I don’t do a great amount of felting but, from time to time, I get a creative nudge & give it another go.. As a novice felter the results are often unpredictable… sometimes disappointing… always a learning curve… & sometimes, as in this lovely white felt cloche hat, super delightful…
The cloche hat was crocheted in 100% pure Australian wool & felted in a washing machine then embellished with a touch of beige & brown rovings that have been needle felted onto the white base. The decorative knotted braid was hand felted from 100% pure Australian fleece & attached to the hat.
Hello everyone, allow me to introduce my new winter hat beanie collection… a combination of crochet, felted crochet & wet felting… all made from 100% wool, with assorted cotton & acrylic yarns, glass & wooden bead embellishments.
The collection came about while I was incapacitated some weeks back with a back injury & given strict instructions to take it easy… hmmm… Well, that’s always easier said than done….
So, what to do? I couldn’t just sit around feeling sorry for myself…. a poke around in my stash, I found a whole bag full of feltable yarns purchased some time ago &, as usually happens, completely forgotten about… so, with a collection of favourite DVD’s, I set to work crocheting the hat beanie crowns that I later felted in the washing machine (no strain, no pain)…& they came up a treat… from there I slowly added the crochet bands & embellishments… time well spent, time not wasted & Yes… I did take it easy…. Enjoy!
Over the coming days these hat beanies will be available for sale on Etsy.
Yesterday, the Postie delivered a rather large package from Alice Springs… Oh… I thought, both pieces have come back but, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the felted beanie had sold, Yay!!
& for my efforts I received this delightful trophy… my hat off to the creator/s of this unique trophy, a work of art in itself… & a gorgeous bundle of rovings & Certificate from Ashford Australia
Life has been rather hectic these past few weeks so I’m a bit late posting about my entries for the 2012 Alice Springs Beanie Festival – This year I decided to do something different & made a felted beanie & a tea cosy, packaged & shipped to Alice Springs, all in good time, with the intention of posting a little write up but somehow never getting around to it…
Well, this morning, when I checked out to see how the festival was going, to my utter surprise & delight I found that my Fossils & Limestone felted beanie entry has won the ‘Ashfords Prize for the Best Hand-felted Beanie’…. Wow.. I wasn’t expecting that…
Thank you to all the judges & festival organisers…
& congratulations to all the winners & special mentioned in each category – here’s a link to the results, hopefully there will be photos soon
I’ve dedicated this piece to my sister & to all who are travelling the arduous cancer road…
My sister’s courage, strength & inner grace… the inspiration;
Her unwavering faith in her God… my admiration;
Her ongoing positive, down-to-earth approach to life… my deepest love & respect.
Creating this piece has been bitter sweet but nonetheless, an absolute joy, not only because of my own personal involvement & the opportunity to express my love for my beautiful, courageous sister, but also because I had to work outside my comfort zone; as a fibre artist my preference is for bold, strong, gaudy, in-your-face colours & textures & working with these gentle pinks was a delightful surprise…
Technique used: Freeform crochet, Glass bead embellishments, Wet hand felting
Materials used: over 25 different yarns: pure wool, acrylic, cotton, metallic thread. Glass beads. Hand-carded fleece.
2012 World’s Best Tea Cosy Competition is an initiative of M.A.I.D., (Moving Arts Into Dogwood), with a partnership between the Miles Regional Arts Council Inc and the Western Downs Regional Council.
The Breast and Prostate Cancer Association of Qld Inc is holding a health information day for breast & prostate caner Saturday 28th July 2012, at the Leichhardt Hall, Dawson Street, Miles.