Nuno Felt and Embroidery

I had a lovely few days off work last week. 

I love teaching families in the school holidays but just for a change I took a few days to chill out and catch up with stuff.

But I also had time to do some Nuno Felting and embroidery using some of the fabulous silk that I bought at the Knitting and Stitching Show last week.

Nuno Felt, for those who haven't come across it, is fine handmade felt that has silk or fine cotton embedded into it during the felting process.

The fine fabric allows the fibres to migrate through as the felt is agitated and allows the two fabrics to become one.

The fabric I had was a piece of fine recycled net, machine embroidered with pale purple flowers. It bonded easily with the fine grey felt.

It made a lovely starting point for the silk embroidery. Easy stitches that showed off the glow of the hand dyed threads.

I've added some hand beading to the centres of the flowers. These tiny glass neon beads give the embroidery such a burst of colour and I thought they'd make the perfect finishing touch.

What do you think?

Folk Art Sailor Pincushions

July's workshop is coming up very soon and I thought you might like to see what we will be making.

This is an antique Sailor's sweetheart pincushion from the V&A museum collection.

Sailors made them on the long journeys at sea for their sweethearts back home. Often they were made with beautiful embroidery, motifs which reminded them of the subjects closest to their hearts, patriotic or religious themes.

They featured pins which were pushed into the cushions in decorative patterns. They are heirlooms and social history and things of wonderous beauty!

We will be using these as our inspiration to make an heirloom of our own. We will use embroidery, needle felting, beading and found objects to make an exquisite picture. 

If you fancy joining us for the day on the 8th July 2017, in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, there are a couple of spaces still available. The cost is £65 and includes all materials. Leave a comment and contact me through my website: www.paulawatkins.co.uk

New Year, New Workshops.

Now that I have finished hibernating after Christmas, I am so excited to be able to tell you about the new workshops that will be coming up very soon.

The first two will be Handmade Felt:  A workshop for beginners on Saturday the 21st February. This will also be fun for anyone who wants to get back into felt and play with colour in the softest merino wool and silk. 

We will be making flowers....

And a picture. 

We will be layering, using silk and other exciting fibres and discussing methods of stitching, beading and embellishing felt. Have a little look at some of the photos of Handmade Felt at the beginning of my blog to get some more ideas.

The second workshop which is on the 21st March.will continue from the first one. We will be finishing and hand embellishing our pictures and brooches, learning about needle felting and making a seamless wool and silk felt bag.

The cost of each day is £65 and includes everything you will need including refreshments but not lunch. The times are 10am till 4pm. Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead. Let me know if you'd like to book. You can contact me through my website:www.paulawatkins.co.uk  I'd love it if you'd join me for playing with beautiful wooly stuff.