Susan's latest....

Shibori after they were felted....

Don't give up on me, Jules!

Hi Jules.....been crazy since got back from NYC and new cabinets for workshop arrived so lots of organization/re-organization.
But I have 2 finished products ALMOST done....so I promise I will get something posted tomorrow or Saturday!
Love this new size we're doing - it is perfect for bags.

Changing the size of the sample collages

Jen and I decided to ratchet it back a bit and only do one collage a week, not that we weren't having fun!  We just decided we had to add a new challenge of a project a month out of the collages we created to make sure that they work.  Well they obviously do cause Jen's cuff are great!

I decided to increase the sample collage size to make sure I have enough if I want to do a bigger piece.  My new sample size is 12x20 and I feel more comfortable with it.  I have finished days 10 and 11 and you can see them below.

I really am having fun working out of my colorway and adding things that just don't seem like they will work but they do!  No to create something out of one of these!  Stay tuned :)

Collaged Cuffs from Jen

So Jules and I conferred and decided we would shift back from our enthusiastic, but exhausting "collage-a-day"  to a more civilized "collage-per- week" plus 1 finished product per month!

The reasoning (beyond that one per day was NUTS!) is that we need to take the collages to the next level of re-collaging into finished items in order to really learn best what we like in the initial layout.

So to share the first (post class, anyway) finished product I did, here are the re-collaged cuffs I did using up the ends from the original piece I made in class. The photo is coming out much lighter than they actually are (I used black merino beneath the collage pieces), but I don't know how to fix that! I cut a slit in the side for my thumb and did some selective shaping at the top and wrist for a snugger fit. The right hand isn't dry yet and so it is too dark to photograph - so here is the front and back of the left hand wristlet

Off to NYC for the weekend

...hitting some millinery suppliers, trim shops and fabric stores!!  Oh la la!

More from Jules collages

The following pictures are of the ones I completed since we started.  It is really fun working outside your colorway, some of these I thought would be just horrified but once stitched I really kind of liked them.  The more embellishments you add, I feel the better, it really gives a lot of texture to the piece.  I love using the metallic pieces really gives the pieces some pop!  Also using a heavy lace gives a nice effect.  My next posts will just be a day at a time but wanted to catch up!  Love this!!  Thanks Jen and Melissa  xoxox

Finally figured out this blog! I am slow when it comes to computers!

Thanks Jen for setting up this format.  I think it will be a nice way to share our efforts and keep a record.  I am going to share the collages I already made and then make it a point to update them daily or as often as I can.  This has really been fun creating these collages, I think it will help to keep me creating and figuring out what works and what doesn't.  So here are the first 7 collages I have created,.  So this first one shows the layout and then the stitched piece.  Hard to believe it is the same piece.  The colors really toned down.  I really like the textured of the spiraled yarn.

An "ah-ha" moment for Jen....

Day 6 -
Testing: use of an off white thread since the colors I put aside to layout were tan, yellow, and pale so I thought black would be too harsh. Also wanted to eliminate the layer of wisps between prefelt and fabrics to reduce bulk.

Discovery: impossible to see the white thread against the white soluble stabilizer! Duh!
But it turned out to be so much easier in the long run- since I couldn't see what I was doing I didn't stress about where every free form stitch went!

After the initial few moments of "oh shit", I decided to just go with the flow and sew by feel rather than sight. I could occasionally see a little "puffy" spot which meant I had missed an area so that is how I figured where I needed to sew. Otherwise, I just let my hands guide it all blindly.

When I got to the end of stitching, I flipped the piece over to see what the stitching looked like on the prefelt side (I had used a grey pe-felt) and I found 2 spots, each about 1 inch square, that I missed. That's it! So I just threw the collage  back under the sewing machine - pre-felt side up -  and free motioned over those areas. Sample is 15 x 11

First photo is layout, second is after stitching from the back side, and third shows the right side after stitching and dissolving the soluble stabilizer.

Can't wait to cut this one up and felt it. It is very lightweight since I also skipped the layer of wisps between the prefelt and the fabrics!