School Felt Project

I've come to the end of a fabulous week working in a lovely primary school in Euxton, Chorley.

I've worked with every child (around 200 of them) to produce 3 wall hangings to celebrate the schools 50th anniversary.

The design was very different to the school projects I've done before (I love a challenge!) Here are some photos showing its development over the week:

The three panels are now drying and, once dry, I will be stitching into them - there is sparkly thread involved!

I'll share some more photos once it's all complete.

Needle Felt Brooches

This afternoon I had a fabulous time teaching 4 lovely ladies how to needle felt brooches.

We made use of cookie cutters, lots of merino wool tops and of course, sparkly bits (aka angelina fibres) to create gorgeous brooches. There was also a freeform fox and owl felted to.

We had plenty if time to play around and experiment and everyone left with a couple of pieces. Of course, we had biscuits, lots of warm drinks (the weather has turned a bit nasty here in Wigan today) and I'd even baked!

I can't wait for the next workshop! 

    My heart brooches - beading and embroidery to be added!

   Debbie's beautiful flower - I'm feeling Rennie Mackintosh!

    Michelle's gorgeous brooches

    Emma's owl and bunny modelled on her sons toy bunny! Super cute!

    Michelle's beautiful brooches including foxy!

Felt Pictures

This week has been spent making and embellishing felt pictures.

On Thursday, I had a lovely day teaching my friend, Michelle, how to make a felt picture. Hers was absolutley gorgeous - it reminded us of a water colour picture. She is embroidering onto it - I can't wait to see it finished.

Yesterday, I beaded and hand embroidered into some felt pictures I had. 

This picture I made way back at the end of last year. I had machine embroidered into it last week and just wanted to add a bit of hand embroidery and beading into it. It's now available to buy in my Etsy shop.

The poppy picture was made on Thursday with Michelle. When I came back to it, I really didn't like the sky at all so I decided to cut it off and make it to fit into a box frame. I then beaded and stitched into it. Unexpectantly, I absolutley loved this picture and it sold the same day I posted it on Facebook! 

And breathe

Finally, I've finished all my orders and creating for Christmas. Well, as far as business work goes anyway - don't get me started on how much I've yet to do at home before Christmas Day, including crocheted and knitted presents to complete. 

This afternoon I've been able to take some time out to do some drawings that I'm hoping to felt with in the New Year. It was all a bit of an accident really - last week I was cleaning the windows (a once a year event!) and I caught my husbands gorgeous orchid and one branch broke. Eeeeek! He must have been in a good mood as I didn't get told off so I snaffled it as I thought it would be beautiful to draw.

I've worked in my favourite mediums - ink, charcoal and water soluble crayons - and have created around 10 different drawings of different parts. I started with the whole and then found I was drawn to certain parts of it. I draw in neutral tones, as this makes me focus on shape, before introducing colour!

I thought I'd share a few of my pictures with you. We will have to see what I do with it all in the New Year!

Holiday Time

I've just returned from a wonderful relaxing holiday in Scotland. It was just what I needed to recharge my batteries and work on some crochet and knitting for me! 

We had initially booked 3 nights in our favourite little cottage in Minto but then added a fourth night on followed by a very last minute addition of a first night at the Days Inn at Annandale Water. This hotel was a very pleasant surprise - budget so a pretty basic room but it had a balcony over looking the beautiful hills and lake complete with ducks and geese. I enjoyed my morning cup of tea whilst reading on the balcony (wrapped up in my slipper socks and dressing gown) but it was all very pleasant and civilised! 

The one thing I love about Granary Cottage is the hospitality of our lovely hosts Sheila and Kevan. Every time we've been, we've been greated by a vase of wild flowers and some home baked goodies. This year it was spiced fruit cake and it was delicious!

We spent a lot of time chilling out in the cottage, enjoying the beautiful view, reading and crafting. I managed to finish crocheting a shawl (it still needs beads adding so I'll post pictures when it's done) and started my Craftsy class on freeform crochet. It was great to have time for me crafting!

On Wednesday I headed over to The Border Tart (Lindsay) for a spinning lesson. She is a fabulous teacher and I loved every minute of it - so much so I've already acquired a wheel! I managed to spin and ply some yarn which has 'lots of character!!!' 

After my spinning lesson, I headed into Hawick where I enjoyed my lunch in a quirky cafe called The Damascus Drum which also doubled as a second hand book shop before popping over to The Textile Towerhouse to view the felt exhibition which was a delight to see and featured a few pieces by one of my favourite felt artists, Moy Mackay.

On the way home, we took a detour to visit Knit.Spin.Cakes new yarn shop, Harbour Yarns in Seaham, where I purchased some West Yorkshires Spinners Aire Valley DK. I have a project planned for this so you'll just gave to wait and see what it becomes. It's a gorgeous yarn shop, in a beautiful location with a great range of yarns. Definitley worth a visit! 

The Felted Garden

Here is the reason I've been so quiet recently - I've been working on an enormous felt project at Winstanley Community Primary School in Wigan.

The project included every child in the school (approximately 300) and was all based on their school garden. I started in Nursery and worked my way through the school with each class working on an aspect - Nursery made flower pictures using nepps, Reception bees and ladybirds, Year 1 flowers, Year 2 butterflies and caterpillars, Years 3 and 4 made trees, Year 5 birds and Year 6 animals.

Year 5 and 6 children helped to put the panels together.

I had lots of fun working on the project and the children were just amazing. Here are a few photos of the process and the finished panels.

A Day Trip to Hawes!

Yesterday, I had a lovely day out with my lovely felty friends Jo and Chris to celebrate Chris' big birthday - yes, she is 21 (again)

We headed to Hawes, a lovely little village in North Yorkshire, with the main purpose being to visit Andrea Hunters studio in Hardraw.

Andrea is a felt artist who makes the most beautiful felt 'paintings'.  I particularly like her paintings which use natural wools in greys, blacks and whites depicting sheep, highland cattle and views of North Yorkshire.  Her studio is beautiful and you can purchase her original felt pictures, prints and cards as well as admiring her work.  The most striking piece for me was a triptych of trees - it was just amazing and I spent ages looking at all the detail and depth.  Sadly, I could not afford to buy it and had to make do with 2 print cards instead.  You can find out more about her on her site - www.focusonfelt.co.uk

Of course, we then had to head to the local cafe for a drink and cake (coffee and walnut). The cafe had sone beautiful crochet scarves for sale along with pottery!  There was also this fabulous crocheted bicycle outside if the church - the more we looked, the more little features we saw.

Once back in a Hawes, we looked around the shops including the wool shop, The Knitting Basket which was also sporting a crochet bicycle outside.  The shop stocked West Yorkshire Spinners - squeal!! I spent ages deciding what to buy and settled upon a ball of 4pky in butterscotch as I just don't have enough yellow yarn in my stash.  I definitely recommend a visit if you're ever in the area as it's a great shop the owner is super lovely!

The Herdy shop was the next stop as I'd been ordered to bring a gift back for Mr Bunny.  I resisted the temptation to buy yet more yarn and a cookie stamp and bought a coaster to go with the mug I bought him a while back.

We finished our day with tea in The White Hart, a lovely pub that serves delicious food.  The rhubarb  crumble was amazing and Chris was pleased that it wasn't 'arty farty' and a real crumble.

I eventually got home at 9:30pm tired but very happy after a fabulous day!

Fame at Last!

I'm famous! Well, I made it into the paper not once, but twice this week.

My first feature was in the 'What's On' section of the Wigan Evenng Post sharing information about my studio open day this Saturday!

The second was far more exciting.  A few weeks ago, I was contacted by a local journalist who had seen my poster about my studio on Twitter and wanted to do a story on me.  They sent a photographer who took some crazy and quirky photos, which I just love, and then this week the story was featured and it takes up half a page!  It is a lovely write up (yes there are a few spelling mistakes but who cares?!) and I'm very grateful to them for featuring me and giving me a boost as I start my new venture!  

I've Got a Studio!!

As the title says, I've now got a studio! It is soooo exciting and why I've not posted for a few weeks.

I moved in about 2 weeks ago, into a small studio space in Nooch (a Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten Free grocery store) in Wigan.  I've been selling my items in there for a few months and, when Ged suggested I get a space to work in, it seemed like a great place to be.

I've got room to work, teach workshops and sell my creations, as well as storage space for my supplies.  I've spent a lot of time making it look great and I've still got things to do - like putting up my bunting.

I now feel like a real artist and have even taken the big step of changing my job title on Facebook to Textile Artist.

To go with my studio, I've now got a website with details of my workshops on.  In time, there will also be a shop on there to - www.thegingerbreadbunny.co.uk 

To celebrate, I'm having an open studio day on the 16th August where you can have a peek try your hand at felt making, enjoy some refreshments and 10% off all purchases (including workshops) on the day.  If you live near a Wigan then it would be great to see you.

Keep popping back for more photographs. 

Felting with Children

Last week was awesome! I was lucky enough to spend the entire week working with Lowton Junior and Infants School in Wigan on an enormous felt wall hanging.

The theme was New Beginnings, as they had just had a large amount of building work done, and the hanging was for the new entrance to the school. We decided to create a garden with flowers and insects in lots of beautiful bright school, some sparkle and beads.

I worked with every child in the school to make individual pieces for it. We made various flowers, bees, butterflies, caterpillars, snails, leaves and even a frog! Reception did a follow me style workshop while Year 6 worked from photographs, identifying shape and colour.  Year 5 and 6 also helped to blend the background using drum careers - they found this very exciting - and to put it all together and felt it.

I took it away to dry (which took some time) and then to add a bit of stitching and a few beads to enhance it (I was very careful not to do to much as I wanted it to be theirs).

I went in yesterday to hang it and it looks so beautiful, Working with the children was amazing! They loved the process, getting wet and making bubbles. They all made a piece they where proud of and can now spend hours hunting for their little work of art.  It is such a tactile piece and I'm pleased to say that the children will be encouraged to touch it - if we want to they surely will! 

Here are a few photographs of the children's work! 

     

      Fabulous flowers by Year 3 and 4

     Bees and ladybirds by Reception

    Flowers by Year 5 - working from photographs 

    

    Beautiful butterfly by a very talented Year 6 child

    Such a little character!

    

     The completed wall hanging - the collective work of 150 creative and talented children

Felt Through Contact

Last Thursday I was lucky enough to make an impromptu visit to Farfield Mill in Sedbergh with my Aunty.
We had arranged to go out for coffee and cake and, having exhausted all our usual local, crafty haunts, I suggested a trip up the M6 to see the current felt exhibition, Felt through Contact: Viltkontaktgroep 20 Years On. 
Farfield Mill is an old Victorian woollen mill just outside of the idyllic village of Sedbergh. It has been restored and is now a mix of museum, gallerys, workshops and studios.  You can find out all about the mill and see the old looms in action, take a peek inside artists studios, find out about the 'terrible knitters of Dent (meaning terribly good) and do a bit of crafty shopping!
Having visited before, I knew what to expect but, as a new visitor, my aunty loved all the different crafts and assures me she will be visiting again. 
The main reasons for our visit, was to see the current felt exhibition. 
There was a great array of pieces, from clothing and accessories to wall hangings, 3d items and abstract work.  As a felter, it was fascinating to see the way these items had been constructed, the way texture had been created and the use of colour.  My favourite items where the clothing and I just adored the deep pink felt dress in the entrance of the mill - it was absolutley stunning! The coat pictured below was also a firm favourite whilst my aunty loved a piece about memories with lots of small rectangles of embroidered felt attached to a piece of wood.
We enjoyed a cheese and onion toastie, glass if elderflower cordial and a piece of the most delicious lemon and ginger cake in the cafe before hitting the shop! We both exercised great restraint here, I bought a copy of Art of the Feltmaker by Mary Burkett and a bar of Kendal Mint Cake whilst my Aunt bought a gorgeous swaledale woolen braclet.
The exhibition is running until the 22nd of April and I thorougly recommend a visit if you can get to it!

Handmade Christmas

Wow! I can't believe how long it's been since I last blogged. In fact, I can't believe how quickly this year has gone and Christmas seems to have sprung itself upon us.
We have finally got the decorations up and, this year, there are far more handmade ones than ever before. We have opted for a branch tree this year - Mr Bunny has worked very hard painting it and fixing it into a lovely silver plant pot so that it doesn't fall over. All of the decorations are either handmade or very special - there are some crocheted stars I made last year, 2 beautiful needle felted bunnies (My bunnies) that were made for me last year and even a weeping angel decoration I made for Mr Bunny. It is all very simple but very beautiful!
This afternoon, I finished a mistletoe wreath decoration which is now hanging in the doorway. The tutorial came from a great book I borrowed from the library (sorry I can't remember the name!).
As ever, I've got my rag wreath up and my hand made festive bunting making my home look pretty.
Have a great Christmas!
Sarah x