My wool collection includes yarns, threads, fleece and roving. On hot summer days, the latter two are some of my favorite toys. There’s something quite gratifying about putting on your swim suit and playing with soap, wool and water.
Needle felting is nice, but wet felting just brings out my beach instincts. In any case, I’m happy to include both in my art quilts.
Several of my recent art quilts use a felted background. It gives a lovely sense of multi textural goodness that contrasts with embroidery, quilting, applique and beading. For all of the fabric that I’ve dyed and painted, felting gives me a new dimension.
Here’s a background…
That became this quilt…
Earlier this week, my daughter’s college exploration took me to the Pioneer Valley. She considered my suggestion to fiber shop audacious. “Oh, no…don’t you have enough projects going now?”
She’s probably right, or we would have definitely stopped by New England Felting Supply in Eastborough to pick up some dyed quick felting merino roving. Felting has been a fun change of pace from my Master Knitter Focus this year.
I recently felted some undyed Shetland fleece and am here to report that merino felts much more quickly (however the end result was fabulous, pictures in a future post)! The slapping, stomping and throwing were undoubtedly excellent upper body work outs. If nothing else, I love playing with soapy water on summer day. It beats sitting in air conditioning, doesn’t it?
