach, inspire (and entertain) us, Fiona! Both workshops were spectacular and I came away with loads of new techniques and a creative fire in my belly! (I even dreamt of a new bag yesterday!!) XXO
I signed up for the class after seeing a link to it on the Facebook Wet Felting group (which I just joined). I learned wet felting from online videos, books, and two incredible video classes with Andrea Graham. I *love* texture and cannot wait for the class.
Thank you for this post. I found your work on Pinterest and love it. I have a shop called Handmade Happiness in Petersfield, England which stocks beautiful work by local artists and makers. I Googled you hoping you lived nearby! All best wishes to you!
Hello Fiona…I just popped in to say that I was mentioning you on my blog and that you have been so inspirational to me…both as a fibre artist, a writer, and a homeschooling mama. I really enjoyed our visit in the fall! Wishing you so much creativity and beauty for 2014! xo Jules
Thank you for this, how wonderful for a felt artist to so beautifully articulate what I feel is true about being a part of the whole process of making… thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you, everyone for commenting here….I think it all comes down to passion and trust, trusting in our own creative process….and this ripples out into the world in ways we can not even imagine….
I love your words Fiona….:Live your passion. Believe in what you do. Do it fully. Use your creativity to build community and support other women, whether at home or afar….This creates and inspires beauty.' Thank you for this most wonderful post.
hi my name is beckie galanopoulou from greece is it possible to participate to the workshop because I tried to pay and wasnt accepted my mail is beckigalani@yahoo. gr I would appreciate an answer from you thank you
guten tag, besteht die möglichkeit, dass ich die dateien in deutscher sprache bekomme? grüße aus deutschland christa loos meine mail-adresse: cmjloos@gmx.de
Thank you Ginny! I hope our paths cross again in 2014! I will be visiting friends on Bainbridge in March…and maybe passing throguh again in October. Until that happens, looking forward to keeping up with your work online! Happy New Year!
Awe inspiring! Ive been felting for almost 6 months and am just in the infancy with my new business and have decided to push on with my felting, more bags and hopefully if i have space i have aspirations to make simple clothing and slippers too 🙂 2014 is going to be a very inspiring and inventive and fun year! thank you for sharing all your wonderful work, it has inspired me greatly! Nikki x
I wish you great success with your felting work, Nikki! Thank you for the compliments! I'm with you for 2014- inspiring, inventiv eand fun! Sounds great!
Thank you Heather! I'm looking forward to lots more of this next year- particularly in the late Spring when I start to prepare for my exhibition! Exciting!
Thanks Dawn! Bright and sunny here this morning! Makes it easy to keep moving! I've got two orders I need to complete, but I woke up with three brand new felting ideas..whew…now that's motivation to get things done!
Thank you everyone! Anu, the shadowing effects are part of the class…love that! The spikes are metal…A little softer and more less aggressive than the rusty nails I was experimenting with earlier this year! These are so great! What is excitig for me, is that this is a class I have been teaching for 3 yaers now, but it always evolves and changes…plus I have a whole new host of tricks on my table for new classe next year!
the metallic (is it??) spikes are really great! And I love the colors around…goldengrey with these pink spots in <3..I´m looking forward to your book!!
I wish I could remember! I've just studied the pictures and tried to recall…..I didn't add anything to the dyebath/simmering….it just has to be a conbination of what was bundled and the iron from the can..wish I could be more illuminating!
Ha, Fiona, the "be right back" took some time ….. 😉 But I can imagine : you were sooooo busy with lots of wonderful things ! The felt :: feutre must have been an amazing event (read some about it at other blogs already) Your shows must have taken (ánd given you) a lot of energy ….. it must have been nice to meet many people that loved your art !!!!! Well may be we hear some more stories (when you finished your tea ……) 😉 Have a good week Fiona !
Oh, you are so right Els! I did think I woud "be right back!"…I had lots to say and show, and had conversations in my head with you all, but just couldn't make them come about online! I'm a bit burnt out….but regenerating with cups of tea by the fire, time with my boys, and some smaller, more simple projects…I have a hankering to make a simple "pretty" thing…not sure yet what that will be..some holiday project maybe! Thanks for being here..I love knowing you are around!
Hi Cathy, The pieces from the Water project are all safely in a box with their return envelops. All through the last 6 weeks we have been returning the exhibition and FELTfashion show pieces ( 6 more to go), and now will return the Water pieces for those that requested it. Your piece is beautiful and will be on it's way back to you by Friday/Monday.
Ohhhh my Fiona !! This is so BEAUTIFUL !!!! (yóú are beautiful too 😉 ….!) But … how did the orbs keep floating ??? I don't think they were only made out of felt !?!?
Sorry I'm a bit "late" … that's what blogging does from time to time ….
Fiona…It was such a pleasure to meet you on Salt Spring! Definitely a highlight of my trip. And to see what you did with the felt you were creating while I was there…I am speechless. You are so very gifted and I'm so grateful you continue to share your creativity in this space. Lots of love, xo Jules
Thank you for writing about this. It is so inspiring – and it is so important to have these "playtime's" away from the rest of the felting – interesting things happens when you play…;-)
Nice to see this. A fine concept-the freely creative 30 minutes! And a fine outcome in my opinion..happy silent white felting next. WIll look forward to seeing the next installments. Good memories from last July for me..having visited your studio I can visualize where you might be doing all this!
Ha Fiona, I'm sure you ALL had a wonderful time dyeing with those earthcolours (Mmmmmm Mother Earth puts on her best dress 😉 !!!) Lovely you had family visiting (you normally seldom see) and made a great memory out of it …. a memory to wear also 😉
Ohhh you sure did well Fiona ! I think it really is an eye-catcher to anyone who passes by !
The photo I love best is the last one with the light shining through !!! The lacy part is indeed like one big chrysanthemum, with loads of tiny petals.
Els, it would be so wonderful if you could come here for this event! I would love that! I am working on the planning for the touring aspect of the felt exhibition- maybe it will make it to Holland! My Fashion Show meeting went well, and that lightens the load so much- it is so good to have someone to work with and bounce ideas around! xo Fiona
Hi Fiona, I see you are quite busy with all the organizing !!! Wish you a very succesful event, and I'm sooooo sorry I don't live a bit closer …. I would love to participate 😉 !
Fiona, what a wonderful idea !!!! I had no time to check the 30 minutes trial before but I just saw that the two are connected 😉 clever ! Thanks, and a "soft" weekend to you, my friend !
I'm really enjoying these 30 minute projects, and seeing the process and discovery unfold (although I hope you're crediting yourself the time spent photographing.)
The idea of a playful exercise is a good one. I hope it's beneficial to your practice and that you'll continue to share.
Thank you for visiting, Shana, and for your comments!
I am so enjoying these projects….I wish I could do one everyday! Lots of other bigger projects ongoing in the studio though also that must be finished. I plan to continue with these 30 minute felt projects at least until September, then it might be time for a break…and something new!
Oh- Thank you Els! Not yet finished number two is now finished- just needs to be framed- I should have that done tomorrow and will post pics! That one has spawned several more ideas…well, maybe it was the Celestial Jacket that came first, actually…..The new project is also on the list for this week….hmmmmmm….not many days left in this week……so it goes! 6 more scarves finished this week…woohoo! Not sure what colours they will become yet! xoFiona
Thanks, Heather! Fertile out of necessity! I have two gallery shops to keep stocked, my studio (if I can get it opened!)a big craft show in November, an exhibiiton, fashion fhow and outdoor installation…all in the works…One step at a time! Grin! xo Fiona
Thanks Cami! Stopping to take pics might not have helped my deadline….Such a fun project! I want to do another today, but am trying to resist and keep it a weekly treat! Thank you for sharing this!
Thanks Els! The first two proejcts did get done in 15 minutes, but 30 is so much more reasonable, and still short enough to make happen regularly!
Love the idea of a baby dragon dish! The stones were a special gift from New Zealand, brought to me by my fabulous cousin, Erica Duthie. I have a treasured bag of small stones with special markings on them-a little bit of NZ! xoFiona
Thank Els! Thanks Dawn! There is a book in the works…has been for months now…but this summer it is my top most priorty..to complete the book and ecourse. It must be finihsed by mid-September. I'll let you know once I get close enough to accept pre-orders! Thanks so much for your support and enthusiasm! I think that is inherent in the life cycel of studios…chaos into order…and back into chaos….although in all honesty, my studio holds it's order pretty well…but when that is the case, my home is in total disarray! Ah well! Happy Felting! xo Fiona
Hi Fiona, you did a wonderful job all together ! It must have been truly inspirational …. so sorry we don't see you ….. 😉 It was a lot of work, and a LOT of felting skills learned ! They can do a great play !!! (Ha : another creative possibility)
Love your work, Fiona. Thanks so much for the mini tutorial – I am put off hand painting roving because of the colour pooling but I'll certainly try this way.
thank you! this is very helpful and how nice for us to see it from start to finish without the wait in between. you DO make it look easy! and i love the results. thanks again.
Hi Fiona, thank you very much for showing this ! In fact it lóóks very easy, but I think it takes a lot of experience to make such yarn for your shop 😉 !!! The colours are gorgeous (ha: just a bit like your jacket)
Thank you Ginny! I love that as a texture…have some new things in mind though, once I finish up a few more pieces in this collection…lots of shibori on the way, I feel it coming! xoFiona
Oooh Fiona, this is such a beautiful piece you made !!! You're sooo good in the deying bit !!! (ánd the rest of course) Ha, although you turned to another colour sceme than you first intended, I see the ocres and yellows pop in anyway 😉
Thank you, Els! I am having such a good time in the studio right now…not worrying about making things for sale (although they will be) an just stretching my creativity as much as possible. Like my most perfect daydream life…weehee! It is so true about the ochres! The green sections on the coat wre also made by overdyeing ochre in blues…..xoFiona
Hi Fiona … a long time ago I was felting and teaching it to guilds in southern Ontario … and the one thing that I really wanted to do was make a jacket/coat, but never did. I did do several 'scenes by hand felting and sold a large one to a doctor in Toronto … then free-motion machine embroidery took a bigger hold on my creativity. I just want to say how beautiful I find your work and I plan on following your blog. I love what you do !
Thank you! I enjoyed reading about your creative process and the evolution of your craft. I look forward to seeing more fo your work also- visiting your site just now! Thanks for visiting and following!
Thank you, Wendy. It is always hard to decide what colours to dye, and if to dye at all….but lucky for me I can make as many of these as I want, as I sell them, so every colour can be made! It just depends on the day…thanks for visiting!
Thanks, E.! Primarily I teach adults now, but it feels like both a priviledge and a responsibility to share this work with children also. You never know when you are providing the right moment at the right time to inspire another person! Wish I could meet your children also!
Anonymous
April 6, 2013 at 12:13 pm
I can only imagine all the fun you had with these young artists!
Hi Fiona, great to hear from you : you have been BUSY ! Lots of beautiful yarn and the workshops must have been fun !! Have a Happy Easter weekend. Love
I realize that I'm commenting on an old post but my oh my! Miss Rumphius! I haven't heard this book in a long time and remember it being one of my favorites! I also had to finally comment on your most inspirational blog and work. It has me itching to hurry spring up to collect nettles and such to try my hand at some dyeing.I have just begun my adventures into wet felting after sculpting in needle felting for many years. Someday I would love to take one of your workshops. Saltspring is near and dear to my heart. It was my great grandparents pioneer home and birthplace to my grandma and great aunt. Cheers!
Wonderful! I'm always so glad to hear/read of others who get caught up in the apparent minutiae of nature. My husband doesn't like to go on walks with me when I have my camera! I only hope I translate them into art a fraction as beautifully as you do!
Thank you everyone for your comments! I've been away from this space as I have been launching felt::feutre- Canadian Felting week…It felt so good to get some time back in the studio this week, off the computer, and then to come back here today and read all your lovely words….thanks again!
Outstanding! Not only gorgeous as a piece as an art object with a deep concept backing it up, but also technically challenging and exuberantly executed.
Hi Fiona (happy and creative 2013 to you and your family! …. a bit late, but anyway 😉 !) You have wonderful plans for this year !!! You know I did a workshop with Marjolein when she was here (November 2011) and I follow Andrea …. I will surely look up the other ones, might be interesting and inspirational ! Wish you succes and hope to see some new things of you too !!! Have a good weekend ! Love.
Thank you, Els! This has been fun to organize so far….and I am keeping my own work in the equation! Oh! I have some projects ready to find their way to the felting table….and some more recently finished that I will post….A big year of felting! I hope for you too! xoFiona
What a gorgeous sign the Foxglove Farm has !!! The artichokes look great (the leaves ánd that flower, majestic they are !) Incredible colour that cotinus ….. I'm interested in the result of your November bundle ( just waiting and you'll show us, no doubt !)
Thanks Els! After taking none while in Quebec, I really tried to take some at the BC retreat- that's how I mangaed to getb those two! And that's as far as I got….It was a beautiful time….and next year is going to be so much better! Making plans! xoFiona
Ahhh so sorry that you don't have more pictures …. but the best "pictures" and memories are of course in your heart ! When you experience something as beautiful as your retreat-workshop, you forget to take pictures most of the time just because there is a lot to do and a lot of energie going round …. Great it was such a good time ! (everyone else will treasure it no doubt 😉 !!!)
Thank you, Anu! Using these surfaces to create a performance piece for Felt United weekend…very fun….no internet access though but hope to post soon! Thanks for visiting!
extremely cool this work you are doing; so evocative and different. I will be in touch and/or make a blog post soon about our July experiment. Am really enjoying your Joomchi explorations and the results!
Thanks Ginny! I made some big creative life decisions over the summer…and they all feel like they are taking me in the right direction…I am loving doiing this! Looking forward to you blog post and/or seeing how your silk piece has been transformed!
Erica is amazingly talented, and passionate and brilliant! Her and her partner are doing incredible work, all over the world- heading to Germany next month for a mural for the Book Fair.
Ha Fiona, you sure had the most wonderful of times with each other: that sparkles from the picture !!! That starfish bag is a wonderful idea ! Something great to take home to down under …. (Mmmmmm lóvely vest too 😉 !!!)
Oh, Heather! It was so nice to have them both here…..It feels like we are sisters…but each time we also get to know one another a little better….And Isla had the best time- mostly with her big boy cousins. (BTW-that refers to a childrens book about a small island in Scotland which both myself and Erica love- the Katie Morag books….one is about the time her big boy cousins come to visit her small island…a little reversal, but a fun coonection!) xo-Fiona
This looks so wonderful – B.C. in autumn… I went there 20 years ago and these photos remind me to these days. Wonderful to be able to be connected to feltmakers around the globe. Warm wishes from Bavaria in Germany, Angelika
NO comments so far?! Can't believe this… while those bags are SO great! I LOVE the little seastar bag and those bright colors of the yellow bag… And I like your work, Fiona, which you always share with us in "Living Crafts". I am a Swiss Reader who orders every issue from Germany and devours it with excitement and a lot of joy… Have a good time felting and creating! Bora from Switzerland
Thanks so much Bora! For your comments, for visiting! It is quite humbling (and an honour) to know that some of my projects have been seen in other parts of the world! Warm wishes, Fiona
This is extremely cool, Fiona! it seems quite mysterious and I love the textures and parts; I think I'll look up Joomchi! BTW "our July 8 eco-print experiment -my part- has gone through incarnation # 3..4th on the way… Will be interested inseeing the next steps-dress/coat/bodice of this style of work you are doing
Fiona–I absolutely love your work in progress!! How freeing to be able to 'play' in the studio again!! I met Jiyoung at the American Craft Council show in Baltimore earlier this year and she is absolutely delightful. Her pieces are truly stunning…and I agree…much like felt work!! XXO-
Thanks so much, Heather! How wonderful to have met Jiyoung…The Baltimore show really must be amazing to attend- it showcases so many of the most talented brilliant artists/craftspeople in the US (and some Canadians too!)…..one day I'd love to go….
WOW Fiona ! I truely can imagine that you were inspired by that book right from the start !!! Must find out more about it, thanks ! That dress will be stunning: you'll steal the show !!! (even now in white it's wonderful) Lovely to have you "working" again, that will mean more posts (I hope 😉 !)
Thanks so much Els! Foor your comment about the dress and your encouragemnet! I have some (very creative) out of town guests this week…slowing my blogging progress…but lots of fun work being done to show soon! xo Fiona
Oops! I never saw this until now. it was a lovely visit; i really enjoyed your genorsity and the camaraderie of playing with the eco dye …i've got some pix on my blog, too (ginnyhuber.blogspot.com) and just today someone from Chile on Face Book found me through this blog i do believe!
OH, my goodness! I love lupines. I love Miss Rumphius..and I love this blog post! So glad to catch up with it, Fiona! Just read a number of posts here since my visit (below)..I enjoy your projects and writing!
Wow Fiona, it's a while since I've had a chance to visit, you have been busy girl! All looks wonderful, your bags are just beautiful and I'm very excited to hear that you're working on a book : ) I so look forward to seeing that. And this retreat…? One day. Happy felting, dyeing and planning. x M
Thanks, Mia! As I'm sure happens to you also, so much gets made that never gets photographed or written about! I've puzzled out a perfect Autumn balance for me…with some time off to read books and sketch…and look after myself…for the first time in a long, long time…..still busy….but nicely so, and not distractedly! Would still love to trade for some of your "little people"- they are so charming! xo, Fiona
HA ! Fiona !!! I would LOVE to come, but ….. you know the rest 😉
The red long thin flowers are some species of Polygonum, I have other colours and species too (they are kind of jungle-like in the back near the water) The blue ones are Lobelia syphilitica, tiny flowers like the "normal" Lobelia you put in hanging baskets, but very different in inflorescence ….
Thanks, Els! For all the plant info! There are some beautiful polygonums…I'll keep my eyes out for these….Once, when visiting Irelnad, the cottage we stayed in had the most beautiful beds of a fluffy pink polygonum….lovely! Felting? It would be fun, wouldn't it! One day maybe…somewhere! Warm wishes, Fiona
Hi Heather! Thank you so much! I was thinking of you as I was dyeing- I think these are your colours?! Coming over to visit you and see your journal! xo Fiona
Fiona–This design is stellar!! I love the way that a singular design can be transformed with color and embellishment…and this purse rises to the rank of 'couture' with your lovely strap and metal fittings. What fun it is to perfect a design and then customize to your heart's content! Wait until you see the 'themed' journal cover that I just made for myself. Quite silly and marvelous! 🙂 Love-
If you have a list running of those who'd like to order books when you're ready to begin accepting orders, please add me to the list;-) Looking forward to the release date.
Ohhh, how I wish I could go! If I somehow can get my finances in order before then, I am there! Sounds like a great workshop, Fiona! I know everyone will have a beautiful time.
Hi els! Some big work stuff coming today…although it's more about other people's work! 😉 I need to do a proper photo shoot to show some of the big projects I've be working on….hope to do that this week! Creative energies…it's all such an ebb and flow, isn't it? There are certainly quiet times…and they make room for some wonderful projects to emerge. Time in your lovely garden must certainly be wonderful! Gardening can really take over making in the summers….as can so many other things- like beautiful new babies! Your work is always amazing!
Great to see you're working so hard ! Always fun when you do the work you love most and seeing such lovely results ! Waiting for the results of the BIG work ….!
(sorry to say that I still can't get started: too little time and too tired …. it will change soon (I hope) 😉 !!!)
What lovely results with those beautiful lupines (though I would have thought there would at léást be a little bit of blue …. ;-)…) but you knew what to expect ! The photo with the finished wool ánd the flowers is wonderful. Your overdeyed purse looks great. Those rings : aren't you afraid of rust ??? I heard from by blogfriend Gabi ( ;-):during my visit) that she once had rust on the wool, of (probably cheap) felting needles …. It looks great though with the rings to attach the strap to. Thanks for your story and I wish you patience with the bundles ….. (grin)
Thanks, Els! I love that bag! I want to make two more in that shape this week…..with some stitching! I actually hadn't thought of rust until you mentioned it…but there is absolutely no sign of any on the rings….I'll have to check on the content of the rings…maybe that's why they won't rust…also, they are brand new with no rough edges or flaws that would invite rust….and they are only wet for about 2 hours then always dry….This is definitely my favourite bag strap attachment method, so far! So far so good on the bundles…I've opened Ginny's and will send to her…mine still waits…wow- just for another week- that went by sooooooo fast! xo Fiona
It seems like that shade of yellow is what I get quite a lot when I try to do natural dyes. Mint was one of the only things that gave me a good green. I could see the potential of alder bark when I experimented with it, but I didn't give it enough time. Nettles made a silvery gray…
It is fun to play with isn't it! And we can always overdye anytime we want! I got beautiful green from comfrey consistently from one location, but when dyeing with comfrey collected from another spot, at exactly the same time of year (same year too) it gave me a warm soft brown….The wonders of plant dyeing! Such a treat!
Read that story to my children many times when they were young… I still have the book. I was just trying to share that with my Japanese friend who just planted some Lupines…. Wish I lived next door to you!
Thanks for visiting, Cami! I'm looking forward to heading back to Quebec this fall and pulling out some old favourites from my childrens childhood- I think I'll add them of the list of things to be brought out in our slow and gradual move across the country! This book is one of my all time favourites! I have some magazine ideas I'd love to discuss with you- I'll email soon! Fiona
Thanks so much, Kirsten! I love it too…I'd like to keep it, but I kept the last one I made! It was so good to meet you in person last week…I have some ideas brewing and will be in touch….I'm so glad to re-connect with your blog- your work is beautiful!
Fiona–What a fantastic bag design…how clever of you to felt the 'hardware' right into the piece! I love how you start with white each time and transform your work with color later. One day, I hope to take a class with you and learn more about your method! XXO-
Thanks Heather! I'm so pleased with how it worked out attaching the rings during felting…this is the process I'm going to use now on all my bags…it works so well…It's funny (and what is wonderful about craft!) how you and I approach things differently! I was just reading on your blog about having the plain white bag and figuring out what to do with it! That is what is perfect about being able to share our experiences out here, don't you think! We can love our diversity…..Hope to meet up with you sometime soon! xo Fiona
Hi Fiona, found your blog on pinterest, love your work and art and tutorials, these here are gorgeous, you inspired me, thanks for that. Have a great weekend, greetz from Janine ( germany)
Iiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeee ! THEY ARE SO GÓÓD ! I once had a jacket with wire in the hem: you could do the same funny things !!! Also love the blue silk-felt shirt you're showing it on …. 😉 …. fibre art bike ….?????? (hey: and yóú are saying something about "only close-ups" 😉 …?)
Oooooh Fiona, I am só sorry I can't hop over and pay you a visit in this WONDERFUL studio !!!! You've worked VERY HARD ! I wish you all the best for a succesful future ! Ha I still remember that you were painting the lovely coloured floor ! It goes so well with all the bright colours of yout stash ánd of course all your beautiful products you made !!!
Thanks so much Els! I had to stop and take a breath yesterday after finally opening! It was a wonderful weekend! Now I'm excited about new fibre plans!
Fiona–Now I know why I've been missing you, lately…you've been creating this warm and personal space for yourself! Wow!! It's fantastic!! Thanks for sharing the photos-they make me feel almost like I can walk around and touch everything and enjoy your new space, too! XXO-
Thanks, Heather! I have been crazy busy with lots of background work like this projct…but it's all starting to open up, and, more or less…now I get to play! (which is work, but is play! if you know what I mean! Grin!)
it is BREATHTAKING!! makes me yearn for a road trip North so i can see it in person. it's your work space too, right? it truly looks so inviting and well worth all your efforts. congratulations on the new opening! x
Thank you, Kristin! This is my work space also..divided roughly half and half….It's a great space to be in! If you ever come up to Canada, I'd love to see you!
Oh, Fiona—These are all luscious!! Your dyeing is enviable! I'm happy to hear that you've gotten some exciting news, lately, too! (I'll be patient and wait 'till you're ready to share!) 🙂 Have a wonderful weekend, my friend! XXO-
That idea of compare and contrast is a good one. You could perhaps complicate your life further by blending… I feel this year is particularly inspirational. Some dyed silks recently, some nuno, pods and other projects. A good energy out there!
It is a good year for creating, Lois! My Chinesse horoscope promised me it would be a prosperous one if I worked hard…That seems to be holding true and working out for me too! 🙂 I could blend…It's a good idea, and would be fun for experimenting…but as I get into my production rhythm I need to keep things simple. As you know,, I love the C-1 and C1-Pelsull from New England Felting Supply…and I may just use that…but thought I'd experiment with some options first before committing to the BIG orer! To the felting table! Have a wonderful weekend, Fiona
THIS LOOKS SOOOOO GOOD, Fiona !!! How much did you order ??? It looks like kilos to me …. what fun playing with all of that !!! (saw the shawl you made for "living crafts" with the pencil rovings …. it looks amazing (on you !) ;-)!)
Thank you Els! (about the LC shawl also!) Oh my goodness…a box of white wool is about the most delicious thing ever! I have about 5 kg here….just a start on this summers felting! Can't wait! warm wishes, Fiona
Hope you had a wonderful Easter! We made heaps of 'Wishing Eggs' (as Nicholas calls them) on Sunday with some friends and their children. A big success and a sunny day for an outdoor activity! Thank you for the inspiration. Nicholas's gnome hat is still a big hit! Have a lovely week, Lois
Hi Lois, Thanks for visiting! Oh! I love that you made the wish eggs…so, so nice! I'm so glad to have met you…it's nice to think of someone on another small island close by also creating!
Hi there Fiona, glad you're back again ! Love the shibori dyeing you did (I had an on-line class with Glennis Dolce but sadly enough never camme to doing anything with it … in fact I don't have a good place to play with dye ….) Your vat is like a big dark moon ! Happy easter to you over there !
Helloe Els! Thanks so much! I'm having lots of fun with dyeing these days….cottons and handmade felts…I've got to get my space set up a little better for it…I have a good indoor and outdoor space, but it's a still a little tossed together for now…I LOVE your imagery of the dark moon of the pot….this fits in so beautifully with the full moon dyeing…the dark and the light, one reflecting the other….and in our shibori stitching and dyeing we chose how much of each to show for ourselves…so exciting! Hope you had a wonderful family weekend!
Fiona–I've missed you!!!!! Your new work is lovely, and I'm so excited to hear that you'll have so much time to work in your studio. I am already salivating over your future projects! 🙂 Happy Easter!! XXO-
Oh, Heather! Thanks for the love! Hugs to you! Yes… I guess technically not full time, but I'll be working in the studio everyday from 11-5…maybe some evenings also…and it will be open to visitors as well…in three weeks….I am so looking forward to the immersion…Hope you're having a fantastic weekend-Fiona
Thanks so much for your comment! I'm working on online courses…several ideas! Or maybe I can just come back to the southern hemishphere for a visit! Oh! That would be so nice…Australia is calling to me just now….maybe in 2014 it can happen (we just have to build a house first!:) Thanks for visiting! Fiona
sigh i wish I lived close enough to attend a workshop – maybe one day you could do some on line / correspondence courses for those of us who live in a different hemisphere 🙂
Hi Fiona! I have been mulling over going to Fibres West again this year but it's soooo far. The ONLY reason I am considering going this year is b/c of your class. Will you be offering it here on Salt Spring at any time? Or perhaps in Victoria?
Hi Felix, Thanks for visiting here! And for your interest in my classes! I'll definitely be giving some classes through the summer. Probably a similar but extended three day session, a little more open, technique based classes, where you can mix and match the classes. And then another session in September/October. Looking forward to meeting you sometime soon! Fiona
Dear Heather! Thanks for coming by and drawing me out of my blogland shell! How amazing to see your lanterns- they are beautiful! I haven't finished the blanket…I've decided to wait until the organic cotton voile arrives….so today I'm turning my blanket layout into three wool lock embellished scarves, in order to clear my table! But first..a flower hunt! then some felting! a lovely day! XOX Fiona
Sighhhhh…what a perfect 'Mama and children' kind of day. Your photographs are gorgeous, and your children look so rugged, physical and resourceful! Sometimes, I think that mine missed out a little, having grown up in the suburbs. 🙂 XXO-
Dear Heather, thank you for all your comments! The boys certainly can be those things… when it suits them!;) My oldest was there with us too…he was more intent on gathering materials this day than being out open the boat….I'm juts so glad they love doing these things, and are still so involved with each other! It's been a perfect weekend….hope yours was too!
Wow Fiona, as I see it : you had a wonderful day with your boys out there !!! Love the pictures of a beautiful day in this glorious nature you're living in, lucky you ! Have a good weekend (and more beautiful days when your Man is back 😉 …!)
Dear Els, It was a lovely day…and weekend… it even felt like a weekend, which is unusual…We've been having a good time over the last week…some new patterns we hope to continue with once Graham gets back on Friday….
Thanks Ronald! It was fun to be able implement! We were imagining on a commercial scale, large floor tiles or panels that could be installed in any space,. and then taken up and moved if desired…We propbably won't take this idea into that realm not…but the experiement was good!
Thanks, Lynnette! It was a good experiment…we have three children also…no dog hair though! We just sweep the whole floor and then vacuum down the felt lines. I'm not sure if I would do it again, but I'm glad we got to try it!
Thanks, Eidolons! We have a list like that too- for our house up the hill we plan to start building this year! We got to play with some more unusual ideas in our temporary home here, that we moight, or might not employ in a bigger full time dwelling- what an opportunity!
Wow Fiona what a novel idea.. and I bet it feels so lovely under bare feet! I so agree, we can bring authentic handmade beauty to everything. And especially at this time of year, to have beauty and creativity around us at home is so enriching. You go girl! : )
Thanks Mia! It is an interesting sensory experience- the combo of wood and wool on different oarts of your foot! Now I want to make some small and lovely things…softer things that are comforting and happy! Talk more soon!
Oh, Fiona, it's wonderful! Thanks for modeling it for us!! …the color is absolutely perfect with your eyes (now I know why you overdyed it!!) 🙂 …and I love how it looks great with jeans, too, so you don't have to wait for a special occasion to wear it.
Thanks, Heather! I was making this for myself all along..and I just can't wear white…for many reasons…one of them being that I can't keep anything white for longer than 15 minutes! I love that it can be a "with jeans' garment too….something special for everyday! Very excited to make a couple of bags like this too!
Thanks, Sunshine Mama! I know I'm going to love wearing it! It took several over dyeing until I was satisflied with the colour…I think that's why there is such depth to it…..That delicate balance of knowing when to add more, and when to stop! lol!
@ Hinterland Mama-thanks for visiting! And for such kind comments! As every parent knows, you just keep going! Sooner or later, something gets done! I love doing these things, making anything, sharing projects…it is both soothing and revitalizing….I can't live without it…I'm so fortunate that I get to do this most of the time…(and then cook and clean, and homeschool, and play some of the time too!) Happy New Year!
Hi Ginny and Terrie, thanks so much for visiting here! Ginny- I'll try and model it tomorrow! And I have a new felt project to share…. Terrie- Thanks for your comment- I love adding stitches to felt, either part way through, at prefelt stage, so they felt in, or after…or both! One of my new signatures!
I am just loving (and am in complete AWE) of your upcoming plans! That was such a fun post to read. I'll have to pop in regularly. How Will you fit it all in? You provide so much beauty and inspiration already ღ
Thank you so much, everyone! I will model it for you- I promise. Living Crafts (the magazine I write for) goes to print on Friday, and then I'll have some time, although I want to get started on my Spring Felt line too…ASAP!- pieces like this blue tunic are items I'll be producing for Fall shows! I'll have time for a picture though! 🙂 It hits just at the hip- so a short tunic….. Really truly- thanks for your words! And Mia- I'll be in touch- how exciting! Love, F
You will have to take a photo of it on, Fiona : ) Well done girl, incredibly beautiful work. Love the red stitching and the shibori moons and that colour is breathtaking, would look stunning with a red skirt no? Hey let's confer about our trade! Warmly, Mia
Oh, yes!! It's wild and amazing, Fiona!! Please take a photograph of you wearing it for us?!? I'm sure you look beautiful in it! (Is is a 'with jeans' top, or a leggings or long skirt kind of thing?) All of the special details make it so appealing… …and I absolutely 'swoon for the moons'! Giggle
oh, it is SO beautiful!! i can't get over the color…and then the contrasting red stitches… sososo gorgeous. i do hope you'll model it for us…it's hard to get a sense of length. great work to start off the New Year!!
Thanks Glenda! I just write everything directly in blogger. It's not a problem- I just find it so funny that every single sheep breed and textile term and technique comes up as a spelling error when I spellcheck!
Thank you Yvette,both for your comment and for visiting! Lots of fun felt coming this year I feel!
If you are using word, you can add your sheep breeds as you type them in and Word marks them as misspelled. Just be sure you get them right before you add them!
Thanks Lynette! Didn't get any work done on it today, but hope to finish it up tomorrow!
Heather- Thanks! Laughing at your description! You make so much! And…I was thinking about visiting you yesterday! Maybe, maybe, I'll be coming to Ohio for the TNNA (national needelarts association show) in June….how far is it from Columbus to Euclid?:)Thanks for coming by- I love to read your comments!
Fiona–It's going to be fantastic!!! I have been trying to psych myself up for ages to do larger projects, but my mind just 'skitters off' in other directions when I get close. Sighhh. Maybe you'll come and visit me one day to encourage me in person!!! 🙂 XXO-
Thanks so much for the book suggestions, Heather! I'll check them out….maybe this week…ah… so much to do! Erica! Hugest hugs! I love Barbara Kingsolver… I haven't read anything by her in a while, so maybe it's time! So exciting about all your projects, persent and upcoming- hopefully close by!XXF
my favourite and one i think you would love is Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kinsolver
I to am aiming at not overdoing it this year !!
V n B back in Kiribati now and we are all well just had the best time working wiht a group of lovely artists frm the Deaf community in Auckland am still on a high,
What a wonderful post, Fiona!! Suggestions for books: Absolutely anything by Ann Patchett…last year's State of Wonder was especially delicious. The Help if you haven't yet read it. …or you could read The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides along with me (I loved Middlesex and received this latest one of his for Christmas.) Happy New Year!!!! XXO-
Oh! I have two more…kind of craft related! I'm going to learn how to use my DSLR camera (that has been in box and taken out only occasionally for alomost two years!), and I'm going to try to stop photoshop cleaning my house (and fingernails) and clean them better for real! This is a bit of a running joke in our house…Lots of clothes have been cleaned with photoshop! 🙂
Thank you all so much for the birthday wishes! I have finally gotten my studio table all clear and ready to go! And have amy sketchbook full and ready for ideas to be realized…now I feel like I just need to establish a good work/family rhythm (that constant struggle!) and I'll be out there! I so appreciate all your comments- they are so supportive…..keep me going some days and always make me smile! Wishing you all a wonderful New Year- full of creativity! @Chandi- I do hope this resolution comes to fruition- it would be such a pleasure to meet in person! Warmest wishes to you all, Fiona
Happy birthday, my dear Fiona !!!! I know you will make a wonderful jacket when the time is right …. sometimes we're just a bit too hasty and want too much. In such a wonderful studio beautiful things will develope You may even get much better ideas of what you want to achieve … But I know this feeling aaaall too well ;-), things must be done rather yesterday than tomorrow …. Enjoy the time with your loved ones have some good days and I wish you all the best and many wonderful felted pieces in the year to come ! Happy New Year and lots of love!
Happy Birthday, sweet friend!! I hope that you managed to spend this lovely day in exactly the way that you desired. I can relate to the mess in your studio. My youngest two and I were just sweeping the first floor of our house in preparation for the onslaught of weekend sleep-over guests and one of them said that my studio floor had so many HUGE dust bunnies, it was 'gross'. …and this from a college student, no less!! 🙂 Happy New Year, too!!! Hugs and love–
Hi Heather- thanks! It's all such an interesting process…one new step leading to another. I'm really enjoying the shibori! Hi Els- thanks so much!I like the comboination of the unruliness of the locks and the oredliness of the stitches! Chandi! Oh…I must email you back! later today! The new project will be a website….developing into a collection of information for feltmakers on diffreent breeds and techniques….Hope to have it up and going by the new year! Hi Mia! Thank you! I didn't have time to take "model" shots before dropping them off at the gallery…these were taken at running speed! I wonder if they have sold or not? The gallery show ends later today…I kind of hope not..then I will keep one! I kind of hope so…then I can make some more! Warmest wishes to you all! xo Fiona
What great pieces you made Fiona ! The blue shibori is gorgeous (it reminds me a bit of the clamp dyeing Chad Alice Hagen does)Those curls stand out wonderfully !! (sorry, still a bit slow in my reactions but all things are getting better day by day !)
Heather- Thanks so much! Oh my gosh… so maybe not so original! I rememeber this article. But was so not thinking of this when I made this piece. Darn! I was thinking of using this idea for an interior design line for next year…I'll have to play with it and see how it becomes my own! So what I did was roll balls of coarse wool that does not felt easily- the East freisan in this case, and then loosely wrapped them in the BFL. Laid out a flat base of BFL, placed the balls, then another layer of BFL laid as a sheet..then felted…Mostly by hand, rubbing, epcially at first. I was able to roll it as the ball fit in between each other when rolled. So the balls don't felt completely becasue of the wool type, but are totally felted into the piece. Now it's a new challenge- how do I make this into something unique! It makes an awesomne lampshade! Love F
Hi Aleta- Thanks so much! oh, I know! I would love to make a rug like this to stomp with my own toes! I imagine something quite stylish, with the mounds placed randomly and more to one end and then in masses…I wonder if I'll ever get around to making it?!
Oh WOW! You are really a talented, inspirational (and super busy) lady. I saw your photos and thought immediately of tiny toes trying to stomp down those balls.
Oh, Fiona–I LOVE this!! I've been wanting to figure out how to do this ever since I saw the NY Times slideshow "A Loft Filled With Felt" http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/05/12/garden/20100513-rugs-slideshow-9.html (Check out the rug near the tub and the piece above the kitchen sink with more geometric embossed forms.) I'd be curious to know how you managed this. It's fabulous!! XXO-
This dove. The quotes. Your timing. Everything about this post, including the photos, give me that special kind of feeling. I DO love dropping by here ღ
What a beautiful post, and what a lovely woman you are, Fiona! I cannot wait to see what the roving 'becomes' after the New Year… and how the warmth of my gesture gets passed on!! 🙂 Hugs–
Heather- I came across Robert Fulghums quote in a search for quotes on Peace…I love the idea ofan explosion of happy colour! I used to read RF's books…I should pull them out again for some winter reading! Barbara-Thank you! Els- My son welded a a bar across the two legs to hold them securely in positon, and give me something to help sew them to the birds. I cut a little opening in the bottom of the bird, inserted the legs, and then sewed it closed with the leg bar inside. I can't wait to make some more birds! Annie- I so appreciate all your exclamation marks! They speak more than words! Thank you! Warm wishes, Fiona
Hi Finona, Love your idea of felting your way through the different breeds of sheep. Each breed had its' own unique wool characteristics and I totally agree, there's nothing more wonderful then a clean, healthy fleece, regardless of the breed. Two breeds for your consideration… Jacob sheep and Navajo-Churro sheep, the two breeds we raise. Jacob sheep have a multicolored soft and springy wool, which works great for wearable felts and craft projects. Navajo-Churro sheep have a double coated wool which comes in lots of natural colors and makes a very durable felt. And there are soooo many other wonderful wool breeds… I'd love to join in. Karen
Aaaaah Fiona, what a wonderful idea and what brilliantly executed !!! Love all your "peaceful" quotes of so many wise people. (I wonder how you incorporated the feet in the body ?) I am very curious how the other birds will be ….. 😉
What a beautiful, carefully thought-out project, Fiona!! The quotations are perfect… and I'm a special fan of Robert Fulghum's. I have read and re-read his books for years. (He and Mr. Rogers had it right, don't you think?!) XXO–
Thank you Mia! I'm looking forward to sharing these with other textile artists and keeping a few for some sewing projects in the new year. Are you game for a textile challenge? 🙂 I'll send you one and you can play! Thanks Annie! It feels just as you expressed. I felt I was viewing the "real" world in a way, and that it grounded my own lifestyle in a bigger context. Much much appreciation felt! Warm wishes, Fiona
You are always full of inspiration thank you! We do lived a blessed life! I know when I went to India I felt how lucky I am and often forget that there are people living just like that in my own backyard. Thanks for the reminder of gratitude and of course great work!
Hi Els! I'd love it if you could share a link to your friends felt work, and to your European wool source. Thanks for your comment on the pic of the little balls- I'm really enjoying taking pictures of wool these days. My camera, that I've finally figured out how to use to best advantage, is dyeing…it's been missing it's click button for several years now, but has decided in the last week or so to only take pictures half of the time I press it! I must learn to use my new (old) camera! The group I imagine is entirely online…so maybe you could join us, if you'd like too! Warm wishes, Fiona
Hi Fiona, lovely experimenting together! Must have been real fun, I think! So far I haven't done many different sorts of wool, intent to try "berg schaf wolle" instead if the "normal" merino I usually have (that is used by the German blog friend who makes such lovely felted animals and dolls, ánd I can order it from the shop I normally order) The photo of the little balls on the table is great! Would love to participate in your try-out forum, but …. not very practical I'm afraid 😉
Thanks, Els! I still have to get to my full moon project, that came to mind reading your blog post…I think I'll draw it and descibe it, and let it simmer until next full moon! Hi Jennifer, I love the idea of these as a storytelling felt in a childs room. That would be so great to make…and a focus point for a parent to tell a story and a child to dream into…love, love, love this! Thanks so much, Crstyal Cave! I love to work with other people…if you ever visit BC, come by!
Oh I love the blue/green one. What a great hanging for a child's room that would be. The stories that could be spun from that tree… Beautiful work as always. So glad to hear you are up and about again!
Hi Fiona, glad you're back on your feet and felting again! These scarves are great: Eva will have been one happy customer! The off-white one is very delicate (I love the idea of curtains like that), and the light green leaves on the green and blue tree shawl are a wonderful combination: a good job! Happy felting
Thanks so much everyone! I feel much better, significantly slowed down…but all is well!
Heather- I apreciate the gallows humour! I was thinking at the time that the universe must be trying to know some sense into my head!:) I must have been ignoring the earlier/more subtle messages!
Dulcie- thank you for your warm thoughts!
Els-Thanks for your caring- and your message giving me the nudge to get back to my blog and work….Note to follow!
Ronnie-I'm so glad your wool has arrived! and I'm so happy that the heart is loved! and the image of just daydreaming about the wool….I do that all the time…it's almost the best part!:) the anticipation! Thanks for your warm wishes!
Sue- Thank you…I feel so much that I am on the cusp of a big change…it's becoming more clear….and I think that necessry slowing down is a part of the process. I'm happy to be back…and have lots of projects planned!
Goodness I am so glad that it was not a more serious encounter with the driftwood. Sounds like you are on the mend now though and I love that you found the silver lining. I just wanted to also let you know that he parcel arrived here (yikes two weeks ago!) and it is all so lovely. My two tear old loves the little heart and carries it very carefully around the house. I have been spending my free time daydreaming of all the possibilities in that rainbow goodness. Thank you so much. Hope you are back to 'normal' again soon. Take care
Aaaargh ! My dear Fiona, thát's where you were!!! I really missed you and thought already something must have happened … Well so sorry to say that I was right about thát… I hope that you are recovered a bit by now and that you can start again with your wonderful felt work (though "family-time" must have been góód after the worst was over ;-)… ) I hope all ends well for you and whish you for now all the BEST !!!
Oh my heavens, Fiona!!! I'm so sorry to hear about your accident and injury! Who knew that felting could be such a dangerous occupation?!?! (Sorry if it's too soon for gallows humor!) 🙂 Oh my…but you are right that something beautiful is sure to come from the pain…like my favorite scene in the (old) movie 'Tootsie' when Teri Garr (playing an actress) is rejected by Dustin Hoffman and says, "I have to remember this feeling so I can use it later in my 'craft'"! I'm thinking of you with love and sending healing thoughts your way!! XXO–
Fiona sounds like a lot of fun and sucg fantastic results. I am so new to the world of dyeing and at the moment mainly experimenting with food colouring and wool and silk. Easiest for now with little people. The Indigo process is facinating – and I love that cheesecloth
Thank you all! Els- it would be so great to be able to do this together! Maybe someday you will come to BC?! Actually- you know…just looking at your avatar pic- this picture really inspired me to do some moon work also…thought you should know! I'm loving this global exchange of ideas! I've invited some local textile artists to join me for next months full moon dyeing…it's so much nicer to do things with other people!
Fiona ! wished I was there with you ! Never done an indigo vat, but wanting to: YES ! That little piece with the moons and the figures : sooo great. The moon really had her influence on it I'm sure. And that cheese cloth gorgeous ….. (well to be honest ALL of it is great)
Aaah Fiona, what a great space to work in! Love your design. (I would love to visit and work with you 😉 !) Wish you all the best in these last organising days, carrying boxes and unpacking …. Love the word: "wall of wool" Also thanks for your good wishes, I know what it's like : I've been there in '98 (and still around !!)
Thanks so much everyone! I do so love this space! I'm getting a bit worn out with this last stretch of building shelves/cupboards and organizing the last bits and pieces. I'd rather just be making things…but don't feel I should spend too much time making things while I look over at all the unpacked boxes…so..two more organzing days, I think…and then so much to make! I love reading your comments- they keep me going! 🙂
Oh I just love how you finished your floor! The flowers are so cute and what a great way to create little spots within the room 🙂 Can't wait to see more later 🙂
I love how you created lines to lead the eye to certain areas. I am in the process of stenciling my "studio" floor. Maybe half way through and I am so wishing I could be in there all ready! Love the work.
Oh, Fiona–It looks lovely!! I love the simple, clean design and the bright and friendly colors! I know that you were on the fence about it at first, but you were right to persevere and try something daring…it's wonderful! XXO-
Hi Fiona, thanks for the link 😉 I love your folding and deying. I did a dyeing workshop (without doing the deying 🙁 !) with Glennis Dolce ("Shiborigirl") She used special dyes for silk (NO steaming !!!) but she couldn't send them over to me. And Dharma ánd customerservice here were charging so MUCH it wasn't worthwhile …. So still looking for the good stuff ….
I’m impressed you’re working is real wonderful thank you let me see all🥰
The tutorial is fabulous & this collaboration is just wonderful!
Such a range of colours, designs, textures….wonderful
totally inspiring exhibition, what amazing work!! thank you all! Clare
Great tutorial, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.
Looks great can’t wait to try it
These are fun, small challenge, Megan! I hope you enjoy it!
Congrats Fiona. Your work continues to challenge our notion of what is a fibre? It also pushes against the division of art-making into (fine) art and (fine) craft. It is visual, conceptual, experiential and sensory.
I hope I have a chance to see it in person in the future.
Good luck with the exhibition.It is a pity to miss it.I hope you will be able to post photos at a later date.Cheers Sue and the Safety Bay Spinners
Life evolves we are so lucky to have the opportunity to be able to see these things clearly. For me one of my favourite quotes is from Jay Shetty.
When you learn a little, you feel you know a lot, but when you learn a lot you realize you know very little.
Your work is stunning .
Trish Malanaphy
The Salt Spring workshop must be full as there is no link for that one. Is there a waiting list? Thank you!
Deborah, the registration for the Salt Sring workshops opens at 2pm (PDT)-in about 5.5 hours from now. It will be wonderful if you can join us!
Hi Fiona,
I live in Bellingham WA and I took the Surface design, and Felt Illuminated classes from you online. At the Felter’s Fling 2017 I told myself that I would jump at the next chance to take a class from you on Salt Spring Island. I see that the registration opens at 2 PDT, is it here on this website that we register?
Looking forward to meeting Ellen as I could not attend the Felt Feutre Canada last fall. Crossing my fingers………….JP MacConnell
JP, it would be lovely to see you here! Registration links will be on my website at 2pm (PDT) today.
The links will be on this page: https://www.fionaduthie.com/workshops-2/
Such a beautiful garment Fiona, Great tutorial. Rae
Thank you Fiona!!! Making a garment has been on top of my bucket list. I have so enjoyed the 2 courses I took with you. You are extraordinarily talented and very gracious to share your gift🤗
Hi Fiona,
I saw the Posting about these new classes for next year and am excited!
In looking at the Fibre + Paper + Ink online class I’m wondering how much overlap in the course materials there would be in the Raised Surfaces in Felt class.
Are you able to tell me what time registration will start on the 15th and how many participants you have room for?
Thank you!
Thanks for your message, Kathleen! There is no overlap at all between the Fibre + Paper + Ink workshop and the Raised Surfaces Workshop.
Only that in the Raised Surfaces class we will do some felting with paper- but much less intensive study of that medium than in the other class. InRaised Surfaces our main focus is on textures that stand well above the surface, often on felted stems. There are 12 spaces in each class and registration will open at 2pm, PDT (Vancouver, BC time)
Good morning Fiona,
I am really excited to register for the Holland 6 day workshop in 2020. I don’t want to miss out due to time differences between when you post and when I see it. I am in the United States in Maryland and in July we are on Eastern Daylight time.
You have two workshop options for this collaboration!
One is on Salt Spring Island, in BC. Registration opens for that workshop on July 15th at 2pm (PDT).
Ellen is accepting registration for the workshops in Holland. That registration is open now and you can find all of the information here: https://colorsofellen.com/en/shop/workshops/product/6-day-workshop-silk-painting-and-felting—fiona-duthie–ellen-bakker
Thanks for your note on the dates! I hope you’ll join us for one of these workshops!
Thank you so much!_
i have a question, more than a comment: I took Fiona’s online course in surface design. It was fabulous!! You are the best, most responsive teacher ever. I always learn an enormous amount from Fiona — and her personal comments and critiques are always generous and valuable.
Now, what is the difference between that course and the raised surface course on Salt Spring Island?
Thank you so much for your comments, Charlotte! The raised textures really take things up and above the surface of the felt. I also think of it as canopy felting- like the treetops! Many of the techniques we will look at involve using short felt stems to lift the design elements up above the felt surface. Plus we also look at working with paper incorporated with the wool. We will cover about 6 different raised design elements, plus the paper felting. There is only one design element that overlaps with the Surface Design course and that is the raised prefelts. If you have any other questions, please do email me!
Many thanks from Argentina
Those two big lay out photos are a bit of felting bliss to me. Thank you for sharing this great pattern it looks amazing. It is lovely to see you wearing your own beautiful felt creation. A delight all round.
Wow .beautiful Fiona – thank you so much for more inspiration. You are amazing. Hope to see you back in New Zealand
Fiona, thank you for this inspirational tutorial! You are so talented and so kind – I feel a kinship with you since I am from Scotland and love reading about your adventures! I will be there for the month of August, alas, I will be teaching and how I wish I could take your course!
Soooo cute and great instructions! I can’t wait to make one to wear to the retreat in September. Thanks, Fiona!
I’m so excited about these possibilities, Fiona!
Thank you – I can’t wait to make it!
My goodness. This is just gorgeous thank you for sharing.
Thank you this really inspiring!
Exciting! it will be good to explore up there.
I find it heartwarming to read your progress on your residency. I have done 2 residencies and with each one I have gone with a set idea of what I wanted to accomplish – perhaps influenced by the notion that I had to make the most of the precious time I had been given to devote myself solely to my work. Each time, my original ideas have been blown to the wind and I have found myself doing something that was unplanned and very influenced by where I am. I’m thinking your experiences along with mine are lessons I need to be mindful of. Thank you for your post. I felt compelled to respond!
I so wanted to come but wrong year. How lovely to be able to get wisps of your work via the blog. Thank you.
Thank you for being so open and honest with your experiences. I find reading about your process very inspirational as I am just beginning my own explorations. Looking forward to finished photos!
From Viking lineage myself, I love the boat you are making. Some of the decor on the side remind me of petroglyphs, rock carved pictures found on walls and caves. Please show us the finished work when you can.
Will be following this eagerly.
It’s really generous of you to share these insights…and helpful to understand the work that follows…
More excited than ever at the opportunity to be in the Shetlands. Looking forward to meeting you Fiona.
Great to see this before getting there! Thanks Fiona.
Hi Fiona
Lovely to see how well you have settled in. Looking forward to meeting you and being back on the island.
Hope the felting goes well.
Best wishes
Alison
Fiona, I am always amazed at the next concept that you come up with. This is amazing!
It’s a beautiful concept…I love the idea of words emerging from the final piece in a random way….who knows just what will appear?
I love this so much, Fiona. The words/feelings still there, legible or not…and in fact more mysterious in not being easily read….in whatever form it later becomes. I love the mystery of it….the story continues in the mind of the creator(s) and the viewers. Great first project of 2017.
Wishing you the Happiest of New Year’s wishes, Fiona.
What an intriguing idea and wonderful outcome. Great to see what you are doing. Happy new year to you and yours x
I wish I lived closer I’d sign up for this in a heartbeat. I’m a perennial student in the arts and love ceramics and fiber art and metalsmithing. Combining different mediums is something I love doing. I just signed up for your emails so I’ll happily look forward to them. I want to see this lamp when it’s done!!!!!
Hi, I am new here. Wonderful article! Thanks a lot.
Thank you Fiona, I will try to track downs some coloured batts, perhaps I will have to dye them myself
i am usually very conservative with embellishments and colours. Some how the penny dropped reading your prefelt instructions resulting in 4 colourful prefelts.
Hi Fiona great article about pre felting.
I was just wondering can you make pre felts by needle felting ot using an embellisher machine? I think you may lost some of the subtle merging colours you get from wet felting.
Thank you Fiona!
One less experiment for me to do!!!
Fiona, I’ve been trying to figure out how to manage my experience of the frequent quarreling of three young boys and their exuberant, abundant energy and everything that goes with that and all the other things that we live in our daily tasks and strivings in our chosen roles. Thank you so much for the imagery of the sea states. That will take me far, I am sure, in this adventurous voyage.
And your adventurous voyage makes me think of a ship on the high seas with the wind in its sails. Thank you for sharing the process with us. Your work is so inspiringly beautiful.
The dress is gorgeous and s so representative of the attributes of kelp. I love the metaphor of the changing sea and our changing personalities. Beautiful work!
Loved where it originated from … you’ve brought it a step further yet 😉
Your work is so inspirational! Keep us posted and happy creating::)))
Still working on the diorama project, but can not wait to do a top with some of the tecniques you showed us.
This dress is amazing! Thanks so much for sharing it’s process and 3 dimensional preparation. Beautiful…
Fiona, I so appreciate you and your art sense. Since I went as far as Kyrgyzstan to learn about ancient felting techniques I surely could visit you in nearby Canada to take one of your workshops. I any case I want to take your next on line design class.
Only you could have designed such a beautiful dress! The sea theme is intriguing, offering so many possibilities. But, oh, the dress went into the water! Fiona, very clever idea but I hope the dress survived.
What a beautiful dress Fiona !
It must be (another) special cooperation with this time Katia !!!
Great to see the process , thanks !
Ha, ha, great photos too, the uncropped ones 😉
Love, Els
oops, that was me below Fiona. (at 1:45)
I love the metaphor of the Beaufort scale. It was part of our teaching when our boys were young. I loved the translation of a number to a statement of what you might see.( At 8 on the scale: “walking becomes difficult”.)
Attaching this to a garment, a piece of fabric art is mind blowing. So many things to think about here.
Amazing work as always.
Thanks Fiona for sharing. It took my breath away as I read through the catalogue and looked at the wonderful work from this exhibit.
Your work is absolutely stunning. I love the story about the dress and look forward to seeing your new exhibit materialize.
Inspirational and beautiful and very spiritual. Love all the photos.
i live 6 miles from a northern california beach and can spend hours watching magic happen.
yesterday seals, blue heron, pelicans, gulls and a most wonderful pod of tiny silvery fish skimming
the surface just off shore. your stunning piece and words capture it all fiona and i cannot wait to see
where this all goes.
stunning work. i live 6 miles from a northern california beach and
your words and work honor everything i love about the sea. you have
captured it all.
The anonymous comment from 8/17/15 was from me. I forgot to leave my name. I just love your work and so awe and admire all that you do.
The whole thing is absolutely stunning…the dress, the images, the photography, your creativity. You are so amazing Fiona.
Love this, Fiona! I’d like to do something of a smaller scale in my backyard. What is the structure that holds the leaves? How was it created?
Thank you Teresa! The structure is split bamboo. Each leaf either has a sleeve felted in along the sides for the bamboo, or else is double sided, like a vessel, so the bamboo holds the leaf in shape under tension. We used copper piping to secure the bamboo at top and bottom. This was an exciting project, and I plan to explore this much more in the future…as time allows!
beautiful work As always, Fiona! Have a magical trip to Australia..your students will be delighted!
That is just amazing how the dress and painting go together.
Love your work.
You inspire me! I am looking forward to playing with wet wool on our rocky Bowen outcrop. I love the idea of woolly shapes guiding visitors up a long steep driveway….
(hmmmm sorry, must have been "sleeping", that I only saw it nów …)
I love the leaves hanging out there ! I do love "land art", we change
our environment a lot of times and a LOT of times nor for the best,
but this is something intertwined with nature in a delicate and beautiful
way ! No second thoughts here 😉
What a bonus when you found the leaves moved !!! Something extra
you may remember (and use) the next time 😉
Would LOOOOVE to see the installation in person, but …
Love, Els.
Gorgeous work and thoughtful statement/explanation, Fiona. I love this installation! Congratulations on creating such wonderful felt art. I love the play of light on felt and you have captured the effect beautifully.
Thank you, Monica. I am so excited about this work. I have a big project in the works to be installed in Scotland in 2016. Thanks so much for your comments!
Land Art is so fascinating! I love your piece Fiona. It looks like your work will have an interesting and embellishing relationship with the environment. Bravo Fiona!
Thanks so much, Pat! Your words are important to me, coming from such a creative environmentalist as yourself! As you said, Land Art is a fascinating practise. I do also appreciate the other side to it, that questions why humans need to leave their mark or change a natural environment at all….it's good to keep this in mind also. Warm wishes! F
Lovely!! Now another excuse to come to the Island this summer! they must catch light and wind beautifully!
Thank you, Kelly. I hope you do make it to the island to see this work, and all the other wonderful island offerings!
Oh how I wish I could see these. I love land art.
Thanks you Susan. We're making a short video to show the full work in different lighting conditions.
Wow! Beautiful! You are an inspiration, Fiona!
Thank you, Jzin. I get inspred by these projects also…I'm looking forward to working on my original proposal, plus another installation within this body of work. It's exciting.
How will your installation react with the elements i?.e. rain?
I've had felt art work installed outdoors for over a year at a time with no ill effect at all. When the felt was taken down, it was a little dirty (being installed by the side of a busy road, but was in exactly the structural shape as when installed. This was in the Pacific Northwest, through a rainy winter. Since felt is made using water, it holds up well to rainy conditions, and all other elements in my experience. This parrticular work reacts with the space and elements in that on Salt Spring we get almost no rain for the four months of summer. The continuous sunny days provide the passive illumination that is part of this project.
Beautiful Jane! I love it can be vertical or horizontal.
That will be a wonderful combination. Can't wait to see the results.
Cheers Helen
Ha, love Julie's "wonky" stuff ….
Hands, beautiful hands (yóúr able hands, I recognise them from
the many photos and videos 😉 …) and clearly capable of much
much more than felting alone ! LOVE the lamps , and that vase
(with the flowers already there)
I can imagine it must have been very relaxing to be "on the other
side of the table" 😉
Great you did yourself this favour, so good to do something "else"
occasionally !
Love, Els
whow!!! i love that <3
You are such a joy to learn from!! Love this
Conni Diack
Thank you for this! It's my first time felting and now I know how many ounces I need to make a 14×14 piece!
Thank you both! We are just finishing up the last piece right now…the felt wall…it's huge and just about completely fulled now! One more hour of rolling and surface work to go! I'll be writing more about the making of the pieces and showiing the work over the next two weeks!
Thank you both for your well wishes…I feel your support across the distance, and am grateful for it!
WOW !!!!!!!
Congratulations Fiona, this looks soooooo GREAT !
(what a splendid idea !)
Lots of luck with the exhibition, but I'm sure LOTS of
people will visit !!!!
(sigh …… not me …..)
Congratulations on your new exhibit! Wish I could be there to see your new work and cheer you on. Best wishes, Luvswool
Dear Fiona, I really hope your year turns out to complete just as good as it has just started
A great exhibition coming up (so sorry I can't visit), classes with fun people and enough
leisure time to stay healthy ! 😉
Lots of love from Holland
Thank you, dear Els! I do love hearing from you, and checking in on your blog…I'm still so stretched for time..but just for a few more weeks and then I'll be sure to comment and connect more! A resolution for this year! Leisure time is the order of day! Starting in April…I'm planning a on a long, slow, oudoors all the time, quietly creative kind of summer! Love and big hugs! Fiona
Wishing you a spectacular year of travel, creation and personal discovery! With love…Hxx
Thank you Heather! I wish the same for you, and hope we might fit in a little of this together again this year!
Wow. That is so exciting. Well done everyone. I went to the opening of an exhibition here in Western Australia earlier this year with very similar concepts. A group of Printmakers worked in a similar way, with only a limited contact with their partners who were poets….. clever and amazing work was presented. As Pat said above, definitely some synchronistic energy was there too.
Being a felter, I commented at the time that it would be interesting to do the same thing with felters and poets maybe but now I love your combinations allowing the inclusion of colour.
At first, I thought yours was a group exhibition but re-reading I realised the felt was all your work. Very impressive.
Thank you so much for sharing.
Regards from a new fan in Western Australia, Brenda Warner…..Feltnitnstitch
You are very generous to share your technique with all of us. Very clear…you're right the picture tells the story the best. Thank you.
Thanks Fiona, I am just coming back to re visit this bit of fun, love all these ideas. Jane
Fiona, you're a master !!! Thanks for the sharing…
Ahhh Fiona, I would gladly have come as a substitute for one of the cancellations … ;-D
(It would have been great to finally start with my "end piece" of last spring ….. still no oppurtunity to make the BIG piece 🙁 but planning to 😉 !)
Congratulations to both "students" ! It must have been very special to have you for a private teacher !!!!!
Enjoy your stay and other classes Fiona,
Love.
I wish I'd signed up for your newsletter earlier to know about your Okanagan visit and add to the numbers at the workshop. I am assuming that you won't be there much longer but would like to know what your schedule is, and if there's something I might be able to participate in. Please update me. Thanx muchly. Rosalie WIlliams
Ah, I am so envious of your time in that beautiful area and with such a small class. It truly is a gift! And the tops are absolutely gorgeous. i am still reeling with joy from the felting retreat at Meech Lake. Cathy (Luvswool)
What beautiful tops you all made! I imagine it must have been more like a felting retreat than a class with just a few students – sounds perfect!
Great tutorial. Thank you
Very clear and good pictures tutorial. Thanks for the sharing.
Well I knew already you're a perfect teacher ….
you've proven it again ;-))
LOVE the colours !
Love, Els.
Mind-blowingly beautiful, Fiona! (And how amazing that the lovely model's name is Indigo?!)
Fiona, Your work is an inspiration; this dress breathes ocean air and water!!!
Thank you for the detailed and very useful instructions. Your yarn is beautiful and I can't wait to try this myself!
The garment, the process, the story, the journey, the model, the place – all so beautiful!
Such a beautiful, lyrical post…and glorious garment!! Hxx
OMG…was there a year ago and am longing to come back! Lovely work,Fiona.
perfect on your beautiful island and model!
Oh, this blue "migration journey" is wonderful Fiona !
Love the stitched journey from wishbone to wishbone too 😉
I envy you making another wonderful full moon dye day !!!
An indigo vat !!! perhaps I will succeed in doing it (at least once !)
Have a good week Fiona
I must go, I will go!!!
One space left, Kate! We do offer a retreat here every two years…so if not this time, maybe next….or somewhere else!
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh …..
(wouln't it be nice …. 😉 !)
All the best Fiona
Dear Els! I wish you could come to this place- I think you would love it!
We'll just keep felting together, over the internet! xo
Stunning .. I want to wear this dress ..
Air Force 1 Shoes For Sale
Amazing
Fiona, dear- If you thought that I was 'chomping at the bit' about our retreat BEFORE I knew what work you were going to feature, now it's even worse!! Giggle. I love this work, the metaphors, the incredible, detailed layering and conceptualizing…ohhhhhh…I can't wait!
Don't you just love it when things come together like this! There must have been some synchronistic energy between you and Barbra. Your stunning, living 'shift' sculptures fit and hang so beautifully. Bravo Fiona!
Your pieces came out beautifully – not surprisingly containing your wonderful details and subtleties! Also, amazing how the paintings and wearables interact and that neither of you mapped it out extra-intentionally beforehand. How exciting to have the shift dresses worn by models at the opening!
Your student,
Juliane
Georgous and congratulations on your show….Inspiring!
CONGRATULATIONS !!! Fiona (and Barbra)
So great to have this wonderful exhibition together and it really adds up !!!
Two pieces sold, marvelous ! (no wonder !!!)
What a great idea to have the dresses on real models during the opening 😉
Love, Els
and this dress is still in my dreams after the show…
wow.. that is amazing!!!!
very nice dress, must be a great pleasure to have this on your body 🙂
What a masterful presence that dress has! Thanks so much for all the sharing of what is behind it. Many blessings on your show!
What a wonderful ideas you come up with Fiona !!!!
Love the dip dyed dress and that pfoto … is sublime !
LOTS OF SUCCES !
Love, Els.
That is so beautiful Fiona, and I loved seeing the thought process behind the sculptural surface. I'd love to be nearer to come and visit, but alas… maybe another time.
I do hope you have a wonderful exhibition.
Hi Cathy, I remember your piece. It was beautiful and easy to see and appreciate the amount of time it must have taken. It was almost impossible to get finished pictures during the felting week. There was so much going on. After this exhibition, if I can find some, I'll email them to you.
I love the texture on the grey tunic. It looks like stratified rock. What a gorgeous piece!
Wishing you a wonderful opening and showing.
Thank you Pat…there's lots of geology and mapping going on in this collection. I'll tell some more of the story over the next few weeks.
All the best on Friday and lots of visitors thereafter 😉
Thank you, Els! It is going to be quite something into have all the work hanging on display tomorrow night after months of preparation!
Thanks for this post. I've always used roving (my parents live very close to World of Wool) but I'm just getting into using Piiku finnsheep wool and Kap merino so this is very useful information for me so thanks very much.
Just saw this today (looking for a blogpost of yours from the time of the on line SD class..) Lovely posting and I relate well to your description of retreating and emerging being able to be one and the same thing!!
Beautiful and clever gift from a wise woman. Good to have such a friend
Love your new gift!
I know what you mean about the joys and difficulties of 'rhythm' in our creative lives. I am certain, however, that you are more than up to the challenge of any project your nimble mind can devise!! I look forward, with relish, to your future experiments and their wonderful results.
XXO
Fascinating. I'm lucky enough to live an hour away from New England Felting Supply, and have mostly used roving in the past, but I'm going to tackle some of my batting supply today!
what a cool idea!! Thanks a lot for this inspiration…(and all the others on your blog!) greetings from the Canary islands, Anu
Thanks so much for this post Fiona. It is very helpful.
This is an absolutely magnificent post! So generous of you to provide all this info along with the wonderful photos. I know how much work that represents!
interesante!
Just what I needed ….more choices !!! More supplies, new ideas and endless fun, am resisting ordering the paper, but I am sure that won,t last long, on her site she says she no longer ships internationally, which explains my resisting! Lol
Hi Ginny! I'm so glad this is helpful! I've been wondering where you are! I hope to see you in the online classroom, or hopefully at Opulent Fibers on the 26th?!
Hi Fiona, I'm here..and following along, enjoying your posts and picking out the techniques I am most interested in right now…I'm not likely to show up in the classroom much as I not a very comfortable group person even on line! Also, am having a bit of computer trouble which as of today has seemingly left me unable to access all the postings. Somehow, once I'm logged in I can't then go to the other sections.. Hopefully that's not going to last…..April 26th..sounds like a lovely idea.. Do you happen to know of anyone I could ride with who is planning to come through Seattle and return the same day?
Hi Fiona-also over here from SDO Spring.. Just discovered my computer won't do mirror printing so looked for this about using other things; I have an idea which will combine a quotation I have been playing with a lot and several of your new week 2 techniques..thanks for this alternative to using the printer..and for all your other fine suggestions..
This would be a great technique to work with as a family to create a felted gift for someone…. making little pictures on the paper and at their own level, with a wish or memory to share with the recipient!
This looks like a fun way to lure my not-yet-teen kids in to some felting projects!!! Lots of fun possibilities with this – thanks for this!
Yes, Jenny-my two boys are 14 and they enjoyed it! We've done things like this before when they were very young, but it's a good reminder to pull out some of these things again, and see where they go with it now, with their more refined skills… one son made a gorgeous leaping salmon picture, and the other a highly detailed kingfisher…. it was fun!
What a marvellous idea!!! Will have to play with that!
Wonder if water colors would work or if that would wash the polymer layer off the paper … have to try!
Elisabeth, yes, I think they would work, as long as apples with not too much water so they would dry quickly. The colours might be muted…..a light was of acrylic or watered down fabric paint would be good also.
I pulled out our paints yesterday, but then realized there was only so much time left in the afternoon to finish up the samples…. so next time!
Thank you very much, this is an exiting technique!
What colorful fun! XX
Ooo…it is….. it felt so bright and fresh on a gorgeous spring day here!
Please let me know details of the September class when you open registration – thanks! Sylvia.ahern -at- gmail.com
I took Fionas Fall Session…blew my mind. Fiona is the best teacher, what an inspiration and a wonderful resource. Thoughtful and responsive, and she works hard at it too! Definitely more than worth it, a priceless experience. I loved it!
Would love to join this Spring SDO class, is it still possible?
Thank you for taking the time to teach, inspire (and entertain) us, Fiona!
Both workshops were spectacular and I came away with loads of new techniques and a creative fire in my belly! (I even dreamt of a new bag yesterday!!) XXO
I signed up for the class after seeing a link to it on the Facebook Wet Felting group (which I just joined). I learned wet felting from online videos, books, and two incredible video classes with Andrea Graham. I *love* texture and cannot wait for the class.
Thank you for this post. I found your work on Pinterest and love it. I have a shop called Handmade Happiness in Petersfield, England which stocks beautiful work by local artists and makers. I Googled you hoping you lived nearby! All best wishes to you!
Hello Fiona…I just popped in to say that I was mentioning you on my blog and that you have been so inspirational to me…both as a fibre artist, a writer, and a homeschooling mama. I really enjoyed our visit in the fall! Wishing you so much creativity and beauty for 2014!
xo Jules
Hi Jules, Thanks for stopping in here…and at the studio! I really enjoyed meeting you!
Wishing you a wonderful 2014, also!
Thank you so much for posting this! I love Jongstra's work, philosophy, everything.
beautiful cowl!
The material kit has reached Germany today – still really in good time for the course to start, yay! By the by, the material is downright gorgeous.
Thank you for this, how wonderful for a felt artist to so beautifully articulate what I feel is true about being a part of the whole process of making… thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you, everyone for commenting here….I think it all comes down to passion and trust, trusting in our own creative process….and this ripples out into the world in ways we can not even imagine….
I love your words Fiona….:Live your passion. Believe in what you do. Do it fully. Use your creativity to build community and support other women, whether at home or afar….This creates and inspires beauty.' Thank you for this most wonderful post.
Thank you for your inspirational text! Enjoy life and live your life to the fullest with your passion.
Gorgeous post! (Amen, sister!) XOXX
Thanks Fiona !
(had heard of two, will find the third now 😉 !)
Sounds marvelous! When you get to the September/fall on line class I'd like to be in!! meanwhile, have fun with this first one!
Sent you an e-mail, Fiona 😉
hi my name is beckie galanopoulou from greece is it possible to participate to the workshop because I tried to pay and wasnt accepted my mail is beckigalani@yahoo. gr I would appreciate an answer from you thank you
guten tag, besteht die möglichkeit, dass ich die dateien in deutscher sprache bekomme?
grüße aus deutschland
christa loos
meine mail-adresse: cmjloos@gmx.de
Thank you all for registering- this is exciting! I'm looking forward to working with you!
Hurray, I just signed up. Looking forward to learning from the master! 🙂
Just signed up.. excited!!
Incredibly excited to take this online workshop. Am looking forward to getting started.
Thank you all for registering! It's going to be fun! I'll be sending you an update at the end of the week!
just purchased the workshop. can't wait!
really admire your work, looking forward to your workshop.
singed up…..looking really forward to it ;-)))))
margit
Very excited! Just signed up. Can't wait to get started now…… xxx
one word : flabbergasted !!!!
Thank you, dear Els!
So inspiring and beautiful..the garments, the lovely model, the photos! here's to a wonderful 2014, Fiona!
Thank you Ginny! I hope our paths cross again in 2014! I will be visiting friends on Bainbridge in March…and maybe passing throguh again in October. Until that happens, looking forward to keeping up with your work online! Happy New Year!
Awe inspiring!
Ive been felting for almost 6 months and am just in the infancy with my new business and have decided to push on with my felting, more bags and hopefully if i have space i have aspirations to make simple clothing and slippers too 🙂 2014 is going to be a very inspiring and inventive and fun year!
thank you for sharing all your wonderful work, it has inspired me greatly! Nikki x
I wish you great success with your felting work, Nikki! Thank you for the compliments!
I'm with you for 2014- inspiring, inventiv eand fun! Sounds great!
I LOVE all of these amazing pieces, Fiona! Your garment work is truly spectacular…and looks so comfortable and easy to wear!
Thank you Heather! I'm looking forward to lots more of this next year- particularly in the late Spring when I start to prepare for my exhibition! Exciting!
i'm in love with your work! where can the felt vessel kits be purchased? i see them at pollik but there doesn't seem to be a way to purchase one.
Hi Carolyne,
Thanks for this message! I'll try and get the list of retailers that carry the kits and post them here.
ME too, I'm looking for prices and retailers who sell these kits.
These kits (and your ideas) are wonderful Fiona !
That will give a lot of people a good start with felting 😉
(your seahorse will go in the mail probably right after Christmas)
Happy felting 😉
Thank you Els! Working away here…lots going on..mostly thinking and writing, but always some felting too!
Cool kits Fiona….I'll bet that they're very popular. Love the necklaces. And, it still makes me chuckle….the Photoshop manicure 😉
Hope you're having a great start to your day.
Thanks Dawn! Bright and sunny here this morning! Makes it easy to keep moving!
I've got two orders I need to complete, but I woke up with three brand new felting ideas..whew…now that's motivation to get things done!
Fonderful
Thanks you, Elileitha!
Thank you so much for sharing this! I love it!
Thank you everyone! Anu, the shadowing effects are part of the class…love that! The spikes are metal…A little softer and more less aggressive than the rusty nails I was experimenting with earlier this year! These are so great!
What is excitig for me, is that this is a class I have been teaching for 3 yaers now, but it always evolves and changes…plus I have a whole new host of tricks on my table for new classe next year!
Thank you Fiona! I LOVE your posts!!! I am experimenting these days too. It is great fun.
What a magnificent FELTSCAPE Fiona !!!
Lóve the colours !!!
Book ? Online classes ? Mmmmmmmm !
the metallic (is it??) spikes are really great! And I love the colors around…goldengrey with these pink spots in <3..I´m looking forward to your book!!
I wish I could remember! I've just studied the pictures and tried to recall…..I didn't add anything to the dyebath/simmering….it just has to be a conbination of what was bundled and the iron from the can..wish I could be more illuminating!
What made the lovely blue?
Ha, Fiona, the "be right back" took some time ….. 😉
But I can imagine : you were sooooo busy with lots of wonderful things !
The felt :: feutre must have been an amazing event (read some about it
at other blogs already) Your shows must have taken (ánd given you) a lot
of energy ….. it must have been nice to meet many people that loved your
art !!!!!
Well may be we hear some more stories (when you finished your tea ……)
😉
Have a good week Fiona !
Oh, you are so right Els! I did think I woud "be right back!"…I had lots to say and show, and had conversations in my head with you all, but just couldn't make them come about online! I'm a bit burnt out….but regenerating with cups of tea by the fire, time with my boys, and some smaller, more simple projects…I have a hankering to make a simple "pretty" thing…not sure yet what that will be..some holiday project maybe! Thanks for being here..I love knowing you are around!
Hi Cathy, The pieces from the Water project are all safely in a box with their return envelops. All through the last 6 weeks we have been returning the exhibition and FELTfashion show pieces ( 6 more to go), and now will return the Water pieces for those that requested it. Your piece is beautiful and will be on it's way back to you by Friday/Monday.
So beautiful
so beautiful!!!!
Ohhhh my Fiona !! This is so BEAUTIFUL !!!!
(yóú are beautiful too 😉 ….!)
But … how did the orbs keep floating ??? I don't think they were only made out of felt !?!?
Sorry I'm a bit "late" … that's what blogging does from time to time ….
Fiona…It was such a pleasure to meet you on Salt Spring! Definitely a highlight of my trip. And to see what you did with the felt you were creating while I was there…I am speechless. You are so very gifted and I'm so grateful you continue to share your creativity in this space. Lots of love,
xo Jules
Serene – magical very very beautiful – love your sense of ceremony Fiona!
Wow!
What a beautiful inspiration! Thanks for sharing this with us.
Great idea! Beautiful.
Beautiful photos, Fiona. So glad to see you having some peaceful, relaxing moments.
Great Idea! Great Photos! Great writing and sharing of theProcess! Great Piece!!! Thanks for the Inspiration Too!
Lovely to see the stages involved in photos – thank you for your creativity
Thank you for writing about this. It is so inspiring – and it is so important to have these "playtime's" away from the rest of the felting – interesting things happens when you play…;-)
Very sweet to see your inspiration turn into reality, lovely work ..
Nice to see this. A fine concept-the freely creative 30 minutes! And a fine outcome in my opinion..happy silent white felting next. WIll look forward to seeing the next installments. Good memories from last July for me..having visited your studio I can visualize where you might be doing all this!
Ha Fiona, I'm sure you ALL had a wonderful time dyeing with those earthcolours (Mmmmmm Mother Earth puts on her best dress 😉 !!!)
Lovely you had family visiting (you normally seldom see) and made a great memory out of it …. a memory to wear also 😉
Fabulous lamp shade !!!
Ohhh you sure did well Fiona !
I think it really is an eye-catcher to anyone who passes by !
The photo I love best is the last one with the light shining through !!!
The lacy part is indeed like one big chrysanthemum, with loads of
tiny petals.
Els, it would be so wonderful if you could come here for this event! I would love that! I am working on the planning for the touring aspect of the felt exhibition- maybe it will make it to Holland! My Fashion Show meeting went well, and that lightens the load so much- it is so good to have someone to work with and bounce ideas around! xo Fiona
Hi Fiona, I see you are quite busy with all the organizing !!!
Wish you a very succesful event, and I'm sooooo sorry I don't live a bit closer …. I would love to participate 😉 !
Very artistic creation. Beautiful decoration and functional as well. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Terriea!
I have enjoyed reading about your recent trip on blogs and FB-so wonderful! Thank you for visiting!
Great Idea, and a wonderful lamp!
With kind regards
Gabi
Thanks so much, Gabi!
Fiona, what a wonderful idea !!!! I had no time to check the 30 minutes trial before but I just saw that the two are connected 😉 clever !
Thanks, and a "soft" weekend to you, my friend !
Thanks Els! Oh, having such a wonderful studio summer!
Lots of work, but it's all fun! xo Fiona
I'm really enjoying these 30 minute projects, and seeing the process and discovery unfold (although I hope you're crediting yourself the time spent photographing.)
The idea of a playful exercise is a good one. I hope it's beneficial to your practice and that you'll continue to share.
Thanks!
~Shana
Thank you for visiting, Shana, and for your comments!
I am so enjoying these projects….I wish I could do one everyday!
Lots of other bigger projects ongoing in the studio though also that must be finished. I plan to continue with these 30 minute felt projects at least until September, then it might be time for a break…and something new!
Well Fiona you certainly are busy enough ….!
Love the topographic theme ! And I'm interested in
the not yet finished number two 😉
Mmmmmmmmmmm the scarfs ! You're such a
marvel with dye !!!!!
Oh- Thank you Els!
Not yet finished number two is now finished- just needs to be framed- I should have that done tomorrow and will post pics!
That one has spawned several more ideas…well, maybe it was the Celestial Jacket that came first, actually…..The new project is also on the list for this week….hmmmmmm….not many days left in this week……so it goes! 6 more scarves finished this week…woohoo! Not sure what colours they will become yet! xoFiona
Wow, Fiona, your latest work is lovely…and so varied! It's clear that this time of year is a very fertile one for you! XO-
Thanks, Heather!
Fertile out of necessity! I have two gallery shops to keep stocked, my studio (if I can get it opened!)a big craft show in November, an exhibiiton, fashion fhow and outdoor installation…all in the works…One step at a time! Grin! xo Fiona
nice idea…and a very cool result!
Thanks, Anu! So keen to make some more, but other feltwork finishing on the agenda today. Looking forward to doing it again next week though!
How fun! Thank you for sharing.
Nice explanation of your process!
Cami Smith
Thanks Cami! Stopping to take pics might not have helped my deadline….Such a fun project! I want to do another today, but am trying to resist and keep it a weekly treat! Thank you for sharing this!
I haven't felted for a very long time and I am enjoying this new 'challenge' that you have set up for yourself … very interesting !
Thanks so much! I think this would be a fun exercise for any medium.
Fiona ! Congratulations ! this is fun !!!!!
Even if you had to set the timer once again
What a lovely baby-dragon dish !!!
(a fine touch : those stones 😉 !)
Thanks Els! The first two proejcts did get done in 15 minutes, but 30 is so much more reasonable, and still short enough to make happen regularly!
Love the idea of a baby dragon dish! The stones were a special gift from New Zealand, brought to me by my fabulous cousin, Erica Duthie. I have a treasured bag of small stones with special markings on them-a little bit of NZ! xoFiona
These are wonderful!
Belles textures feutre et bois.
Fiona, love your "red textures/sculptures"
(woooow that piece of wood they are standing up …. !!!!!!)
Quite interested what the finished piece will look like ! (and deep thoughts too 😉 !)
Thank Els!
Thanks Dawn! There is a book in the works…has been for months now…but this summer it is my top most priorty..to complete the book and ecourse. It must be finihsed by mid-September. I'll let you know once I get close enough to accept pre-orders! Thanks so much for your support and enthusiasm! I think that is inherent in the life cycel of studios…chaos into order…and back into chaos….although in all honesty, my studio holds it's order pretty well…but when that is the case, my home is in total disarray! Ah well! Happy Felting! xo Fiona
Hi Fiona,
I love these felt masks…They are amazing!!!!!
Did you say book, Fiona? Might it be a felt book? If so, please add me to the list of purchasers 😉
Hope that you have a great weekend in your neat and tidy studio…Wish mine were 😉
Big hugs,
Dawn
Do you have a pattern you would sell? I simply love it!
Hi Fiona, you did a wonderful job all together ! It must have been truly inspirational …. so sorry we don't see you ….. 😉
It was a lot of work, and a LOT of felting skills learned !
They can do a great play !!!
(Ha : another creative possibility)
This is really helpful, I feel quite inspired to do a bit of experimenting
Love your work, Fiona. Thanks so much for the mini tutorial – I am put off hand painting roving because of the colour pooling but I'll certainly try this way.
thank you! this is very helpful and how nice for us to see it from start to finish without the wait in between. you DO make it look easy! and i love the results. thanks again.
Great information, thank you so much Fiona!
Hi Fiona, thank you very much for showing this ! In fact it lóóks very easy, but I think it takes a lot of experience to make such yarn for your shop 😉 !!!
The colours are gorgeous (ha: just a bit like your jacket)
Fabulous…
Thank you, Angelika!
What a gorgeous jacket Fiona! I love the shape,the design,the colour and the detail. Beautiful.
Hi there Pat! Thank you! Been thinking of you recently…talk more soon, Fiona (thanks for reading too!)
fantastyczny!
Thank you, Bozena!
Beautiful detail – love the colours!
Thanks you!
beautiful, indeed, Fiona! Love your craters!
Thank you Ginny! I love that as a texture…have some new things in mind though, once I finish up a few more pieces in this collection…lots of shibori on the way, I feel it coming! xoFiona
Oooh Fiona, this is such a beautiful piece you made !!!
You're sooo good in the deying bit !!! (ánd the rest of course)
Ha, although you turned to another colour sceme than you first
intended, I see the ocres and yellows pop in anyway 😉
Thank you, Els! I am having such a good time in the studio right now…not worrying about making things for sale (although they will be) an just stretching my creativity as much as possible. Like my most perfect daydream life…weehee! It is so true about the ochres! The green sections on the coat wre also made by overdyeing ochre in blues…..xoFiona
These kids are very good artists ! And they look like they had one of the best times of their lives !
Hi Fiona … a long time ago I was felting and teaching it to guilds in southern Ontario … and the one thing that I really wanted to do was make a jacket/coat, but never did. I did do several 'scenes by hand felting and sold a large one to a doctor in Toronto … then free-motion machine embroidery took a bigger hold on my creativity. I just want to say how beautiful I find your work and I plan on following your blog. I love what you do !
Thank you! I enjoyed reading about your creative process and the evolution of your craft. I look forward to seeing more fo your work also- visiting your site just now! Thanks for visiting and following!
Thank you, everyone….I love to play with the surfaces….
It is wonderful jacket!
Thank you, Lenka.
and I'm back with more wows! it looks even more amazing dyed, I love the colours and the shape and everything.
Thank you, Wendy. It is always hard to decide what colours to dye, and if to dye at all….but lucky for me I can make as many of these as I want, as I sell them, so every colour can be made!
It just depends on the day…thanks for visiting!
Wow. Wow. This is just stunning, absolutely beautiful
This is so beautiful…. Angelika
Really beautiful! gr.
Marga
oh wonderful!!!
Bummer it's just to far for my children to join this….
Thanks, E.! Primarily I teach adults now, but it feels like both a priviledge and a responsibility to share this work with children also. You never know when you are providing the right moment at the right time to inspire another person! Wish I could meet your children also!
I can only imagine all the fun you had with these young artists!
It was such fun! They are sweet and fearless! Grin!
What a fun week!
It was great, Jane! Making my summer plans now, including the adult classes!
Hi Fiona, great to hear from you : you have been BUSY !
Lots of beautiful yarn and the workshops must have been fun !!
Have a Happy Easter weekend. Love
I realize that I'm commenting on an old post but my oh my! Miss Rumphius! I haven't heard this book in a long time and remember it being one of my favorites! I also had to finally comment on your most inspirational blog and work. It has me itching to hurry spring up to collect nettles and such to try my hand at some dyeing.I have just begun my adventures into wet felting after sculpting in needle felting for many years. Someday I would love to take one of your workshops. Saltspring is near and dear to my heart. It was my great grandparents pioneer home and birthplace to my grandma and great aunt. Cheers!
Wonderful! I'm always so glad to hear/read of others who get caught up in the apparent minutiae of nature. My husband doesn't like to go on walks with me when I have my camera! I only hope I translate them into art a fraction as beautifully as you do!
Nice to read the story behind the cowl; to see the maker of the inspirational marks and other fine photos! Look forward to the net stages of these!!
Gorgeous colours! Greetings from Finland, I find your blog very inspiring! 🙂
Thank you everyone for your comments! I've been away from this space as I have been launching felt::feutre- Canadian Felting week…It felt so good to get some time back in the studio this week, off the computer, and then to come back here today and read all your lovely words….thanks again!
Beautiful! I can see the connection to the inspiration.
So very special and beautiful!
I love this cowl, both the colours and the texture
Wspaniałe barwy. Takie wiosenne. Piękne.
Piękny kawałek, domyślam się procesu powstawania ale nie do końca 🙂 Pozdrawiam
Outstanding! Not only gorgeous as a piece as an art object with a deep concept backing it up, but also technically challenging and exuberantly executed.
What a lucky friend you have 🙂
Thank you Florcita! It is one of my favourite new surfaces in felting right now…lots to explore within it's pockets!
beautiful piece-love the explanation of the process and the way you created the piece
Beautiful in every way possible! Lucky friend:)
this is so beautiful!
a stunning idea and so full of love and tenderness for your friend…
she's a lucky one
An absolutely lovely idea and outcome; What a fine way to express love and fiber art and so many facets of both! xx
Saw your posting and what a wonderful idea…good luck with it…..cedar http://www.sheepthrillsyarn.blogspot.com
Thank you Cedar! It's all moving along- very exciting! Maybe we'll get to meet that week! warm wishes, Fiona
Hi Fiona
(happy and creative 2013 to you and your family! …. a bit late, but anyway 😉 !)
You have wonderful plans for this year !!! You know I did a workshop with Marjolein when she was here (November 2011) and I follow Andrea …. I will surely look up the other ones, might be interesting and inspirational !
Wish you succes and hope to see some new things of you too !!! Have a good weekend ! Love.
Thank you, Els! This has been fun to organize so far….and I am keeping my own work in the equation! Oh! I have some projects ready to find their way to the felting table….and some more recently finished that I will post….A big year of felting! I hope for you too! xoFiona
LOVE it!!!
What a gorgeous sign the Foxglove Farm has !!!
The artichokes look great (the leaves ánd that flower, majestic they are !)
Incredible colour that cotinus …..
I'm interested in the result of your November bundle ( just waiting and you'll show us, no doubt !)
Thanks Els! After taking none while in Quebec, I really tried to take some at the BC retreat- that's how I mangaed to getb those two! And that's as far as I got….It was a beautiful time….and next year is going to be so much better! Making plans! xoFiona
Ahhh so sorry that you don't have more pictures …. but the best "pictures" and memories are of course in your heart !
When you experience something as beautiful as your retreat-workshop, you forget to take pictures most of the time just because there is a lot to do and a lot of energie going round ….
Great it was such a good time !
(everyone else will treasure it no doubt 😉 !!!)
Schööön! What a stunning idea this starfish-bag…!
One more…this is so very BEAUTY-ful…!
Thank you, Anu! Using these surfaces to create a performance piece for Felt United weekend…very fun….no internet access though but hope to post soon! Thanks for visiting!
Really beautiful!!!!Fantastic textures:)
Warm greetings:)
Thanks Diana- I'm so enjoying exploring these new surfaces!
Really beautiful! gr.
Marga
Thank you Marga!
This piece is a dream..
Thank you Edda! Your comment makes me smile…and dream a little too!
extremely cool this work you are doing; so evocative and different. I will be in touch and/or make a blog post soon about our July experiment. Am really enjoying your Joomchi explorations and the results!
Thanks Ginny! I made some big creative life decisions over the summer…and they all feel like they are taking me in the right direction…I am loving doiing this! Looking forward to you blog post and/or seeing how your silk piece has been transformed!
absolutely stunning–you make me miss the coast so much but show it so well here 🙂
Thank you Arlee.I find this to be an amazing creative space…I'm glad it comes through in some way!
What beautiful texture and colours and those similarity in nature. Wonderful. You have combined wonderful designs. Angelika
Thank you, Angelika. I've been really enjoying working through these ideas and pieces It was such a surprise to come across those rock patterns!
Erica is amazingly talented, and passionate and brilliant! Her and her partner are doing incredible work, all over the world- heading to Germany next month for a mural for the Book Fair.
Wow ! just visited Erica's site : they are GOOOOOOOD !!!! ánd fun !
Ha Fiona, you sure had the most wonderful of times with each other: that sparkles from the picture !!! That starfish bag is a wonderful idea ! Something great to take home to down under ….
(Mmmmmm lóvely vest too 😉 !!!)
Thank Els! It was wonderful…both of our families are very small and quite isolated, and it is very special when we get together! xo Fiona
Fiona–What wonderful projects!! The blue purse is especially adorable,
and what fun…having Isla there to create with you! XO-
Oh, Heather! It was so nice to have them both here…..It feels like we are sisters…but each time we also get to know one another a little better….And Isla had the best time- mostly with her big boy cousins. (BTW-that refers to a childrens book about a small island in Scotland which both myself and Erica love- the Katie Morag books….one is about the time her big boy cousins come to visit her small island…a little reversal, but a fun coonection!) xo-Fiona
It is stunning, just love it 🙂
Thank you!
This looks so wonderful – B.C. in autumn… I went there 20 years ago and these photos remind me to these days. Wonderful to be able to be connected to feltmakers around the globe. Warm wishes from Bavaria in Germany, Angelika
Beautiful! Those mini star fish look like they could be Christmas ornaments… I'd be into that! Very "West Coast"!
Thanks, Natalie! The little stars are a great childrens project!
NO comments so far?! Can't believe this… while those bags are SO great! I LOVE the little seastar bag and those bright colors of the yellow bag… And I like your work, Fiona, which you always share with us in "Living Crafts". I am a Swiss Reader who orders every issue from Germany and devours it with excitement and a lot of joy…
Have a good time felting and creating!
Bora from Switzerland
Thanks so much Bora! For your comments, for visiting! It is quite humbling (and an honour) to know that some of my projects have been seen in other parts of the world!
Warm wishes, Fiona
Your studio and shop space is one of the nicest I've seen! So bright, welcoming, AND interesting!!!
Great work, Fiona!! I especially love your 'tunnel' photograph!
It looks like a view of heaven to me…"Walk into the light~!" Giggle.
This is extremely cool, Fiona! it seems quite mysterious and I love the textures and parts; I think I'll look up Joomchi! BTW "our July 8 eco-print experiment -my part- has gone through incarnation # 3..4th on the way… Will be interested inseeing the next steps-dress/coat/bodice of this style of work you are doing
Fiona–I absolutely love your work in progress!! How freeing to be able to 'play' in the studio again!!
I met Jiyoung at the American Craft Council show in Baltimore earlier this year and she is absolutely delightful. Her pieces are truly stunning…and I agree…much like felt work!! XXO-
Thanks so much, Heather!
How wonderful to have met Jiyoung…The Baltimore show really must be amazing to attend- it showcases so many of the most talented brilliant artists/craftspeople in the US (and some Canadians too!)…..one day I'd love to go….
WOW Fiona ! I truely can imagine that you were inspired by that book right from the start !!!
Must find out more about it, thanks !
That dress will be stunning: you'll steal the show !!! (even now in white it's wonderful)
Lovely to have you "working" again, that will mean more posts (I hope 😉 !)
Thanks so much Els! Foor your comment about the dress and your encouragemnet!
I have some (very creative) out of town guests this week…slowing my blogging progress…but lots of fun work being done to show soon! xo Fiona
Fiona, that dress is stunning!
Thanks Lynette! I've had a change of plan since wirint gthis…but it's a good one! I'll write about it soon!
Oops! I never saw this until now. it was a lovely visit; i really enjoyed your genorsity and the camaraderie of playing with the eco dye …i've got some pix on my blog, too (ginnyhuber.blogspot.com) and just today someone from Chile on Face Book found me through this blog i do believe!
OH, my goodness! I love lupines. I love Miss Rumphius..and I love this blog post! So glad to catch up with it, Fiona! Just read a number of posts here since my visit (below)..I enjoy your projects and writing!
Wow Fiona, it's a while since I've had a chance to visit, you have been busy girl! All looks wonderful, your bags are just beautiful and I'm very excited to hear that you're working on a book : ) I so look forward to seeing that. And this retreat…? One day. Happy felting, dyeing and planning. x M
Thanks, Mia! As I'm sure happens to you also, so much gets made that never gets photographed or written about! I've puzzled out a perfect Autumn balance for me…with some time off to read books and sketch…and look after myself…for the first time in a long, long time…..still busy….but nicely so, and not distractedly! Would still love to trade for some of your "little people"- they are so charming! xo, Fiona
HA ! Fiona !!! I would LOVE to come, but ….. you know the rest 😉
The red long thin flowers are some species of Polygonum, I have other colours and species too (they are kind of jungle-like in the back near the water)
The blue ones are Lobelia syphilitica, tiny flowers like the "normal" Lobelia you put in hanging baskets, but very different in inflorescence ….
Thanks, Els! For all the plant info! There are some beautiful polygonums…I'll keep my eyes out for these….Once, when visiting Irelnad, the cottage we stayed in had the most beautiful beds of a fluffy pink polygonum….lovely! Felting? It would be fun, wouldn't it! One day maybe…somewhere! Warm wishes, Fiona
Hi Heather! Thank you so much! I was thinking of you as I was dyeing- I think these are your colours?! Coming over to visit you and see your journal! xo Fiona
Fiona–This design is stellar!! I love the way that a singular design can be transformed with color and embellishment…and this purse rises to the rank of 'couture' with your lovely strap and metal fittings. What fun it is to perfect a design and then customize to your heart's content!
Wait until you see the 'themed' journal cover that I just made for myself. Quite silly and marvelous! 🙂 Love-
If you have a list running of those who'd like to order books when you're ready to begin accepting orders, please add me to the list;-) Looking forward to the release date.
Thanks so much,
Dawn Edwards
dawn@feltsoright.com
Thanks so much, Dawn! I'll definitely let you once it is ready! I'm really enjoying the exploration…
Warm wishes, Fiona
Ohhh, how I wish I could go! If I somehow can get my finances in order before then, I am there!
Sounds like a great workshop, Fiona! I know everyone will have a beautiful time.
Thanks Nicole- I would love to meet you! I hope to do a west coast version in late October also…details coming! I am so looking forward to this! Yay!
I await tomorrow's post with great anticipation!
:o)
Hi els! Some big work stuff coming today…although it's more about other people's work! 😉 I need to do a proper photo shoot to show some of the big projects I've be working on….hope to do that this week!
Creative energies…it's all such an ebb and flow, isn't it? There are certainly quiet times…and they make room for some wonderful projects to emerge. Time in your lovely garden must certainly be wonderful! Gardening can really take over making in the summers….as can so many other things- like beautiful new babies! Your work is always amazing!
Great to see you're working so hard ! Always fun when you do the work you love most and seeing such lovely results ! Waiting for the results of the BIG work ….!
(sorry to say that I still can't get started: too little time and too tired …. it will change soon (I hope) 😉 !!!)
What lovely results with those beautiful lupines (though I would have thought there would at léást be a little bit of blue …. ;-)…) but you knew what to expect ! The photo with the finished wool ánd the flowers is wonderful.
Your overdeyed purse looks great. Those rings : aren't you afraid of rust ??? I heard from by blogfriend Gabi ( ;-):during my visit) that she once had rust on the wool, of (probably cheap) felting needles ….
It looks great though with the rings to attach the strap to.
Thanks for your story and I wish you patience with the bundles ….. (grin)
Thanks, Els!
I love that bag! I want to make two more in that shape this week…..with some stitching! I actually hadn't thought of rust until you mentioned it…but there is absolutely no sign of any on the rings….I'll have to check on the content of the rings…maybe that's why they won't rust…also, they are brand new with no rough edges or flaws that would invite rust….and they are only wet for about 2 hours then always dry….This is definitely my favourite bag strap attachment method, so far!
So far so good on the bundles…I've opened Ginny's and will send to her…mine still waits…wow- just for another week- that went by sooooooo fast! xo Fiona
Love the results! Thanks for sharing your process!
Thank you Jo!
It seems like that shade of yellow is what I get quite a lot when I try to do natural dyes. Mint was one of the only things that gave me a good green. I could see the potential of alder bark when I experimented with it, but I didn't give it enough time. Nettles made a silvery gray…
It is fun to play with isn't it! And we can always overdye anytime we want! I got beautiful green from comfrey consistently from one location, but when dyeing with comfrey collected from another spot, at exactly the same time of year (same year too) it gave me a warm soft brown….The wonders of plant dyeing! Such a treat!
Read that story to my children many times when they were young… I still have the book. I was just trying to share that with my Japanese friend who just planted some Lupines…. Wish I lived next door to you!
Cami
Fiber Art Now Magazine
camismith@fiberartnow.net
Thanks for visiting, Cami! I'm looking forward to heading back to Quebec this fall and pulling out some old favourites from my childrens childhood- I think I'll add them of the list of things to be brought out in our slow and gradual move across the country! This book is one of my all time favourites!
I have some magazine ideas I'd love to discuss with you- I'll email soon!
Fiona
Thanks so much, Kirsten! I love it too…I'd like to keep it, but I kept the last one I made! It was so good to meet you in person last week…I have some ideas brewing and will be in touch….I'm so glad to re-connect with your blog- your work is beautiful!
That bag is absolutely gorgeous! I love it!
Fiona–What a fantastic bag design…how clever of you to felt the 'hardware' right into the piece! I love how you start with white each time and transform your work with color later. One day, I hope to take a class with you and learn more about your method! XXO-
Thanks Heather! I'm so pleased with how it worked out attaching the rings during felting…this is the process I'm going to use now on all my bags…it works so well…It's funny (and what is wonderful about craft!) how you and I approach things differently! I was just reading on your blog about having the plain white bag and figuring out what to do with it! That is what is perfect about being able to share our experiences out here, don't you think! We can love our diversity…..Hope to meet up with you sometime soon! xo Fiona
Hi Fiona, found your blog on pinterest, love your work and art and tutorials, these here are gorgeous, you inspired me, thanks for that. Have a great weekend, greetz from Janine ( germany)
Iiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeee ! THEY ARE SO GÓÓD !
I once had a jacket with wire in the hem: you could do the same funny things !!!
Also love the blue silk-felt shirt you're showing it on …. 😉
…. fibre art bike ….??????
(hey: and yóú are saying something about "only close-ups" 😉 …?)
Your scarves are incredible!!
This is so beautiful. Congratulations. The floor is so inspiring too. All the details are perfect. Good Luck this summer
Thanks so much Chandi!
I do hope you get a chnce to visit sometime soon… it would be lovely to work together at some time! Warm wishes, Fiona
Oooooh Fiona, I am só sorry I can't hop over and pay you a visit in this WONDERFUL studio !!!! You've worked VERY HARD ! I wish you all the best for a succesful future !
Ha I still remember that you were painting the lovely coloured floor ! It goes so well with all the bright colours of yout stash ánd of course all your beautiful products you made !!!
Thanks so much Els! I had to stop and take a breath yesterday after finally opening! It was a wonderful weekend! Now I'm excited about new fibre plans!
Oh! And Els- I have your beautiful drawing up in the studio-thanks again! It is heartwarming!
Congratulations, Fiona! Looks lovely!
Best wishes on this wonderful enterprise!
Hope to see you again before long!
Lois
Thanks Lois! I hope to see you sometime soon!
Yeah! Congrats, Fiona!! This is great news and I wish you lots of success.
Andrea
Thanks so much Andrea!It's great to have a dedicated studio space, and hours….so much more gets done! Thanks for coming by, virtually I mean!
Fiona its stunning. So inviting – thanks for sharing your beautiful space. wish I could pop in!
Thanks, Ronnie! I wish you could drop in too!
Fiona–Now I know why I've been missing you, lately…you've been creating this warm and personal space for yourself! Wow!! It's fantastic!! Thanks for sharing the photos-they
make me feel almost like I can walk around and touch everything and enjoy your new space, too!
XXO-
Thanks, Heather! I have been crazy busy with lots of background work like this projct…but it's all starting to open up, and, more or less…now I get to play! (which is work, but is play! if you know what I mean! Grin!)
it is BREATHTAKING!! makes me yearn for a road trip North so i can see it in person. it's your work space too, right? it truly looks so inviting and well worth all your efforts. congratulations on the new opening! x
Thank you, Kristin! This is my work space also..divided roughly half and half….It's a great space to be in! If you ever come up to Canada, I'd love to see you!
Oh, Fiona—These are all luscious!! Your dyeing is enviable!
I'm happy to hear that you've gotten some exciting news, lately, too! (I'll be patient and wait 'till you're ready to share!) 🙂
Have a wonderful weekend, my friend! XXO-
mmmmm I can smell it by watching these pictures!
Mmmmm…wooly smells…The natural wools certainly have them- Luckily I love them! Thanks for visiting!
That idea of compare and contrast is a good one. You could perhaps complicate your life further by blending…
I feel this year is particularly inspirational. Some dyed silks recently, some nuno, pods and other projects.
A good energy out there!
It is a good year for creating, Lois! My Chinesse horoscope promised me it would be a prosperous one if I worked hard…That seems to be holding true and working out for me too! 🙂
I could blend…It's a good idea, and would be fun for experimenting…but as I get into my production rhythm I need to keep things simple. As you know,, I love the C-1 and C1-Pelsull from New England Felting Supply…and I may just use that…but thought I'd experiment with some options first before committing to the BIG orer! To the felting table! Have a wonderful weekend, Fiona
THIS LOOKS SOOOOO GOOD, Fiona !!!
How much did you order ??? It looks like kilos to me …. what fun playing with all of that !!!
(saw the shawl you made for "living crafts" with the pencil rovings …. it looks amazing (on you !) ;-)!)
Thank you Els! (about the LC shawl also!)
Oh my goodness…a box of white wool is about the most delicious thing ever!
I have about 5 kg here….just a start on this summers felting! Can't wait! warm wishes, Fiona
Hope you had a wonderful Easter!
We made heaps of 'Wishing Eggs' (as Nicholas calls them) on Sunday with some friends and their children. A big success and a sunny day for an outdoor activity! Thank you for the inspiration.
Nicholas's gnome hat is still a big hit!
Have a lovely week,
Lois
Hi Lois, Thanks for visiting!
Oh! I love that you made the wish eggs…so, so nice! I'm so glad to have met you…it's nice to think of someone on another small island close by also creating!
Hi there Fiona, glad you're back again !
Love the shibori dyeing you did (I had an on-line class with Glennis Dolce but sadly enough never camme to doing anything with it … in fact I don't have a good place to play with dye ….)
Your vat is like a big dark moon !
Happy easter to you over there !
Helloe Els! Thanks so much! I'm having lots of fun with dyeing these days….cottons and handmade felts…I've got to get my space set up a little better for it…I have a good indoor and outdoor space, but it's a still a little tossed together for now…I LOVE your imagery of the dark moon of the pot….this fits in so beautifully with the full moon dyeing…the dark and the light, one reflecting the other….and in our shibori stitching and dyeing we chose how much of each to show for ourselves…so exciting!
Hope you had a wonderful family weekend!
Fiona–I've missed you!!!!!
Your new work is lovely, and I'm so excited to hear that you'll have so much time to work in your studio. I am already salivating over your future projects! 🙂
Happy Easter!! XXO-
Oh, Heather! Thanks for the love! Hugs to you! Yes… I guess technically not full time, but I'll be working in the studio everyday from 11-5…maybe some evenings also…and it will be open to visitors as well…in three weeks….I am so looking forward to the immersion…Hope you're having a fantastic weekend-Fiona
Thanks so much for your comment! I'm working on online courses…several ideas! Or maybe I can just come back to the southern hemishphere for a visit! Oh! That would be so nice…Australia is calling to me just now….maybe in 2014 it can happen (we just have to build a house first!:)
Thanks for visiting! Fiona
sigh i wish I lived close enough to attend a workshop – maybe one day you could do some on line / correspondence courses for those of us who live in a different hemisphere 🙂
Hi Fiona! I have been mulling over going to Fibres West again this year but it's soooo far. The ONLY reason I am considering going this year is b/c of your class. Will you be offering it here on Salt Spring at any time? Or perhaps in Victoria?
felixoxox
Hi Felix, Thanks for visiting here! And for your interest in my classes! I'll definitely be giving some classes through the summer. Probably a similar but extended three day session, a little more open, technique based classes, where you can mix and match the classes. And then another session in September/October. Looking forward to meeting you sometime soon! Fiona
What yummy colors!! DId you ever finish your blanket?
You'll have to check out my 'tribute to Fiona's lanterns' posts. 🙂
XXO-
Dear Heather! Thanks for coming by and drawing me out of my blogland shell! How amazing to see your lanterns- they are beautiful!
I haven't finished the blanket…I've decided to wait until the organic cotton voile arrives….so today I'm turning my blanket layout into three wool lock embellished scarves, in order to clear my table! But first..a flower hunt! then some felting! a lovely day! XOX Fiona
Sighhhhh…what a perfect 'Mama and children' kind of day.
Your photographs are gorgeous, and your children look so rugged, physical and resourceful! Sometimes, I think that mine missed out a little, having grown up in the suburbs. 🙂 XXO-
Dear Heather, thank you for all your comments! The boys certainly can be those things… when it suits them!;)
My oldest was there with us too…he was more intent on gathering materials this day than being out open the boat….I'm juts so glad they love doing these things, and are still so involved with each other!
It's been a perfect weekend….hope yours was too!
Wow Fiona, as I see it : you had a wonderful day with your boys out there !!!
Love the pictures of a beautiful day in this glorious nature you're living in, lucky you !
Have a good weekend (and more beautiful days when your Man is back 😉 …!)
(think this time it'll work with blogger …)
Dear Els, It was a lovely day…and weekend… it even felt like a weekend, which is unusual…We've been having a good time over the last week…some new patterns we hope to continue with once Graham gets back on Friday….
That is a beautiful felt design, and you're absolutely right! Even our flooring can be a reflection of who we are. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Ronald! It was fun to be able implement! We were imagining on a commercial scale, large floor tiles or panels that could be installed in any space,. and then taken up and moved if desired…We propbably won't take this idea into that realm not…but the experiement was good!
How fantastic! I would worry about my dog's hair and kid messes but such a treat for bare feet to find a surprising softness.
Thanks, Lynnette! It was a good experiment…we have three children also…no dog hair though! We just sweep the whole floor and then vacuum down the felt lines. I'm not sure if I would do it again, but I'm glad we got to try it!
This is just too amazing! Another idea to stow away for our someday-house. (:
Thanks, Eidolons! We have a list like that too- for our house up the hill we plan to start building this year! We got to play with some more unusual ideas in our temporary home here, that we moight, or might not employ in a bigger full time dwelling- what an opportunity!
Wow Fiona what a novel idea.. and I bet it feels so lovely under bare feet! I so agree, we can bring authentic handmade beauty to everything. And especially at this time of year, to have beauty and creativity around us at home is so enriching. You go girl! : )
Thanks Mia!
It is an interesting sensory experience- the combo of wood and wool on different oarts of your foot! Now I want to make some small and lovely things…softer things that are comforting and happy! Talk more soon!
Oh, Fiona, it's wonderful! Thanks for modeling it for us!!
…the color is absolutely perfect with your eyes (now I know why you overdyed it!!) 🙂
…and I love how it looks great with jeans, too, so you don't have to wait for a special occasion to wear it.
Thanks, Heather! I was making this for myself all along..and I just can't wear white…for many reasons…one of them being that I can't keep anything white for longer than 15 minutes! I love that it can be a "with jeans' garment too….something special for everyday! Very excited to make a couple of bags like this too!
What a beautiful creation and the color is to die for!
Thanks, Sunshine Mama! I know I'm going to love wearing it! It took several over dyeing until I was satisflied with the colour…I think that's why there is such depth to it…..That delicate balance of knowing when to add more, and when to stop! lol!
@ Hinterland Mama-thanks for visiting! And for such kind comments! As every parent knows, you just keep going! Sooner or later, something gets done! I love doing these things, making anything, sharing projects…it is both soothing and revitalizing….I can't live without it…I'm so fortunate that I get to do this most of the time…(and then cook and clean, and homeschool, and play some of the time too!)
Happy New Year!
Hi Ginny and Terrie, thanks so much for visiting here!
Ginny- I'll try and model it tomorrow! And I have a new felt project to share….
Terrie- Thanks for your comment- I love adding stitches to felt, either part way through, at prefelt stage, so they felt in, or after…or both! One of my new signatures!
Gorgeous and charming color. I love the stitches on the colar.
I am just loving (and am in complete AWE) of your upcoming plans! That was such a fun post to read. I'll have to pop in regularly. How Will you fit it all in? You provide so much beauty and inspiration already ღ
Also am looking forward to seeing it modeled by you!
Thank you so much, everyone! I will model it for you- I promise. Living Crafts (the magazine I write for) goes to print on Friday, and then I'll have some time, although I want to get started on my Spring Felt line too…ASAP!- pieces like this blue tunic are items I'll be producing for Fall shows! I'll have time for a picture though! 🙂
It hits just at the hip- so a short tunic…..
Really truly- thanks for your words!
And Mia- I'll be in touch- how exciting!
Love, F
You will have to take a photo of it on, Fiona : )
Well done girl, incredibly beautiful work. Love the red stitching and the shibori moons and that colour is breathtaking, would look stunning with a red skirt no?
Hey let's confer about our trade! Warmly, Mia
Simply spectacular. I love the stitching!
Oh, yes!! It's wild and amazing, Fiona!!
Please take a photograph of you wearing it for us?!?
I'm sure you look beautiful in it!
(Is is a 'with jeans' top, or a leggings or long skirt kind of thing?)
All of the special details make it so appealing…
…and I absolutely 'swoon for the moons'! Giggle
oh, it is SO beautiful!! i can't get over the color…and then the contrasting red stitches… sososo gorgeous. i do hope you'll model it for us…it's hard to get a sense of length. great work to start off the New Year!!
blessings in 2012!!
Thanks Glenda! I just write everything directly in blogger. It's not a problem- I just find it so funny that every single sheep breed and textile term and technique comes up as a spelling error when I spellcheck!
Thank you Yvette,both for your comment and for visiting! Lots of fun felt coming this year I feel!
If you are using word, you can add your sheep breeds as you type them in and Word marks them as misspelled. Just be sure you get them right before you add them!
Thanks Lynette! Didn't get any work done on it today, but hope to finish it up tomorrow!
Heather- Thanks! Laughing at your description! You make so much! And…I was thinking about visiting you yesterday! Maybe, maybe, I'll be coming to Ohio for the TNNA (national needelarts association show) in June….how far is it from Columbus to Euclid?:)Thanks for coming by- I love to read your comments!
Fiona–It's going to be fantastic!!! I have been trying to psych myself up for ages to do larger projects, but my mind just 'skitters off' in other directions when I get close. Sighhh. Maybe you'll come and visit me one day to encourage me in person!!! 🙂 XXO-
how exciting! It looks wonderful. Thank you for showing us the beginning stages. =)
Thanks so much for the book suggestions, Heather! I'll check them out….maybe this week…ah… so much to do!
Erica! Hugest hugs! I love Barbara Kingsolver… I haven't read anything by her in a while, so maybe it's time! So exciting about all your projects, persent and upcoming- hopefully close by!XXF
Hey, wise woman!! Love to you
my favourite and one i think you would love is Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kinsolver
I to am aiming at not overdoing it this year !!
V n B back in Kiribati now and we are all well just had the best time working wiht a group of lovely artists frm the Deaf community in Auckland am still on a high,
Love to Grahm and the young men!!
XXX E
What a wonderful post, Fiona!!
Suggestions for books: Absolutely anything by Ann Patchett…last year's State of Wonder was especially delicious.
The Help if you haven't yet read it.
…or you could read The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides along with me (I loved Middlesex and received this latest one of his for Christmas.)
Happy New Year!!!! XXO-
Oh! I have two more…kind of craft related!
I'm going to learn how to use my DSLR camera (that has been in box and taken out only occasionally for alomost two years!), and I'm going to try to stop photoshop cleaning my house (and fingernails) and clean them better for real! This is a bit of a running joke in our house…Lots of clothes have been cleaned with photoshop! 🙂
Thank you all so much for the birthday wishes!
I have finally gotten my studio table all clear and ready to go! And have amy sketchbook full and ready for ideas to be realized…now I feel like I just need to establish a good work/family rhythm (that constant struggle!) and I'll be out there!
I so appreciate all your comments- they are so supportive…..keep me going some days and always make me smile!
Wishing you all a wonderful New Year- full of creativity!
@Chandi- I do hope this resolution comes to fruition- it would be such a pleasure to meet in person!
Warmest wishes to you all, Fiona
Happy Birthday and best wishes in 2012, This will be the year, that I come to Canada. JOY , Chandi
Happy Birthday! Your felted creations are so amazing, I can't wait to see what that jacket will look like 🙂
Happy birthday, my dear Fiona !!!!
I know you will make a wonderful jacket when the time is right …. sometimes we're just a bit too hasty and want too much. In such a wonderful studio beautiful things will develope
You may even get much better ideas of what you want to achieve …
But I know this feeling aaaall too well ;-), things must be done rather yesterday than tomorrow ….
Enjoy the time with your loved ones have some good days and I wish you all the best and many wonderful felted pieces in the year to come ! Happy New Year and lots of love!
Happy Birthday, sweet friend!! I hope that you managed to spend this lovely day in exactly the way that you desired.
I can relate to the mess in your studio. My youngest two and I were just sweeping the first floor of our house in preparation for the onslaught of weekend sleep-over guests and one of them said that my studio floor had so many HUGE dust bunnies, it was 'gross'.
…and this from a college student, no less!! 🙂
Happy New Year, too!!! Hugs and love–
Many happy wishes for you on your birthday. May this year be full of unexpected joys.
Hi Heather- thanks! It's all such an interesting process…one new step leading to another. I'm really enjoying the shibori!
Hi Els- thanks so much!I like the comboination of the unruliness of the locks and the oredliness of the stitches!
Chandi! Oh…I must email you back! later today!
The new project will be a website….developing into a collection of information for feltmakers on diffreent breeds and techniques….Hope to have it up and going by the new year!
Hi Mia! Thank you! I didn't have time to take "model" shots before dropping them off at the gallery…these were taken at running speed! I wonder if they have sold or not? The gallery show ends later today…I kind of hope not..then I will keep one! I kind of hope so…then I can make some more!
Warmest wishes to you all! xo Fiona
What I meant was, I'd love to *see* them on ; )
Beautiful as always Fiona, I'd love to them on, I bet they drape beautifully.
Wow , looking forward to your videos in January. Blessings,
Chandi
http://chandi-holliman.blogspot.com/
What great pieces you made Fiona ! The blue shibori is gorgeous (it reminds me a bit of the clamp dyeing Chad Alice Hagen does)Those curls stand out wonderfully !!
(sorry, still a bit slow in my reactions but all things are getting better day by day !)
Fiona–What a great idea!! I love the shibori dyeing on the blue one, and the Racka locks are amazing!! That's a new breed to me, too!! XXO-
OH- and Heather- BTW- I LOVE that loft…everything in it! Those colours! My dream home looks a bit different but all the wooly bits- Yum! 🙂
Heather- Thanks so much! Oh my gosh… so maybe not so original! I rememeber this article. But was so not thinking of this when I made this piece. Darn! I was thinking of using this idea for an interior design line for next year…I'll have to play with it and see how it becomes my own!
So what I did was roll balls of coarse wool that does not felt easily- the East freisan in this case, and then loosely wrapped them in the BFL. Laid out a flat base of BFL, placed the balls, then another layer of BFL laid as a sheet..then felted…Mostly by hand, rubbing, epcially at first. I was able to roll it as the ball fit in between each other when rolled. So the balls don't felt completely becasue of the wool type, but are totally felted into the piece. Now it's a new challenge- how do I make this into something unique! It makes an awesomne lampshade! Love F
Hi Aleta- Thanks so much!
oh, I know! I would love to make a rug like this to stomp with my own toes! I imagine something quite stylish, with the mounds placed randomly and more to one end and then in masses…I wonder if I'll ever get around to making it?!
Oh WOW! You are really a talented, inspirational (and super busy) lady.
I saw your photos and thought immediately of tiny toes trying to stomp down those balls.
Oh, Fiona–I LOVE this!! I've been wanting to figure out how to do this ever since I saw the NY Times slideshow "A Loft Filled With Felt"
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/05/12/garden/20100513-rugs-slideshow-9.html
(Check out the rug near the tub and the piece above the kitchen sink with more geometric embossed forms.)
I'd be curious to know how you managed this. It's fabulous!!
XXO-
@ Aleta- thanks so much…Your comments mean a lot to me! Thanks for visiting!
@Loco Lindy- thank you! It was such a pleasure to make!
Hi Katie, Thanks for visiting! It is so lovely- it is hung up in my studio where I can see it and dream everyday!
I just discovered your blog after enjoying so much of your work with Living Crafts. What beautiful fiber, it would be hard not to be inspired by it!
This is so beautiful!!!
This dove. The quotes. Your timing. Everything about this post, including the photos, give me that special kind of feeling.
I DO love dropping by here ღ
What a beautiful post, and what a lovely woman you are, Fiona!
I cannot wait to see what the roving 'becomes' after the New Year…
and how the warmth of my gesture gets passed on!! 🙂
Hugs–
Heather- I came across Robert Fulghums quote in a search for quotes on Peace…I love the idea ofan explosion of happy colour! I used to read RF's books…I should pull them out again for some winter reading!
Barbara-Thank you!
Els- My son welded a a bar across the two legs to hold them securely in positon, and give me something to help sew them to the birds. I cut a little opening in the bottom of the bird, inserted the legs, and then sewed it closed with the leg bar inside. I can't wait to make some more birds!
Annie- I so appreciate all your exclamation marks! They speak more than words! Thank you!
Warm wishes, Fiona
Hi Finona,
Love your idea of felting your way through the different breeds of sheep. Each breed had its' own unique wool characteristics and I totally agree, there's nothing more wonderful then a clean, healthy fleece, regardless of the breed.
Two breeds for your consideration…
Jacob sheep and Navajo-Churro sheep, the two breeds we raise. Jacob sheep have a multicolored soft and springy wool, which works great for wearable felts and craft projects. Navajo-Churro sheep have a double coated wool which comes in lots of natural colors and makes a very durable felt.
And there are soooo many other wonderful wool breeds… I'd love to join in.
Karen
Quite wonderful…on so many levels! Peace!
Fiona!!!! That is most beautiful, from the bird to his/her inscriptions, just wonderfully, inspiring. Peace, Peace, peace to all…
Aaaaah Fiona, what a wonderful idea and what brilliantly executed !!! Love all your "peaceful" quotes of so many wise people.
(I wonder how you incorporated the feet in the body ?)
I am very curious how the other birds will be ….. 😉
As always, you are an inspiration in creativity and harmony!
What a beautiful, carefully thought-out project, Fiona!! The quotations are perfect…
and I'm a special fan of Robert Fulghum's. I have read and re-read his books for years. (He and Mr. Rogers had it right, don't you think?!)
XXO–
Thank you Mia! I'm looking forward to sharing these with other textile artists and keeping a few for some sewing projects in the new year. Are you game for a textile challenge? 🙂 I'll send you one and you can play!
Thanks Annie! It feels just as you expressed. I felt I was viewing the "real" world in a way, and that it grounded my own lifestyle in a bigger context. Much much appreciation felt! Warm wishes, Fiona
You are always full of inspiration thank you! We do lived a blessed life! I know when I went to India I felt how lucky I am and often forget that there are people living just like that in my own backyard. Thanks for the reminder of gratitude and of course great work!
Beautiful Fiona! I loved reading your wonderful descriptions of work and place. Be amazing to see where all these pieces end up…happy making : )
Oh! And on the wool test list is Drenthe Heath…sounds like such a mystical name from over here…great and wild and wooly….local to you, Els? Maybe?
Hi Els! I'd love it if you could share a link to your friends felt work, and to your European wool source. Thanks for your comment on the pic of the little balls-
I'm really enjoying taking pictures of wool these days. My camera, that I've finally figured out how to use to best advantage, is dyeing…it's been missing it's click button for several years now, but has decided in the last week or so to only take pictures half of the time I press it! I must learn to use my new (old) camera! The group I imagine is entirely online…so maybe you could join us, if you'd like too! Warm wishes, Fiona
Hi Fiona, lovely experimenting together! Must have been real fun, I think! So far I haven't done many different sorts of wool, intent to try "berg schaf wolle" instead if the "normal" merino I usually have (that is used by the German blog friend who makes such lovely felted animals and dolls, ánd I can order it from the shop I normally order)
The photo of the little balls on the table is great!
Would love to participate in your try-out forum, but …. not very practical I'm afraid 😉
Thanks, Els! I still have to get to my full moon project, that came to mind reading your blog post…I think I'll draw it and descibe it, and let it simmer until next full moon!
Hi Jennifer, I love the idea of these as a storytelling felt in a childs room. That would be so great to make…and a focus point for a parent to tell a story and a child to dream into…love, love, love this!
Thanks so much, Crstyal Cave! I love to work with other people…if you ever visit BC, come by!
Hi Fiona, these are exquisite!!!! I would so love to see you in the creative process…
Oh I love the blue/green one. What a great hanging for a child's room that would be. The stories that could be spun from that tree…
Beautiful work as always. So glad to hear you are up and about again!
Hi Fiona, glad you're back on your feet and felting again! These scarves are great: Eva will have been one happy customer!
The off-white one is very delicate (I love the idea of curtains like that), and the light green leaves on the green and blue tree shawl are a wonderful combination: a good job!
Happy felting
Thanks so much everyone! I feel much better, significantly slowed down…but all is well!
Heather- I apreciate the gallows humour! I was thinking at the time that the universe must be trying to know some sense into my head!:) I must have been ignoring the earlier/more subtle messages!
Dulcie- thank you for your warm thoughts!
Els-Thanks for your caring- and your message giving me the nudge to get back to my blog and work….Note to follow!
Ronnie-I'm so glad your wool has arrived! and I'm so happy that the heart is loved! and the image of just daydreaming about the wool….I do that all the time…it's almost the best part!:) the anticipation! Thanks for your warm wishes!
Sue- Thank you…I feel so much that I am on the cusp of a big change…it's becoming more clear….and I think that necessry slowing down is a part of the process. I'm happy to be back…and have lots of projects planned!
Missed your postings! May you find deep deep healing for all that you need in your body and spirit right now, your work is such a gift to us all.
Goodness I am so glad that it was not a more serious encounter with the driftwood. Sounds like you are on the mend now though and I love that you found the silver lining.
I just wanted to also let you know that he parcel arrived here (yikes two weeks ago!) and it is all so lovely. My two tear old loves the little heart and carries it very carefully around the house. I have been spending my free time daydreaming of all the possibilities in that rainbow goodness. Thank you so much.
Hope you are back to 'normal' again soon. Take care
Aaaargh ! My dear Fiona, thát's where you were!!! I really missed you and thought already something must have happened … Well so sorry to say that I was right about thát…
I hope that you are recovered a bit by now and that you can start again with your wonderful felt work (though "family-time" must have been góód after the worst was over ;-)… ) I hope all ends well for you and whish you for now all the BEST !!!
Wishing you more healing, clear thoughts and inspiration.
Oh my heavens, Fiona!!! I'm so sorry to hear about your accident and injury! Who knew that felting could be such a dangerous occupation?!?! (Sorry if it's too soon for gallows humor!) 🙂
Oh my…but you are right that something beautiful is sure to come from the pain…like my favorite scene in the (old) movie 'Tootsie' when Teri Garr (playing an actress) is rejected by Dustin Hoffman and says, "I have to remember this feeling so I can use it later in my 'craft'"!
I'm thinking of you with love and sending healing thoughts your way!! XXO–
Fiona sounds like a lot of fun and sucg fantastic results. I am so new to the world of dyeing and at the moment mainly experimenting with food colouring and wool and silk. Easiest for now with little people.
The Indigo process is facinating – and I love that cheesecloth
Oh whow!!!Thank you for that magic fullmoon-post!!!
p.s. can you send me an e-mail ?
Ooo Fiona … now I'm really jealous ! 😉
Thank you all!
Els- it would be so great to be able to do this together! Maybe someday you will come to BC?!
Actually- you know…just looking at your avatar pic- this picture really inspired me to do some moon work also…thought you should know! I'm loving this global exchange of ideas! I've invited some local textile artists to join me for next months full moon dyeing…it's so much nicer to do things with other people!
Beuatifull, beautifull!
Fiona ! wished I was there with you ! Never done an indigo vat, but wanting to: YES !
That little piece with the moons and the figures : sooo great. The moon really had her influence on it I'm sure. And that cheese cloth gorgeous ….. (well to be honest ALL of it is great)
Fantastic! x
lunar lovely!
lovin' it! cant wait to see the panoramic shots when all the gear is in place… :o)
Your studio is looking gorgeous, I love the floor.
Aaah Fiona, what a great space to work in! Love your design. (I would love to visit and work with you 😉 !)
Wish you all the best in these last organising days, carrying boxes and unpacking …. Love the word: "wall of wool"
Also thanks for your good wishes, I know what it's like : I've been there in '98 (and still around !!)
Thanks so much everyone! I do so love this space! I'm getting a bit worn out with this last stretch of building shelves/cupboards and organizing the last bits and pieces. I'd rather just be making things…but don't feel I should spend too much time making things while I look over at all the unpacked boxes…so..two more organzing days, I think…and then so much to make! I love reading your comments- they keep me going! 🙂
Oh I just love how you finished your floor! The flowers are so cute and what a great way to create little spots within the room 🙂 Can't wait to see more later 🙂
I love how you created lines to lead the eye to certain areas. I am in the process of stenciling my "studio" floor. Maybe half way through and I am so wishing I could be in there all ready! Love the work.
love the colors and the light coming in
Oh, Fiona–It looks lovely!! I love the simple, clean design and the bright and friendly colors! I know that you were on the fence about it at first, but you were right to persevere and try something daring…it's wonderful! XXO-
Hi Fiona, thanks for the link 😉
I love your folding and deying. I did a dyeing workshop (without doing the deying 🙁 !) with Glennis Dolce ("Shiborigirl") She used special dyes for silk (NO steaming !!!) but she couldn't send them over to me. And Dharma ánd customerservice here were charging so MUCH it wasn't worthwhile …. So still looking for the good stuff ….