Felting Leaves

The leaf that I am felting began life

as a flat piece of beautiful variegated felt from Nancy Bruce.

Here it is after I had cut the

pattern from a tracing of a cookie cutter.
I say why use the cookie cutter to cut cookies

when you can just eat the dough

and use the cutter for much more interesting things...?!

After cutting this, I began adding layers

of boldly colored roving (hand dyed by Nancy), felting them after each layer.

I found this to be such a soothing, rhythmic activity...

a mindless type of thing...

great for people like me

that can't seem to even sit in front of the TV without

DOING SOMETHING...

anyone out there like that?

I like to have something in my hands, like knitting, crochet, drawing...

just SOMETHING to DO.

Here is a scan of the type of roving and fiber

that I used on top of my felt leaf.

After some nice soothing felting activity,

I decided to add a yarn outline and some veins to the leaf.

I liked this better, the way that it defined the edges...

while adding more Autumn colors to the mix.

I'll add some beads and baubles...

what is a felted leaf

without a few beads and baubles anyway?

I'll try to see if Nancy has a blog or a website

(you should Nancy!)

(You need an Etsy site or something...

your work is much too beautiful to keep hidden at your home!)

Does everyone that has seen her work agree with me?

Right, Patsy?

Well, I think that this new art form that I have learned will really add a lot to upcoming fiber pieces...

So thanks Nancy for giving me a good foundation to start on!

I'm looking forward to adding to my felting skills.

I've Been Bitten By A Bug...

Perhaps you can help me identify the pesky thing...

Any ideas? Here's another look or two of others like it.

Ahhh, great you figured it out!

It's dry felting!

This is the first time that I have done it and I really like it! I think that I'll try more but before that I'll show you pics of the Felting Class with Nancy Butler at our monthly Fiber Art Alliance meeting in Asheville NC.

All the beautiful pieces above are done by Nancy...she is so talented and such a great teacher!

My pictures do not do her work justice.

They must be seen in person to apprecite all the design work she has done.

She was a little nervous at first but she did a great job.

Thanks Nancy!

There's my buddy Anita Heady.

She has started a Quilting Arts Alliance in Athens Georgia.

Email her for questions.

And there's two of my most favorite people in NC...

Patsy Thompson and Gen Grundy.

Look at Patsy's site for AWESOME free motion quilting DVDs.

And the Light...

The Bendable Light.

Get one.

Today.

It TOTALLY revolutionized my sewing!

And My Gen (yes, Jane, she is MY Gen)...

so happy to see her again!

And I hope you're feeling better Gen!

Look at these ladies, working so hard!

I am so sorry I didn't get their names to post...

forgive me.

I did ask permission to take their picture though.