These photos are from a day at Withers' Ranch where we made nuno felted scarves in the beautiful weather of February in Tucson. Pictured here is Sue Bunch of Back to Back Alpaca Products and her friend Zell. I am of course behind the camera as usual. Kathy Withers is show here in blue with her back to the camera.
Nuno felting is a method of blending natural fibers into silks or other sheers to create a textile that is soft and that drapes well. lt is my new favorite kind of felting since I love wearable art. We started with silk gauze for the base as it is very sheer. Ours was hand-dyed by Kathy herself at her ranch which made it extra special. We were all very successful on our first day of creating nuno felting.
For more information on classes at Withers' Ranch, go to www.uniquedesignsbykathy.com.
Tonight it was a visit to the Mavericks Art Quilt Guild. Nancy Green, our hostess is felting and Laure Fagen is modeling one of our nuno wraps. I think she is hooked on felting. Her tall, slender figure shows off the wrap very well indeed. I think she wants one of her very own.
I went with my friend Sue of Back to Back Alpaca Products to do a presentation on using her alpaca fibers and also her quilt batting made from the alpaca. Nimble Thimbles Quilt Guild is located in Chandler, AZ and Sue was a featured presenter for an evening meeting. Sue and I both do fiber and felting lectures and demos.
This textured sink mat from Bed, Bath and Beyond has a pebble-like surface which is yet another style. Rubbing and creating friction helps the fiber to felt.
This is our new tipped needle. The blue end coating is helpful for children and for older and perhaps arthritic hands, although I must say I love this needle too! It swivels so easily in the hand, making dimensional work a breeze.