Thursday, April 26, 2018

Experimenting with Surface Resists

Felted bowl with surface resists by Kim Buchheit.
In preparation for an upcoming workshop, I wanted to do more experimentation with surface resists. This 14"(w) x 10.5"(h), wet-felted, white-on-brown wool bowl is the most recent result. Kitty was hoping it was a cat cave, but alas, it is not. The slits were made using crescent-shaped pieces of plastic which were removed midway through the fulling stage — thereby allowing the cut edges to "heal" during the final fulling. Some stiffener was used to keep the soft vessel from denting when roughly handled. I've a few more experiments to do prior to the next Vessels & Votives workshop, so stay tuned.

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Felted Botanical Vessels

Large, wet-felted, round vessel by Kim Buchheit.
Tall, wet-felted vessel by Kim Buchheit.
I just completed this large, round bowl and added a second layer of stiffener to the tall vessel, then had them photographed this week. The round vessel is approximately 12"(h) x 17"(diam.); the tall vessel is 24"(h) x 7"(diam.).  This work is a continuation of a series entitled, "Botanical" which utilizes pre-felt cut-outs along with Merino top (100% wool). The round piece will be available for sale at the upcoming Flag Wool & Fiber Festival with some of the proceeds benefiting the event. The Festival is hosting several fiber arts workshops the weekend of June 2-3, 2018, including my 1/2-day Vessels & Votives workshop where you'll learn to make mini versions of the round vessel pictured above. Learn more and sign up here.

Monday, April 2, 2018

Vessels & Votives in the Valley of the Sun

Private Felting Class (Vessels & Votives). Photo by Mike Buchheit.
Private Felting Class (Vessels & Votives). Photo by Mike Buchheit.
Private Felting Class (Vessels & Votives). Photo by Mike Buchheit.
Private Felting Class (Vessels & Votives). Photo by Mike Buchheit.
Private Felting Class (Vessels & Votives). Photo by Mike Buchheit.
Private Felting Class (Vessels & Votives). Photo by Mike Buchheit.
We just wrapped up a super fun Vessels & Votives custom workshop in Glendale, Arizona. Class participants brought lots of joy and energy to the felting process and all seemed quite pleased with their final pieces. The fairy lights were a big hit and made the felted votives extra special. Upcoming workshops are listed here on the blog, but if you're interested in hosting a private workshop, simply contact me by email to discuss the details.