Tuesday 22 August 2006

Nuno Felt - just for a change

Wow! this is hard work. Nuno felt that is. I received Carol McPhee's fabric from Kate in Cyprus (the Surfacing RR fabric that is) the other day. Oh! my goodness what a gorgeous piece of fabric it is. It is silk dyed by Carol McPhee, overdyed by Diane, and Kate has Nuno felted it. Quite stunning. Those of you who know me will know that I just had to try this new to me technique. I have felted wool before, I have felted silk tops and various silks and wools but I have never felted silk or wool onto another fabric. I have plenty silk and plenty fibres I just needed to learn the technique.

I am not sure if I was doing it correctly. I just used the felting technique I have used before. The closeup picture above is a piece of my hand dyed, rust dyed silk noile, this has a more open weave than the other piece I was trying - habotai silk. I added some hand dyed silk tops, silk hanky and various other little bits of fibres - throwsters waste - all silk. I started the felting process yesterday morning, did more throughout the day and in the evening and set to again this morning. I think it probably should have been felted for longer but the fibres have adhered to the silk noile.

Here's a picture of the whole piece. I also tried the same thing with habotai silk. I covered the fibres with tulle and started felting but the fibres stuck to the tulle and whilst they did penetrate the habotai silk I am afraid when I took the tulle off, off came the silk fibres from the habotai. Lesson learned. It's a fascinating process. I thought that if I actually made a piece not only would I learn the technique but it might inspire me to add something to Carol's piece of fabric. Did it? Not a chance. I have an idea of what I might do but I am not sure. I am leaving it for a little while longer on the design wall to see if more ideas spring to mind. Where's my muse when I need her?

In the meantime I have been working on the Doing Small Things challenge. I really should have that finished but I have been struggling a bit with that. Yesterdays piece was one I did but I am not sending it. The theme based on "We can do no great things, only small things with great love". I have been reflecting on that idea. I have started and not finished a few pieces but for some reason I just couldn't finish any of them. I think I was trying too hard. Yesterday I decided that I was going to have to give this one a miss (I hate doing that) - until today. The top is pieced and I will quilt it tomorrow. I don't know where it came from but it's almost there. I surprised myself. It's a mixture of bleach discharge and sun printing. I will post photos tomorrow if I get it quilted. We are out tomorrow so it depends on how much time I have. Maybe I will quilt it tonight if my guests leave early! Better go and prepare dinner for them coming.


2 comments:

Dianne said...

This piece is gorgeous and I know you will only add more beauty to it. I can't wait to see it. I know you are a fabulous artist, I hope one day you will know it too..That muse, it has such a sweet voice, sit quietly in you log studio and you'll hear her..
Isn't it funny when you want company to go home so you can get back to creating LOL...
Have a creative day Lv Dianne

Carol said...

Thank you Dianne for your kind words, as always. I did what you suggested and just sat quietly quilting in the studio, finished my little quilt I just have it to bind.

Your are an inspiration.

Lv back,

Carol