Needle Felting Class

Today was a good day in class! We only needed two band aides all afternoon.

Arachne Yarn presented a needle felting class at The Smallest Art Gallery in Ortonville, MN this afternoon. Only two wounded souls. Lots of little creatures were created. Gnomes and snowmen. Each one different. Each one with it's own personality.

Each student received a set of three felting needles, a block of foam for a felting base, and enough core wool and colored wool to make three little critters.

Things got serious once we got started! It didn't take long until everyone figured out that you can talk while you felt, but you also have to pay attention or the needle bites! We learned how to make a basic body shape and how firm to make it. Then we worked on some of the finer techniques such as forming a circle, making flat felt, shaping pieces, and attaching pieces.  Beads, embroidery thread and sequins were provided to decorate the little creations.

 

 All the felters had fun and enjoyed making their very own, very unique gnomes! Several of the felters said they thought that they would continue to felt on their own. We also talked about possible future classes.

Handwoven Purses

Just the right size for your money, phone, maybe a comb, sunglasses, etc. Very light to carry and very fun. Each purse is unique. Each has a braided handle, Velcro closure at the top. Each is about 8-9 inches square and each is unique!

Price: $30.00 plus shipping.

These charming little purses come in many different color combinations. Many of them have embellishments on them including buttons, shells, beads and other found objects.

DOWNTOWN ART

I am getting ready for a large show and sale at the end of September. Myself and two other artists have rented a space on the main street in Ortonville for the weekend of Sept. 29, 30, and Oct. 1. The four of us will be sharing a large space to display and sell our art. It should be a fun weekend.

Eryls Sis, Cathy Mueller and I were together for the Sisseton, SD Fine Arts Show this summer. We were together with about 19 other artist from the area displaying and selling many different art forms.

Erlys Alley Sis is a local fiber artist and owner of EASE Fiber Art. She is a very fun artist to follow. She is always surprising me by coming up with new fabulous projects. She incorporates fiber, fabric, threads, wire, found objects and more into her unique designs. Erlys is the founder of the local quilt guild. She had taught many different types of art including thread sketching, needle felting, weaving and more. We are in a knitting group together as well. I have custom spun yarns for her that she then incorporates into her designs. Just yesterday she showed me her new 'Spirit Dolls'. They are amazing!

Cathy Mueller is a painter. She uses several mediums, including watercolor, oils, and pen and ink. I don't currently have a photo of her work, but I was very impressed by the work she showed in Sisseton. I bought one of her prints. It is a pen and ink drawing of a street she used to live by in another town in Minnesota. It is a beautiful addition to my living room. Cathy sells her beautiful paintings as matted, framed pieces, cards, or individual prints. Her art is not something you want to miss.

I will have all my latest weavings there. Several wearables, purses, hangings, scarves, table runners and more.

Through out the weekend we will also have a table of 'Make and Take' projects for anyone who is interested. All the supplies will be available to make several different art projects including a woven 'mug rug', a needle felting picture or a watercolor card! This is what I will have for a make and take. This small weaving is only about 4" square. It is done on a  4 1/2" X 7" loom. Takes just a little time to make and you can put your coffee cup on it! The make and takes are free for anyone who wants to spend the time. Kits will be available to purchase as well so you can use your newly developed skills at home.

We will be open the following times:
 Fri. Sept 29,  10-6                                                                                                                                            
 Sat. Sept 30,  9-6
 Sun. Oct 1,    9-4
       
Hope to see many of you at this wonderful weekend event! There will be a lot going on in the are due the Meander (Upper Minnesota River Art Crawl) that is being held that same weekend. This is the annual studio crawl that runs from Clinton MN, to Granite Falls, MN. There are 39 artists studios to visit as well as a lot of fun places to check out along the way. Enjoy~

Teaching Kids to Weave with Straws

I recently had the opportunity to teach a class on weaving with straws to some young girls. The class lasted three hours and the girls weren't ready to leave! We had so much fun playing with the different colors of yarn and beads. The girls were fast learners and had lots of fun making bracelets. They went home with what they made, plus they took extra straws, beads and yarn home so they could continue to weave.



First we learned how to make the 'loom' out of drinking straws. We each took four straws and cut them off about 6 inches long. We cut off the bendy part of the straw. Then we cut four 18 inch lengths of yarn. The girls had fun deciding what color yarn to use for the warp. Then we threaded a strand of yarn through each straw. We left about one inch sticking out the top. We folded that over and taped it to the straw. Next we laid the four straws side by side and taped them together at the bottom. We tied a know in the end of the threads going through the straws (warp threads).

Next it was time to pick the first weft thread. We tied that to the first straw making sure the knot was in the back. Time to start weaving, over-under-over-under- and back again. 

The girls had fun picking new weft colors and adding beads. We tied new colors onto the old color making sure all knots were in the back. We added beads by using a small crochet hook to thread them onto the weft yarn.

Each girl finished several projects. Here is some of the finished work!

The girls were having so much fun that they didn't want to leave when the class was over! Each girl took their finished projects home as well as some extra straws, beads, and yarn so they could continue weaving at home. This type of weaving can be used for bracelets, belts, bookmarks, and more. The finished strips can also be sewn together to make scarves, potholders, etc. It will be interesting to see what they create with what they have learned.

My New Inkle Loom!

About a week ago I was wandering around in the Salvation Army store with a friend. I always check the craft section out. This day, there happened to be a brand new, still in the bag, with instructions Inkle Loom. I knew what it was because I had seen them before. I had never really thought of owning one due to the limited weaving width. I wasn't into making belts... The price was only $5.00. I figured I didn't have to use it too much to get my money back, so I bought it.

It just so happened that at that time I was busy weaving purses to sell at upcoming shows. It dawned on me that even thought the straps I could weave on the inkle loom would not work for the current project, I had projects in mind for which this kind of weaving would be quite lovely.

I set out reading the instructions that came with my loom and managed to get it warped with little difficulty. I made the heddles out of a tough nylon string.  I used some cotton that I had around to warp the loom. I used a mercerized cotton weft. I chose a patterned warp that would give me a nice design and colors that were easy to match with others. I started weaving and was surprised at how fast it actually goes! I expected it to be much slower.

This is the strap I am currently working on. I plan to use it 

on a large wool bag I am going to be making with alpaca 

roving. The roving will be several different colors, but all natural. I think that the magenta in the strap will look nice on the natural hues of browns, black, white, and grey. My strap is now over half done. I still have to weave the bag. When I am finished, I will post a picture so you can see the finished project. 

Meanwhile, I have learned to keep an open mind. I always thought an inkle loom was more trouble than it was worth. Although I would not want to weave on it a lot, it is a relaxing break from my other weaving. I plan to experiment with several other weaving techniques to add interest to the bands I weave. I also like that I can weave in my recliner....

These looms generally retain for between $110-150. I can't complain about the price of mine!