AT THE FAIR

This weekend was the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival in Howard County, Md - at the fairgrounds.  I go every year and thoroughly enjoy myself.  


I went Saturday morning - a whole lot of other people went too - my Gosh!!!!!!  The indoor pavillion was chock full of vendors and buyers.  It was hard to get a good look at everything being offered.  As usual, many women sported things they had made and as usual, many women were walking around knitting - they didn't manage to bump into anyone either!


I haven't felted in awhile, as I have said, and was sad that I wasn't inspired by all the color...the wool, the yarn, etc.  I bought some hand dyed wool pieces, though.  There was a new vendor and she was selling squares of wool (like fabric) for embellishing.  She cut pieces out of the wool and embroidered them on another piece.  This was different and totally doable.


As the day wore on and I went home, the magic happened!!! YIPEEEE - I got the bug again.  Sooooo, I went back Sunday morning (nice Mother's Day beginning fo rme) and bought a few things.  I'll tell you about these in my next post.

BUT I JUST HAVE TO SHOW YOU THE PICTURES OF THE SHEEP!!

ISN'T THIS LOVELY?  THE MORNING SUN WAS COMING IN THROUGH THE PEN SLATS!

BLUE FACE LEIESTER SHEEP - LOOKS SOMEWHAT LIKE A DEER

THIS WONDERFUL RAM HUMUNGOUS IN SIZE WAS VERY HAPPY TO BE FONDLED.  I WAS IN HEAVEN ALSO.

LOOK AT THESE HANDSOME DEVILS

SHORN AND FASHIONABLY ATTIRED

BABIES IN THEIR HOUSE - PYGORA GOATS

FRIENDS

THIS HAS GOT TO BE MY FAVORITE!

THE FAMILY!

THIS GUY HAD HAD IT WITH TWO HOURS OF BEING SHOWN IN THE RING.  BEFORE THIS PICTURE HE HAD REARED UP AND TRIED TO JUMP A FENCE.  HIS OWNER AND SON WERE DOING THEIR BEST TO DRAG HIM TO HIS PEN AND IN THE PROCESS LET HIM HAVE HIS WAY WITH A CHOMP.

HERE THEY ARE DRAGGING HIM - HIS FEET WERE FIRMLY PLANTED AND HE VOICED HIS DISAGREEMENT.

ALMOST THERE FELLOW.

BACK HOME FOR A REST

Wool Locks for a Ram

I haven't done a Felted Mini Art Quilt in quite awhile - seems that way - so this one's been waiting to be finished and photographed.  Very soft and wintry.  I had some wool locks - I can't even remember if they're from a sheep or a goat - I have a feeling it's from a goat (of course, they're my favorites).  The locks look like (LLL) they came right off the guy/gal.  They were perfect for making the little ram's body and horn.  Not BaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaD.

Here's the link which takes you to the listing on Etsy.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/65438718/felted-mini-art-quilt-sheep

A Reflection of ME!

WALLAAAA - remember the white felted with the red splotches below?

WELLLLLLLLLL

THAT WASN'T HARD TO GUESS!

MY POINTSETTIA'S!!!!!!!

My camera batteries were getting a bit low and I'm not fully ready (at least not at this moment) to put it out for sale yet - so I grabbed some of my Dollar Store purchases and other goodies and began fooling around (staging - technical word, you know - ha ha)..............

My felted lambs/ram

I used the p;lacemat and put the Points and easel on it.  Sometimes when I shoot I don't want to show my house - only because I would be using it over and over again.  So, with the Quilts, I lay them down.  Then I can zoom in.

I thought that the easel looked a bit flat because the back leg is a little bit on the same plane as the other two.  So, I used a hunk (not technical) of embroidery thread to prop it up.

I thought this would make it look like it was standing.

Then I shot and now I've cropped the picture and it makes no difference!  Even before I cropped it, it didn't make any difference.  Now, what I could have done was drape the placement over something and shot it with the easel standing (da).  OK, small lesson learned.

THENNNN,  I used the ball ornaments - great idea, Connie! - add some shine.

Not bad - now what do you see in the picture that should NOT be there!!!!!!

Gorgeous picture - beautiful white background - again, what do you SEE?

The pictures above seem fine - I've learned my lesson with SHINY ORNAMENTS -

I KNOW MY FELTEDS ARE A REFLECTION OF ME

BUT THERE IS A LIMIT!

Back to the drawing board!!!!

SPRING TAPESTRY BOWLS

Two new Tapestry Bowls have emerged!  Picture first, then description.....

This one is made with off white Merino wool.  Of course, it's wet felted.  In keeping with springyness (huh?), I needlefelted little buds with the Shetland wool I got from Sara's Textured Crafts.  I also  blended some greens and added leaves, some bits of yellow and a light green vine around the lower portion.  You can see the fuzz on the inside.  I think this adds further color and I like the way the little hairs feel in contrast to the rest of the felt.  I photographed it nesting in white tulle (always have on hand for wet felting).   Now, for the next:

I'm particularly fond of this one...notice the sculptural elements.  Probably, a felter would know why these sometimes occur.  Through no wonderful planning by myself, some of the wisps of wool which are placed around the resist (see my Tutorial), just don't make it to the lip of the bowl or they just don't adhere so well.  My own idea is that my wisps aren't very wispy..I make mine thicker becuase I'm afraid I'll get holes...well, hasn't happened yet.  I do love the resulting ridges and I can further deepen them by using my needlefelting barbed needle.  

The wool is a combination of Sara's Shetland and lovely new roving from Sweet Grass Wool.  It is from sheep called Targhee who are raised in the Montana-Wyoming area.  These two types of wools were wet felted.  I also threw in some pink fabric waste which you see in the second picture.  Then I sculpted the ridges.  I needlefelted little flowers onto the bowl and added vines and swirls and green on the lip of the bowl.  Again, I rested it on tulle for the photoshoot.

Here is the link to Sweet Grass Wool:  http://www.sweetgrasswool.com

Favorite Wooly

Here's one of my favorite felted sheep.  I thought he's appropriate for the trip to the north country.  Hope we all will stay as warm.