Vessel and Pod

I don't think I've ever used a flat resist for a vessel like this before. The idea was to make it as an example of using resists to take to the felting class at the well-being centre, but before I'd even finished the layout, I knew it'd be too much for us to do in a couple of hours. I used lots of the Gotland locks from Zara, and decided to work inside out, so I laid these on the resist first. I used a couple of layers of Gotland fleece, then some cheaper 'Scottish Grey' I'd bought from wollknoll.  Between the Gotland and Scottish fleece I added some more Gotland locks around the top. There is a bit of a ridge inside, but I thought it turned out really well:

The other side:

Here's a couple of close ups of the locks around the top:

I used lots of different ones:

A closer look at the bottom, the locks felted in really nicely but still kept lots of character:

When we did use resists at the well being centre, they didn't quite turn out as planned. Because I had 'vessels' in mind and got out all the natural wools, I wasn't thinking properly, so cut a resist for a glasses case based on using Merino like I usually do, so when thick layers of English 56s, Finnish and Corriedale were used, it barely shrunk and turned into a small sturdy bag! I was running out of time, so only did 3 layers on my bird pod, so it ended up shrinking a lot more widthways and became very tall and narrow! One of the members in the group liked it though so hopefully the blue tits in her garden do, too :)

Flower Shaped Vessel from a Flat Resist.

I didn't realise it has been a month since my last blog post! I always feel bad when I leave it so long, but I try to post on the same days I post on The Felting and Fiber Studio site, and sometimes I'm so tired and my eyes ache so much after that I just don't have the energy or the will. If it wasn't such a faff to sign in and out of different gmail accounts to do it too, I'd be more inclined. And, I'm fairly certain there's only one person (Hi Ali! ) who ever reads it who doesn't read the studio site blogs.

Anyway! ... In case you missed it, Ruth posted the First Quarter Challenge on the Felting and Fiber Studio Site about flat resists, I've used flat resists before, mostly for surface design, simple cases, and a few bags. I have made a few 3D items with flat resists: some bird pods, a few hats, and even a supposed seed pod which looked like the rib cage of a dead animal, but I think I've only tried a vessel once and it was a bit flimsy. So, I thought I'd try a vessel again. I decided on a flower shape, I can't find the actual resist, but it was basically a flower shape:

I used some 27 mic coloured Merino batt I bought from wollknoll and used some silk hankies over the top. This is how it looked from above:

How the underneath looks:

And a kind of side view:

This is where the silk hankie was fine:

And this is where the silk hankie was thicker:

And this is a close up of the batt texture:

If I did it again, I would make the shape more curvy, where the petal shapes met, it was a sharp V shape and the vessel is too thin there, and in some places little holes. This is looking through the vessel opening at a thin patch:

In case you missed it on the studio site, I gave a heads up for my 4th Quarter Challenge which I'll post about around October. Basically, all the challenges this year are on felting techniques, and the theme of mine is 'threads and yarns', so start collecting (all those things you probably never throw away if you're like 95% of fibre artists!) the little snippings of sewing thread:

The annoying frayings and unravellings you get after tearing fabric, like these organza threads:

Any odd or short bits of yarn, handmade, bought or even unpicked knitting:

Plus embroidery thread, string, twine, tassels off the end of scarves and any other bits of thread or yarn you have left over after constructing or deconstructing anything fibre related :)