Wet Felting Work Shop

My friend Ali makes the most wonderful felt art (you can see it here ) and she offered to do a day of showing me the basic principles of this old craft.  When  I had  tried some wet felting  before by myself I hadn't enjoyed it and I really needed a bit of help.  I followed the instructions in one of my felt making books and I found the whole process rather tedious and the felt was not really what I expected.  So I contacted her and she was very enthusiastic.  So on Monday I got in my car and made my way to the deepest, darkest ... No, no just kidding, it only felt like I was driving for miles along winding Welsh roads.  Well anyhow I got there and had a wonderful time, so lovely in fact that I forgot to take fotos until halfway through, silly me.  Here are a few though:

 Here I am making pre-felt

I  blended three different colours with carding tools

Partially felted

Shapes cut out ready to go onto my  background

 I forgot to take a photo of the background making but that was made with a layer of needlepunch felt and a nice layed of blended colours (black,charcoal and grey) with added silk, bamboo an mohair fibres

Here the tulip pattern had started to felt nicely but it needed a bit more work.

Here it is, felted and fulled, my first finished piece!

Not bad for a first try is it?    I did a multi coloured "sausage" as well as a rope,

A rope in the colours of a twister ice cream

The "sausage".  It has three colours on the inside

I will leave you with a few photos of Ali's workroom as I found it a wonderfully inspiring place

A drum carder, to lay out all the fibres nicely

Imagine this, isn't it lovely?

Lots of lovely colours

A basket full of inspiration.