Inside the "Fashioning Felt" exhibit

I was so excited to find this great video on the Martha Stewart web site.  She takes her viewers behind the scenes of the Cooper Hewitt exhibit, "Fashioning Felt", which I featured in my March 11 post.  The video shows lots of fascinating process and takes you inside the exhibit itself.  Click on the link below and have a look for yourself.

Martha Stewart on "Fashioning Felt"

Wearable Art

My sweet young friends came over the other day and I had a great time taking photos of them in all my felt pieces.  It was a perfect spring day, so I took the pictures  outside in every corner of our beautiful yard. I just uploaded the first batch to some of my Etsy Shop  listings, and I'm pleased with the results.  The pieces come to life when they are worn, which is the whole point to wearable art!  

I also took pictures of these and several other new pieces that I will be listing in the next week

Jinelle looks lovely in the Vintage Button Nuno Felt Collar

Kirstin strikes a dramatic pose in the Floral and Flame Nuno Felt Scarf

Vibrant Springtime ~ Start to Finish

This scarf is built around one of the old scarves I found at the rummage sale.  You can see it in the bottom center of the picture of all the silk in my last post.  I used merino roving, handspun Irish yarn, curly wool locs, and silk hankie in my design.  I love the softness of the work as it is laid out before felting.   I thought it would be fun to show the scarf in the making. 

And then show the finished piece.  To see more of what I call, "Vibrant Springtime", check out the listing for this piece at my etsy shop.

Rummage Sale Finds

This weekend I went to the Thursday Club annual rummage sale in Balboa Park.  It is huge and in it's 82nd year!   I found some wonderful silk scarves and garments that rendered cotton and silk fabrics just perfect for nuno.  I am always on the prowl for fabric that will ruche up , and silk and cotton are at the top of my list.   The treasures were there for me this weekend as you can see.  Click on the images for a closer look. Keep checking my etsy shop in the next couple of weeks for new pieces made using some of these luscious finds!

Knitting, my other Fiber Art

I finally finished knitting this sweater for my daughter.  After ripping out (due to yarn and size problems too numerous and ridiculous to mention) almost as many stitches as I knitted over the many months this sweater was in the works, we are both pleased with the final result.  She loves it and I think she looks great wearing it.

Felting Exhibit at the Cooper Hewitt

I posted this entry on the Felting Team Blog,but for those of you who don't read that blog, here it is on mine.

I live in California, but my cousin who lives in New York City sent me an article from the New York Times, dated March 5, about a felt exhibit at the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum titled, "Fashioning Felt". It offers both traditional and contemporary felt. The exhibit is on until Sept 7 so I may get there yet!     

Be sure to explore the link "Process"for some wonderful pictures from Turkmenistan of women making a felt rug.  There is also a video on "Blog"

http://exhibitions.cooperhewitt.org/Fashioning-Felt/category/soren-ulrick-petersen/

Enjoy!

 Arlene

Sweaters to Dog Beds

My friend gave me a lovely burgundy and navy sweater.  Well actually after telling him  5 or 6 times how beautifully it would felt up, he finally took it off and gave it to me.  Then my son in law came up with a gray and red striped one which he found, of all places, at the dump in Hope, Alaska.  My little Monty got a dog bed made from the dark one, and my daughter's Duncan got the striped one.  They match their personalities perfectly, Monty being a stylish guy and Duncan  a perennial puppy.  

Sometimes Studio, Sometimes Dorm Room

My studio has become a pseudo college dorm for my grandson and his friend, who are visiting on spring break.  So the neatly lined up work tables that usually host my felt projects, have been replaced by a delightful composite of clothes, lap tops, various electronic chargers plugged in here and there, air beds, and two charming young men.  

Browsing through these pictures, of my studio in it's working mode, has reminded me of how truly versatile this space can be.  I feel so fortunate to have this wonderful studio to work in.

Sorry, no pictures of the dorm room...........you will just have to use your imagination.