Needle Felted Hearts

I just finished an order of hearts for The Walker Art Center Shop in Minneapolis and thought I'd share some of the color here. 

These little niblets are made entirely of wool by needle-felting wool roving. 

In case you don't know what needle-felting is, I'll give you my version.  (because sometimes I live in a craft bubble and assume that everyone knows what needle-felting, roving, mordants, mod-podge, etc. is)

So wool fibers are hair, and these hairs have scales on them.  Their surfaces are sort of jagged, and when forced against each other, they grab hold and mat together.  Whether you're creating felt from roving, using a felting needle to force them together, or fulling a wool sweater, the fibers are essentially doing the same thing, grabbing each other and holding on. 

Picture two pinecones. 

If you were to start wiggling those pinecones into each other, their scales would become entwined. 

That's kind of what the individual wool fibers do.

Needle-felting is just the process of forcing these fibers together using a specially-designed barbed needle.  I sometimes refer to it as at-home plebotomy. (if you've done it, you know what I'm talking about)  Artists use this technique for sculpting, creating "paintings", vessels, and lots of tiny wool hearts.

So if you find yourself in the Minneapolis area, stop by The Walker and psst...buy a heart.

Happy Tuesday, all.

Love All Around You

Whether love is far away...

A flash of pink against the grey...

Familiar and worn...

Or bright and new...

Love is there, all around you.

Begin again

felted wool heart ornaments - cupid - set of 12

I decided today to reopen my Etsy shop, but on a smaller scale, one that can accomodate my much busier schedule. It feels good, like a promise to myself that I'll be able to handle all the things I want to do, just on a different scale.

The challenge - completed

It's been a week since I challenged myself to make some quiet time for sewing. I'm pleased to announce that I consider my week a success. Not only did I make the 6 each day, but managed a few extra too. Granted, I didn't always get to sew in quiet but that's to be expected with three rowdy kids running around. It did feel really nice to accomplish a goal, however small. So here's a visual round-up of my efforts.

A challenge

I've decided to give myself a one-week crafting challenge. I will make 6 wool hearts every day for the next week and on next Sunday will post pictures of what I've completed. Why? Well, life has become a little hectic in my neck of the woods. What with kiddies and obligations and preparing for winter, there leaves little time to sit and relax. Since sewing is one of my favorite things to do to relax, I've vowed to myself to make more time for it. Whether or not I get my completed works listed in my Etsy shop is another matter. I'm hoping though to feel a little sense of accomplishment, get a chance to kick my feet up, and enjoy a little quiet creation time. Want to join me?