Top 10 Tuesday -- Autumn Splendor

The color palette of Autumn is thrilling to me, and perhaps you feel the same. I decided to find 10 inspirational fiber artists who have created gorgeous items in this blaze of fall colors: orange, gold, purple, and romantic reds. These are the colors that fill the Colorado landscape this time of year, and I love them! Are you ready to have your cozy socks knocked off by Autumn joy? Enjoy this Top 10 list and be sure to visit with these talented artists, as each one is a member of the exceptional Textile And Fiber Artist List (TAFA). I highly recommend this professional and vibrant fiber art community to everyone who knows and loves quality handmade craftsmanship and healthy independent entrepreneurship from around the world!

Fall Scarf Hand Woven by Loom On the Lake

This handwoven scarf is luxuriously supple with a sheen and graceful drape. Contents include a mixture of bamboo yarns, which is soft yet strong. 7 3/4" x 68", $175 USD, LoomOnTheLake in Lake George, New York.

Felt Pendant Necklace by LenteJulcsi

Fall days are a great time to adorn yourself with warm colors and textures, and I cannot imagine a softer way to add sparkle to your fashion! Decorated with playful freestyle machine stitching, this fun pendant includes a cotton cord with a metal clasp closure. $15 USD, LenteJulcsi in Hungary.

Indian Summer Embroidered Pouch by LaTouchables

When you carry this hand-crafted envelope-style purse, know that you will be enjoying a one-of-a-kind stunner that has the touch and heart of many hands! Created by LaTouchables in Germany, this beautiful item includes South Asian embroidered cotton, Indian Banjara, glass beads from Germany, two antique buttons from the maker's great-grandmother, and Italian cotton in bright fall colors! A real compilation of styles and places...a global work of art! $96.25 USD

Warm Your Floor with Stunning Fiber by Odpaam

This colorful rag rug is a one-of-a-kind treasure that brings color to your floor and warmth to your feet. Crocheted using t-shirt yarn and remnants hand cut by Odpaam in Jerusalem, Israel, this free-form rug is soft yet durable, with a simple machine wash and air dry, it will stay crisp and playful for years to come! 40" x 30", $160 USD.

Rich Coiled Rope Basket by Sally Manke

This cheerful basket would look great filled with bath or body lotions as a gift for an Autumn bridal shower or filled with burp clothes and baby wipes for a baby shower! Beautiful warm colors and embellishment with a bright glass bead, this clothesline basket by Sally Manke in Arcadia, Michigan is a great find! $38 USD.

Hand Dyed, Multi-Fiber Skein by The Rainbow Girl

Here's a fun way to add some sparkle to your Fall creativity! This multi-fiber selection of hand-dyed threads of coordinated colors and textures has been combined into a single, 118 inch (running length) skein. TheRainbowGirl in Bishop's Stortford, United Kingdom has combined cotton, silk and viscose yarns, which are perfect for embroidery, embellishing scrapbook pages or altered books, tassels, braids or any other project which comes to mind!! $4.94 USD.

Jewel Toned Beauty by Dianne Koppisch Hricko

This crinkled silk chiffon scarf is almost poetic, the way it gently folds and billows around the neck. Dyed multiple times using the ancient shibori method, DianneKoppischHricko in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, says it well when she tells us this scarf provides a sculptural beauty as it frames your face. You can see all of the jewel-tones in this gorgeous scarf in her online shop! $60 USD.

Autumn Free-Form Crocheted Handbag by Rensfibreart

I love a new handbag as the season's change, don't you? This one is colorful and just the perfect size, with two internal pockets (one that zips), and a secure zipper for top closure. Rensfibreart in Landsborough, Australia has included gum leaf motifs and bamboo handles in this 14" wide and 8 1/2" tall handbag. $231.59 USD.

Thread Painted Art Quilt by RubyWingsArt

The colors of Autumn just would not be complete here in Colorado without something created in a majestic royal blue! If you haven't seen our Colorado skies this time of year, you are missing a real treat. This lovely 12 1/4" square wall art quilt is a lovely tribute to your beautiful blue sky! Applique, satin stitch, hand embroidery, and bead work are among the fantastic techniques on show in this piece by RubyWingsArt in Saint Paul, Minnesota. $150 USD.

Ode to the Garden! Needle Case by LornaBateman22

My final choice for this top 10 list is a tribute to all the flowers and gardens we enjoyed this spring and summer. Do you walk around your garden spaces in the fall and give a little loving farewell to the blossoms as they start to fade? I know that I do! This luxurious needle art kit by LornaBateman22 in the United Kingdom will allow you to make a 5" x 6 1/2" needle case of your own. It is a family heirloom in the making! $89.95 USD

I hope you will let me know which of these master-crafted items is your favorite!
Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Weaving Wonders and Why I Must Try It

I have decided I would like to try weaving. My father had an upright rug loom that he experimented with when I was in high school, and I recall watching him pass the weaving shuttles back and forth while listening to classical music. Some of the textiles in the Denver Art Museum's collection are extraordinary examples of Navajo Designs from 1840-1870 that took my breath away! Imagining the functional uses of these garments and home furnishings that were handcrafted by women from naturally dyed fibers, and yet today look as vibrant as ever, as well as quite sophisticated in design, is inspirational to me.

The weaving community in Colorado is an energetic group with many people who make incredible textiles. I have attended a few of the Rocky Mountain Weavers' Guild Annual Fiber Art Sales, and am looking forward to the next one at the Englewood Civic Center October 24-26th.

The best place for me to take weaving classes, based on where I live, would have to be Shuttles, Spindles, and Skeins in Boulder, Colorado. They are preparing for their 21st birthday as one of Colorado's premiere fiber arts destinations. This will be a wonderful wintertime activity for me!

The kind of loom I want to use is a rug or tapestry loom, much like the one my dad had many years ago. I think I will start my weaving exploration doing tapestry weaving with David Johnson. Perhaps I will work my way into other kinds of weaving as well.

Ulrika Leander, Royal Oak, Maryland

I am not sure yet how weaving tapestries will become a part of my art career as a fiber folk artist! In my Nestle And Soar studio I am beginning to move away from pillows and spending much more of my time creating one-of-a-kind fiber art for the wall. Perhaps the foundation of a new handcrafted needle felt series will be hand-loomed tapestry? If you know of a fiber artist who is already combining these two specific mediums, I'd love to hear about him or her! For today, I'd like to share with you a tapestry weaver whose artistry I admire. Ulrika Leander of Contemporary Tapestry Weaving creates fiber art that is quilterly and colorful--I love her work!

Weaving is a wonderful fiber art and I am looking forward to this next part of my artistic adventure. What have you planned for your next adventure?

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Her Point of View -- Cindy Grisdela, Fiber Artist

Coral Reef

The fiber art community is a warm and welcoming place, and meeting new friends around the Colorado fiber art and fine craft scene is a joy! Visiting with other artists face-to-face adds greatly to my understanding of the varied opportunities in my field as well as opportunities to stretch and grow as an artist.

Interestingly, meeting other artists over the Internet has become a more steady part of my outreach in the fiber arts community. While we may never meet face-to-face, I can certainly tell you that delightful friendships can blossom through cyberspace!

Cindy in her sunny studio in Virginia

I would like to introduce you to one such new friend of mine, quilt artist Cindy Grisdela, from Reston, Virginia. She has also spent her time and talent getting to know other fiber artists, and in a recent interview, I learned a lot about how this successful, exhibited artist has built her career, year by year. Here is Cindy's point of view--

Georgianne Holland: Have you always been confident in letting your art quilt designs develop without a firm (design) plan, or did you need to build up your courage to work this way over time?
Cindy Grisdela: I started out as a self-taught traditional quilter about 30 years ago. I loved the old patterns and hand-stitching and made many quilts for my family and to give away as gifts. I almost always would tweak a pattern slightly to make it a little different than described. About 10 years ago I looked around at my quilts and realized that all of them were someone else's design, and that it was important to me to begin doing work that was uniquely mine. I started out revisiting traditional patterns like Sunshine and Shadow and Drunkard's Path and recreating them in a more contemporary style. You can see Coral Reef and Splash of Color on my Etsy shop page. Over a period of time, I became more confident in using a completely improvisational style, where I begin with only a general idea of what I want to accomplish and let the design evolve on my design wall. One of the first pieces I did that with was Amber Harvest which won a juror's choice award at Art Quilts Lowell in 2010.

Splash of Color

GH: Congratulations on that award! How would you describe your business style as a fiber artist?
CG:  Although I'm a self-taught fiber artist, I do have an undergraduate degree in Art History, and a master's degree in Business. I'm very focused on the business side of my career, and I try to take advantage of opportunities that present themselves. Early on, before I could really afford it, I hired Gloria Hansen at Gloderworks to design a very professional website for my work. That has been one of the best business decisions I ever made, since having a nice website has helped me to get gallery representation, commissions and other opportunities that I don't think would have come my way otherwise. Having a blog integrated into my website has also been important, and I try to blog at least twice a week--summers are a little slower for that though. I also joined TAFA in the early days and have tried to give back to that community as well. Plus I have a shop on Etsy, I blog regularly and I have a presence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

Amber Harvest

GH: What kind of community support are you finding in your hometown, and how has that impacted your work?
CG:  I belong to a multimedia arts group in my area called Great Falls Studio which has been tremendously important in the development of my work. It's been a huge advantage to be part of a group of creative people who support each other, even though I'm one of the only fiber artists in the group. I don't think I would be where I am today in my career without them. I started exhibiting in their local shows about 8 years ago. That was an invaluable learning experience that gave me confidence that I could have an art career at all. The key was to get involved though. I'm very active in the group, on the board of directors now, even though when I joined I only knew one other person. 


If you are a fiber artist who longs to build your professional presence, or you are a lover of colorful quilt art, I believe that Cindy is an artist whose expertise with both business and the tactile medium of art quilts is an ideal role model and guide. Thanks to Cindy for letting us see and learn more about the lovely world she has created in Virginia! I am a huge fan!

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Top Ten Tuesday -- May 29, 2012

This has been a very creative week for me and I'm guessing that's why I have been attracted to many creative ideas and projects in my top ten list. There is almost always bright or intense colors that catch my eye, and when that doesn't work, there is always the needle arts to pull me in! This week the top ten picks include lots of color and needle arts, as well as a few finished-by-others items that will charm you to pieces. I hope I've found at least one item that will spark your creativity in the week ahead!

Crazy Quilt Stitches from Knick Knacks and Ric Rac

I always enjoy teaching crazy quilting class here in Colorado, so when this reference to the embroidery stitches fun to use in crazy quilting came my way, I knew I'd want to share it with you. The colorful presentation of the stitches just makes me want to dump my entire collection of embroidery floss and pearl cotton onto the kitchen table and start playing! You can find more information from Made with Love by Hannah. Enjoy!

Take a Sewing Class at Home

While we are talking about the fundamentals of embroidery, I want to share with you the wonderful new book I found at Landauer by Jan Vaine, Applique & Embroidery Fundamentals. This lovely book has such helpful photos and detailed stitch instructions that I think learning the 16 stitches included in the book will be very friendly, almost like have Jan right there beside you.

Message to Self

I thought that the message in this artistic print was right on target for me during the creative week I've had. It is tempting to follow along as a creative person because my mind is always seeking stimulation from other artists. This great poster on Olive Love Designs reminds me to express myself in my creative life! I also love how the hummingbird is gently flying while the other birds seem to be less serene. Perhaps being oneself is the path of least resistance...

Paper-Cut Garden is Architectural Creativity

I am always impressed by those folks whose mind works in three dimensions. Perhaps by saying this, you realize my mind tends to work in a flat, more 1.5-D sort of way? If you, too, are impressed with Mikro Store's architectural creativity, I hope you'll enjoy learning more about the 3-D Garden they've created. All of its natural imagery makes it a great way to combine slick materials with green places.

Irish Crochet Daisy Pin

I love the look of fine thread crochet and this brooch is a particularly good example of that. NothingButString on Etsy has included 15 petals on this flower, which is part of its charm I think: it looks intricate like a real flower. I am also quite fond of the leaf design in this made-to-order, handmade fiber jewelry. Well done!

Spring Garland of Flowers

As it seems I have embroidery and other traditional needle arts on the brain this week, I hope you will enjoy seeing this lovely silk ribbon embroidered wreath. I understand that there is a kit for this project along with Dupioni silk and a full set of instructions. I found this lovely item on a wonderful resource for fiber fans, the Tafa List. This particular treasure is the work of Lorna Bateman Embroidery, and I just love i!

Clever Organization Idea for Artistic Types

If you use pen-tip paints, dyes or glitters with any regularity, you will have empathy for the tragic "stuck in the bottle" situation I face from time to time. When I saw this clever idea on Pinterest, I knew it was perfect for my Nestle and Soar studio! You can find the full instructions for making your own storage "cookie sheet" at BeaOriginal.

Modern Mobile of Color

This is a case where a picture is worth a thousand words...French words, that is. I found this lovely, playful mobile idea on a French website, and the best I can tell you is that it is, in my rough translation, an homage to modern design, a good variation on a pendant light, excellent use of paper (tissue paper), arty interior design or a sculptural element for your office. Pretty fantastic! You may not be able to see the light bulb that is hiding directly behind the large red circular branch in the center of the piece, but it is there. You could make one of these swingy mobiles without the light and display it in the corner of the room where a breeze might make it even more playful. That last part I did not get from my high-school level interpretation of the original French...that is just what I plan to do with it! You can see the original source for this project here...voila!

Now for Something Completely Sublime

May I introduce to you the Vermonster, a stuffed animal monster that my kids would have adored! It is folk-arty and huggable. I love his eyes...each one looking up into opposite parts of the sky! This little monster needs a home: you can investigate adoption at Vermonsters109 on Etsy.

Funny Animal of the Week (in addition to the Vermonster)

You may not know what kind of animal this is, and neither did I until further investigation. It is a baby otter and I think I am in love! I adore the determined look on his face as well as his feet and soft fur. Have a great, determined, and silky-soft week ahead!

Thanks for stopping by,

Georgianne

What is Needle Felting? Tattooing Wool onto Fabric

Forest Walk ©2011, needle felt in process

Needle felting is a needlecraft regaining popularity. Many cultures for thousands of years have used needle felting to make rugs, clothing, and other useful items for the home. All cultures that use wool to create textiles have perfected their classic version of this decorative and useful art. 

Today, needle felting is all the rage to make decorative pillows, embellish scarves, and to create wardrobe accessories. Some people are making home décor items out of 100% wool, and others are using wool to decorate items made of many types of other fabrics. I like to say that needle felting onto fabric is like tattooing ink onto skin: both involve single sharp needles and a poking or punching motion to apply color to a smooth surface.

When people say they needle felt, they are likely talking about Dry Felting, or felting without water. There are sewing machine attachments that can be used to needle felt by machine. The kind of needle felting I do in at Nestle and Soar in Colorado is needle felting by hand. Using one barbed felting needle allows me to create intricate detail in wall art using needle felting. Let me explain the process to you!

The craft of dry needle felting bonds a foundational fabric and wool roving together without the use of thread, glue, or sewing needles. Felting needles are long, barbed, and very sharp. You do not hold a felting needle like a sewing needle: the motion required is more like a punching or stabbing than it is a sewing motion. When you punch the barbed needle up and down into the roving, which is loose animal fibers, it pushes the wool through the foundational fabric from top to bottom. The barbs on the needle agitate the wool fiber as it passes up and down through the roving, and this agitation opens the cuticle of the wool fiber, causing it to cling to itself. It also causes it to interlock itself on the underside of the foundational fabric, and that is how it stays put. I often create decorative pillows using linen as the foundational fabric and soft merino or mohair wool roving for the needle felting.

Raspberry and Orange Wool Roving for Felting

It is important to needle felt using a foam pad underneath your work. The felting needle should have something soft under the foundational fabric: the needle would be ruined without the pad by breaking its tip against the table top. It is easy to find felting pads made specifically for this craft, or you can also use polystyrene blocks, upholstery foam, or compressed foam. The foam pad I use is 12” x 15” and 2” thick. This size allows me to spread out a large project.

Wool roving provides all the color in needle felt projects. Picture a large pile of colorful cotton candy – that is what wool roving looks like! Roving is readily available in about 10 colors at big-box craft stores, neighborhood yarn shops, and many merchants on the Internet. My preference is to use mohair wool roving. I purchase roving in hundreds of different colors made by small manufacturers and enjoy working with the hand-dyed, environmentally friendly wools they create for this fiber art.

Example of a landscape needle felt by hand

Needle felting is a craft that is great for beginners of all ages. Because sharp, barbed needles are involved, I recommend close supervision of children. After many years of enjoying this fine craft as a fiber folk artist, I still prick my own fingertips on occasion. That being said, with care, good lighting, and a little patience, it is a lot of fun to learn to “paint with wool” using this age-old needle craft!

What kind of felting have you tried? 

Have you taken any felting classes?

I would love to hear from you!

Thanks for stopping by, 
Georgianne

Top 10 Tuesday

It has been a wonderfully busy week here at Nestle and Soar Studio in Colorado. I have found a few ideas, organizations, and folks that I really want to pass along -- these are the things that have made my work this week just sing! I hope you will have the chance to look into a few of these great offerings. I've tried to make it easy for you to find them and enjoy them.

#1  TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List

TAFA is a business community of entrepreneurs rooted in textile and fiber art products and traditions. A majority of their members (and I am a proud member) have social and environmental agendas at the core of their business. TAFA unites old and new traditions, their historical and modern importance, giving a shared platform to both contemporary and traditional textile techniques from all cultures. Click here to see more about TAFA!

You can also visit Nestle and Soar on TAFA here.

#2  PHOTO TREE

This is a great idea that was posted by a wedding design company,  Rustic Wedding Chic.

I think it is a wonderful idea for almost any type of outside family gathering.

What do you think?

#3  Container Garden for the Fashion Conscious

I know it is still winter and the time to be preparing plans for my yard is still months away...

but how about this clever idea from Dave's Garden?

I know just the purse to donate to the cause...

#4  Coexist Designer Pillow for Tree Lovers and Peace Lovers

Coexist Designer Pillow by Nestle and Soar

When all the beautiful birds come to rest in the tree that is your life, I think that is when you know that you have created a life that is filled with compassion, inclusiveness, and community.  Coexist Designer Pillow

#5  Pam Garrison's Blog and her Sailor's Valentines

These handmade hearts would be perfect year-round ornaments, gifts to your beloved, drawer sachets, pin cushions, couch pillows, or gifts. It is a lovely way to do a "little" embroidery without dedicating yourself to a huge project!

I found these lovely hearts here. Enjoy!

#6  Yarn Bowl

This week I learned that there is a recipe for making a paste with which you can make a bowl out of yarn! If you have lots of leftover yarn, like I do, this would be a fun afternoon project! I understand that Elisabeth used Carolyn's paste recipe and an inverted glass bowl with foil on it to create this bowl. She then soaked the yarn in the paste and applied it all onto the bowl.

Here is a link for the special paste recipe.

#7 Plus 3 Network 

Plus3Network is a fun and worthwhile way to pay attention to how much I move every day. When I go for a walk, I log it into the Plus3Network, and they alert their corporate sponsors to donate money to a worthwhile charity because of the exercise I recorded! The financial donation does not come from me, it comes from corporate sponsorship. I love this because it gives extra emotional reward to me every time I log a mile or lift weights with my girlfriends at the gym. You should check them out here.

Making It Count

"Plus 3 makes the world a healthier and better place by helping its members lead healthier better lives. Plus 3 Network will count millions of daily rides, runs, walks, or swims as mileage-rewarded fundraising. We are the social network that actively manages, motivates, validates, and rewards our members for participating in fitness activities. Plus 3 links our members with corporate sponsors and non-profits in a shared goal of worthwhile giving. Making It Count is our phrase for this process of bringing people, causes, and sponsors together for the good of everyone."

#8  Ancient Japanese Gardens

I want to share these phenomenal gardens with you this week. It is so impressive that the gardeners who continue to create these time-honored spaces consider it to be genuine works of art. I agree and I have visiting these gardens on my bucket list! 

#9  Insider Tips on Needle Arts

I am proud to have a new publication make the top 10 list this week! These free tip sheets can be found at my Nestle and Soar shop. The first tip sheet includes information on choosing the right kind of foundational fabric for needle felting and tips on embroidery. I would love to know if there are specific needle art topics you would like to see covered!

#10  Who Do You Love 

This adorable owl is very lovable...don't you agree?

Have a wonderful week ahead and thanks for stopping by,

Georgianne