Monday, November 23, 2009

Warm women: felting, friendship and a new scarf

When I signed on for the Warm Women project, I did not imagine that THIS would be my contribution:



But then, the world of craft blogging is full of new challenges, adventures, and friendships.

I mentioned my lack of knitting prowess when I posted a few weeks back about about the Warm Women project. I thought instead that I might try to 'quilt' a scarf with a long scrap of wool batting. Then Mim jumped in with a suggestion that I felt the batting, and offered her assistance. Not just online assistance, either, but a bit of an in-the-flesh felting workshop at her house.

[Just to fill in the back-story... I met Mim, maybe a year ago, just when I was embracing the whole crafty thing. I'd dropped in to Olive Grove Studios, a local handmade co-op, and Mim was working. We looked familiar to each other and spent some time trying to place the connection, before realising that years ago, pre-children and pre-crafting, Mim was the friendly, mean-latte-making girl who kept me caffeinated and therefore sane during lunchbreak from my 9-5 office job!]

Anyway, last Monday I landed on Mim's doorstep and, after admiring her delightfully funky and ecclectic kitchen, drooling over her stash and drinking a damn fine cup of coffee, we got felting!

Luckily, there was plenty of space for the children to romp:

And to practise 'sharing':


While the kids trashed the house and yard, Mim generously let me have free reign with her materials, and walked me through the felting process.



I went a bit nuts and shoved pieces of everything on top of my batting. I will exercise a bit more restraint next time I think! (You can see Mim's scarf, which didn't have batting and was a bit more refined, sitting parallel to mine. She didn't want to be in the photo though... hmmmph!):



The actual felting process is quite physical and very therapeutic... rolling and whacking and throwing the wet wool all around. It's definitely something I want to do more of.

Here are our scarves... mine is the one on the left:


The edges of the batting curl in on my scarf, so once it was dry I decided to stitch over it, to keep it flat (and to keep on the silk threads and such that didn't fuse in as much as I wanted):



Thanks Mim for sharing your time, space, knowledge, materials and muffins with me!

Here's my scarf, waiting to be packaged up with a few other donated scarves to be sent to Claire, then on to a Karen craftswoman, who will hopefully be just a bit warmer this winter.



24 comments:

  1. They both look lovely- what a wonderful thing to spread the holiday spirit. xo Meagan.

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  2. it looks awesome with the stitching! yay ! x x

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  3. Both scarves are superb - love the colours and textures. You've definately raised my interest in felting - I've never tried it before. Great idea and nice outcome for everyone.

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  4. It looks great . Were your arms tired afterwards??

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  5. Gina your scarves are sooo beautiful, a friend of mine has started felting and does some amazing work as well, I feel like I'm seeing it everywhere, I might have to give it a go too....not sure when I'[ll fit in though :( Tam xo

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  6. A gorgeous scraf! What a generous lady that Mim is!

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  7. the whole story is lovely - the scarves are beautiful. yes - I think felting might be having a bit of a renaissance.

    what great post :)

    xo

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  8. Your scarf looks UNREAL!
    I've never done felting. Geez there are just so many things to learn and this world and not enough time!
    I was working on mine last week but have temporarily abandoned it because it looks like a disaster zone... better get to it though - the deadline is looming.

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  9. Your scarf really is gorgeous. The recipient will be very happy, I'm sure.

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  10. the scarf is absolutely darling, well done!
    I adore the colours so lovely and vibrant.

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  11. It looks really fantastic in the photos! Any chance of seeing it in person?!?

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  12. Beautiful! Nothing like making a new friend and a new scarf all in one go.

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  13. oh Gina your scarf is GORGEOUS! I have made a start on mine and I MUST finish it. Mim is such a sweetie and what a fabulous day you had

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  14. They both look really wonderful, all those beautiful cool blues and greens. Sounds like a great day. Well done.

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  15. Oh wow!! Love your scarf, love them both really. The stitching and detail is just magnificent Gina. What a fabulous post too - really enjoyed your tale of crafty goodness :) K

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  16. Nothing like learning a new skill, and looks like you picked it up with flair! Lovely creativeness for such a good cause.

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  17. WAY TO GO! You must be strutting about with one major spring in your step! (Is it as gloriously messy as I imagine?)...

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  18. Gorgeous scarf! I love the colours and I love how proud you look in your photo :-)

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  19. I'm soooooo jealous! WOuld love to have spent sucha fabulous felty time with someone who knows all about it. ANd all for a good cause, to boot!

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  20. http://warmwomen.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/fantastic-felting/

    Thanks Gina! : )

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  21. Blogging is such a great journey isn't it. It is amazing the worlds that you can move within and the scarf is just divine - great work

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  22. I am soo jealous - what an amazing day you had, and as for the results? Well the scarf is absolutely amazing!!!! xx

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  23. That's a gorgeous scarf! Is it soft too? I bet the woman who will receive this scarf will love it!

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