Workshops for the New Year

There are a couple of new workshops to tell you all about.

Firstly, two more for Grayshott in Hampshire

1 Taster Day

Wednesday 31st January 2007
Another chance to try the different machines. There are currently 3 machines to try, decide which one you want to buy or just play and have fun. This is a good opportunity to compare machines, and you may be surprised.

2 Felted Bag

Wednesday 7th February
Make a bag in one day. Made from wool and an unusual technique. This will be fun, but you may need a couple of spare needles!


Friday - Sunday 16th -18th February 2007
TEXTILES IN FOCUS

This is advance notice of 2 x 2 hour workshops at Textiles in Focus at Cottenham near Cambridge. If you would like more information, send a large stamped addressed envelope to the following address. I suggest you do it quickly as the event is ALWAYS well attended and tickets for workshops are sold very quickly. There is plenty of accommodation in the area, so if you are thinking of travelling a distance and staying for more than one day it is worthwhile.

"Textiles in Focus"
COTTENHAM VILLAGE COLLEGE,
COTTENHAM,
CAMBRIDGE CB4 8UA


There is also a competition, not aimed at 'embellishers', but....

C O M P E T I T I O N

Make a piece of Jewellery that will fit into an A4 padded envelope.

All techniques are valid, but there will be a prize of Sassa Lynne threads for 'Innovative Use of Hand-stitching'. For further information, and an entry form, send a stamped self-addressed envelope to the following address

"Textiles in Focus"
COTTENHAM VILLAGE COLLEGE,
COTTENHAM,
CAMBRIDGE CB4 8UA

IMPORTANT If you are sending from abroad, enclose reply coupons from your post office to cover postage of the information, regretably you won't have a reply without these

Holiday

Not a very exciting rendition, but I am working under unusual conditions at the moment.

Glitzy yarns were meshed onto green hand-painted felt. A few stitches have been added by machine using metallic thread, a triangle cut and the shape glued onto a card.

Have a happy Christmas everyone.

Rectangles

Well, not very precise ones, but a sample for the current challenge. Yarns meshed onto white felt, cut into shape and remeshed onto black felt - alternating the top surface.

Do Something

A little late, but here is a response to the 'Do Something' challenge.

Carrier rods have been meshed onto yellow felt. Originally quite hard, the carrier rod has been transformed into something quite soft.

Life and things

I haven't been able to post much over the last short while as real life has been 'in the way'. However I have been busy and promise to put some pictures up shortly. I am not connected to the scanner or camera while I am away from home.

Next week is the Play Day for the Embellisher. I am really looking forward to it, I'm sure we'll have a good time.

Embellisher Taster Day

Well, the first of these was yesterday, and we really had fun.

We had 3 machines. The BabyLock, a Janome and a Bernina with an attachment. Everyone was able to try them for a decent amount of time, and make up their minds as to which one suited their needs.

We used a variety of materials, but mostly yarns and fibres.

I'm looking forward to the next time.

Pictures later

A handy hint!

Sometimes working on the Embellisher with flyaway fibres is a real nuisance. They can move around and sometimes bounce right off the background. I thought I would tell you about 2 methods of dealing with this.

In both instances you need to lay the fibres where you want them to be.

1 Cover them with a piece of dress net and get meshing through the net. When you have finished you will be able to pull the net away, leaving just the fibres.

2 Work in the same way but substitute a piece of Saran Wrap (Cling Film) and you will find it just as easy.

I have used both these techniques in workshops and students have been amazed at how firmly fibres are held in place. I hope it helps you too.

Janome Xpression

Well I have finally had time to try the Janome. All in all I like it. It was only a quick tryout, another one later perhaps, but it handled felt and fibres famously!

Nothing too strenuous for me at the moment, my emotions are elswhere (http://ssshhhitsasecret.blogspot.com)

Good to hear that some of you are accepting the challenge. Keep me posted with how you are getting on http://needlefeltchallenge.blogspot.com. Don't forget, it's open to owners of Babylock, Janome, Bernina - and any other machine etc

If you want a cautionary tale, have a look here. I can relate exactly to this story!
http://www.tonicarroll.com/Sewing%20in%20Micro/Sewing%20in%20a%20microwave.htm

A challenge

I have to be honest, I have no idea how many people read this blog. However, I know that I get emails from all over the world, so they must generate from somewhere. Many of them confess to the fact that they have an Embellisher machine, but that they have never used it. Some of these machines have stayed in their boxes, still there after 2 years or so.

Today I decided that something must be done. The following link will send you to a new blog with a challenge

http://needlefeltchallenge.blogspot.com/

Anyone can take part, but I do hope that some of you will be the ones who have yet to discover the joy of taking the machine out of the box ;-)

An Embellisher - now, what else?

Well, anyone following my other blog will probably realise why I have been quiet, however, work must go on, so I thought I would offer these thoughts for you today.

I have an Embellisher, do I need anything else? I'm not suggesting that you go out and buy a new machine to play with, no, rather asking if there are any other pieces of 'kit' that would be of use. I thought I would tell you about 2 items that I find invaluable.

The first is a mini vacuum cleaner. I find this invaluable. It removes the last bit of dust from the machine, and is especially useful around the needle area. Sometimes it is difficult to remove all the fluff from inside the needles. I have a small battery operated machine, and this just does the job beautifully. The best part is that they are available all over and are very inexpensive.

The second piece of equipment I have is slightly more unusual. It is called a 'Hackle'. Here is a picture with some fibres that need conditioning, and with a sample just started

A hackle is an ancient tool for mixing and conditioning fibres prior to spinning. Of course there are other methods of doing this these days, but I find that for The Embellisher it is ideal to have one sitting on the table next to me. It looks a little like a block of wood with a number of nails sticking out! The fibres are gently stroked over the sharp points, and gradually smooth fibres are mixed. I use it a lot, especially when making Nuvo Felt. I don't sell them, but if you need one I suggest you contact Francesa Lawrence at Cae Gwydd, Moelfre, Conwy, LL22 9RL, Wales, UK.

While we are on the subject of Francesca, do try this recipehttp://www.farmersguardian.com/story.asp?sectioncode=11&storycode=5298 which I found quite by accident! It's delicious.

My postcard fabric

Well, the postcards for the swaphttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/Embellisher_Art_Postcards/ are on their way and possibly already arrived. I thought you would like to see the fabric before the stitching.

Too much excitement?

I am awaiting delivery of the new Janome embellishing machine. I am really looking forward to trying it and comparing it with the BabyLock. I have a feeling that there will be things that can be done with one machine that are difficult on the other. I have been trying the felting attachment with the Bernina. It certainly is different from the BabyLock.

All I need is time. I've started the 2nd book, and am working on projects for it. Practice the techniques in the first book - you will need the skills for the second!

Ooh, yes! They've promised me an 11000 too. Just want to get going, so maybe tomorrow.......

Embellishers at Missenden

It's a week ago now, but this is a quick shot of some of the students working on their machines during the last weekend course at Missenden Abbey. It was a good weekend and a lot was achieved.

More weekends to follow, and a summer school next August.

Postcard Swap

It was so exciting to arrive home from holiday and find the above postcard in the post. It was sent to me by Jenny, and is the first in our Embellisher Postcard Swap.

If you are interested in joining in for other swaps visit us at

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Embellisher_Art_Postcards/

We intend to have some fun.

A handy bag

This is a simple bag that I have made on the Embellisher. I just love the texture.

Workshops

Wednesday November 15th 2006

Embellisher 'Taster' Day

If you or someone you know is wondering about buying an Embellisher machine this is an ideal opportunity to try. The session will include hand needle felting, and each person will also get a good length of time using a machine.

Workshop to be held in Grayshott, Hampshire, UK, from 10am to 4pm.

Enquiries and information: nuvofelt@gmail.com



Wednesday December 6th

A chance to get started with your machine. We will look at some of the techniques from the book, but also introduce something new too. If there is room we can also accommodate a couple of 'Taster' students too.

Workshop to be held in Grayshott, Hampshire, UK, from 10am to 4pm.

Enquiries and information : nuvofelt@gmail.com

How small is my book?

Over recent months the book has been a fairly large part of our lives. Today we are sending a copy to the British Library http://blpc.bl.uk/about/didyou.html. This is a legal requirement for every published work in the UK, but follow the link to see just how insignificant my effort is going to be!

As promised, here are scans of the cover of the book.

Here is the front






The image is a piece of Nuvo Felt












And here is the back. This shows lovely scrummy fibres just waiting to be used.....!










Let me know if you have a go at making Nuvo Felt. I'm just about to embark upon a piece large enough to make a waistcoat, but probably won't finish it until we are back from France next month.

Embellisher Course

The course at Missenden Abbey is now full to overflowing. However, due to the waiting list another will probably be organised shortly, although not advertised in the brochure. If you would like to receive information or details send me an email
nuvofelt@gmail.com

Knit one .....

Now that the book is out of my hands and well on its way (due at the end of this week) I can finally get on with some new work. I am about to start making some small bags, and this picture shows the basic fabric.

I have knitted the basic shape to my own pattern. That took about an hour, to get it to this stage on the Embellisher took about 45 mins. It just need stitching together now, but that will take a day or two as I want to mesh some more bag fabrics first. If anyone is coming to the Knitting and Stitching Show at the NEC Birmingham UK next month I will have patterns and the yarn for sale. Look for us on stand H39, Winifred Cottage. (We will have the book there too.)