An Eco Dyed 'Slow Cloth'

This scarf is nuno felted and embroidered on both sides of the silk. The silk nuno gauze was pre-dyed with onion skins using the solar dyeing method. At each end of the scarf, you will find additional nuno silk which has been naturally coloured in a dye bath of daffodils.

In many ways, this scarf was experimental for me. I have not tried layering nuno gauze prior to nuno felting before. It is the first time that I have laid wool and fibres both beneath the silk and on top of the silk prior to nuno felting and it is also the first time that I have tried to embroider on both sides of the felt.

I really love the variation of tones given by the onion skin dyed materials. The silk, where exposed, looks very pinkish brown like the rich fertile clay of the earth. The lilac dyed wool looks like a pale antique gold when laid out against the onion dyed wool.

I loved the scarf as it was, but have been reading a new book called 'Embroidery Techniques from East & West' by Munni Srivastava, and was desperate to try some of the ideas out. If, like for me, stitching has been limited to added an occasional bead or following a cross stitch pattern, then this book is perfect for you. It gives step by step instructions for simple, yet beautiful Indian embroidery techniques that can be used to compliment our own sewing skills. The book also gives a fascinating history of some of the origins of the techniques. I have been feeling very inspired by the shisha mirror work.

Shisha became very popular with the rise of the glass industry in the 17th century. Initially, shisha mirror work was developed by Mumtaz Begum, wife of Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal in her memory. Mirrors and glass were auspicious and considered a protection against the 'evil eye'.

Today, shisha mirror work is very popular again both within and external to India. Cooperatives have formed which provide the women with the raw materials and design suggestions and buys the shisha work that the women are able to produce. This gives the women an economic freedom they have seldom had before and allows them to buy things for their kitchens and their daughters to make their lives less of a 'drudge'. Some of these cooperatives act as a support system for the women helping them with the costs of illness or debt.

It is really encouraging to know that if we buy good quality shisha mirror work, we are in some way helping improve the lives of women in India, allowing them to be the bread winners and take a little control of their own lives and destiny that they were previously unable to do.

I've thoroughly enjoyed this book and practicing the eastern embroidery techniques. Stitching onto felt is so gorgeous and gives me a great excuse to keep touching the softness of the fibres. I think I will continue further with this piece before listing it for sale.

Have a great week end xJ

My Magic Carpet Ride (Part 2)

I have been really busy this week making accessories, brooches, hair slides, earrings, scarfs, and experimenting with new ideas and fibres. The necklace you can see to the top left is a nuno felted bohemian shabby vintage style, if that style exists. It fastens with antique mother of pearl buttons dated from the 1930's, glass seed beads and swarovski crystals. The scarfette to the bottom right was nuno felted with linen noil, bamboo, angora, cashmere, vicuna, possum, merino and tussah silk. I wanted to try out all of the new fibres on one piece so that i could test how they work with nuno felting. It is a lovely scarfette. I will take better pictures in the morning and list the items in the Bazaar.

The rest of my One World One Heart prizes arrived. The felted cushion (which is much more beautiful than the photo shows) was made by Gabriella of Threadheads Anonymous. The cushion was Gabriella's first felt project and she has done a wonderful job. The art cards were a gift from Barbara at Barbs Garden, and the mushroom guide, heart brooch and paper doll were a gift from Emily of the Edge Gallery. Thank you all, I will be popping all of my thank you cards in the post tomorrow :)

My daughter really loved the doll and the brooch and has spent all week end making her own (with a little assistance from her grown up helpers).

I would like to quickly introduce you to some of the other wonderful blogs I that have encountered on my carpet ride. Click on the images to visit the blogs.

Shayna Prentice of Needle Woven Studio


Cheryl Dolby of Healing Woman

Julie Mitchell of When the Spirit Moves Me

Bazaar Talk

 

 

This morning, the sun graced us with her presence long enough for me to take some reasonable pictures of my latest felted pieces.   These scarves are now listed for sale in Natures Whispers Bazaar.  To see more pictures of the blue scarf, please see the post below. 

The Magic Mirror

I made this nuno felt scarf in response to Theme Thursday's prompt of Mirror.  The scarf is made from Merino, Alpaca and silk.  The centre of the scarf is a grassy knoll with a tree on it.  Initially, the tree was to be reflected in a lake which would act as the mirror but as the piece evolved  it became night and day, making the mirror a magical one that transports you from the everyday world to the magical moonlit sky to step out beneath an enchanted tree.  

Wearable Eco Art and a Bazaar Launch

Here you can see a picture of an embroidered nuno felt scarf that I made using Merino wool dyed in Nettles, a little Merino wool that as dyed with Blackberries, some samples of eco dyed wool, Blended Blue Faced Leicester wool, Vicuna, Tussah Silk and Bamboo.

Tomorrow I will list this scarf along with some photo's taken in natural daylight in my new online shop Natures Whispers Bazaar. I already listed a couple of items and plan to work very hard over the next few weeks to increase the stock levels.

You can enter the Bazaar by clicking on the picture above, the highlighted text or by clicking onto the link that will be a permanent feature on my side bar. Please feel free to look around and leave comments.

Wish me luck xJ

Blue