Writing this blog can be an odd exercise because I generally lag one day behind my projects. I have exciting news, and several new projects created today, but first I need to write about Saturday’s projects.
After spending the morning at aikido and a toy store hunting for a birthday present, I really wanted to get creative after lunch, but Sophie and Owen wanted my undivided attention. When faced with this recurring tug-of-war, felting is my first choice.
If you can beat ’em, join ’em! Sophie made a treasure box while Owen mashed his favorite colors and played with the warm, soapy water.
I’ve been itching to experiment with layering silk on my pieces since seeing it used here and here. Since I didn’t have any raw silk at home, I added some snips of Fleece Artist Sea Silk yarn, made with wool and seacell, and some recycled sari silk yarn. As I laid out the bits of yarn, it started to remind me of a sea anemone. Afraid the silk wouldn’t adhere to the wool, I layered a few wisps of roving on top of the yarn, though it turns out that was an unnecessary precaution.
The second piece used bits of prefelt cut into leaf shapes layered over little bits of black and brown roving.
These pieces both feel unfinished, but I’m not sure whether to cut and sew them into boxes, or just embellish them further to create wall art.
Part way through the second piece I started to think about my costume for the auction, which was themed “All Aboard”. Lance came home from a shopping foray to Goodwill empty handed. A helpful employee suggested he go as a commercial fisherman since they generally wear jeans and a t-shirt out on the boat. I wanted to wear my new FlipSide hat, which looks a little like a sailor hat, so I decided I would be a sailor overboard with some seaweed wrapped around my neck.
I love the way the recycled sari silk blended with the roving, and the way different colors stand out along the lariat. Today I worked on some ambitious embellishments for the lariat; this piece will be emerging from the sea in the next few days.
HomeWork 
Cool! Could you explain what a “treasure box” is and talk a little more about felting with kids? I’ve only done my felting in the washing machine so far (never with roving, or needles) and always assumed that the water would have to be too hot for kids (my daughter is 4 1/2).
Thanks!
Ah! What you have done is called “fulling” in technical fiber terms. Felting uses unspun wool and is very child friendly. Hot water works best, but tepid water works well, just a little more slowly.
A treasure box is a box perfectly sized for holding treasures, the kind of treasures kids pick up whenever they step out of the front door (acorns, rocks, tiny feathers). Our treasure boxes are created around a 1″ cubed wooden alphabet block.
Thank you so much for your easy to follow instructions; your photos illustrate the process so well. As a maker (I like too many things to categorise myself) I’m back into felting after a gap of too many years. Your fun projects will be started tomorrow with the treasure box once I get hold of a cube. I’m glad I found your link on Mandy’s (Feltbug) site.
I’ve been reading your blog during a slow day at work, it’s great! Your seaweed is beautiful, could you do a tutorial about how to make such a long piece of felt rope?