OPAM - MAY Hand made felt and embroidery -

Well, May has not been as productive as that of previous months.

This is a little off the wall and I hope that this is acceptable for May OPAM.  I have been doing a lot of hand skills at school lately and wet felt making is one of them.  Many groups have got to grips with water, soapy solution and wool roving.  My latest group is a small group of girls who come to an after school club.  I need to be one stage a head to show them what to do so above is shown my example piece.

So we all made a wet felt piece for the main centre area.

We then taught the girls a few basic stitches.  Some had already completed a Textiles module and had some experience.  The option of adding beads and sequins to their felt to enhance certain areas of their design.  Their design really took on whatever pattern their wet felting created.  So it became a very spontaneous and creative development.

When they have finished their pieces I shall take some pictures for you to see.

I found some small canvases measuring 15cm x 15cm and taking some colours and shapes from their felted fabric and painted on to the canvases using poster paint.

The felt and embroidered piece is then attached to the dried canvas.

The final item can them hung up and admired.

So I have finished mine and after half term the group will put the final touches to theirs.

I shall take pictures to show you all, but the painted backgrounds look really good so far.

xx