Laurence Musings

Laurence preens himself in the knowledge that his keepers have hosted another fantastic workshop in the closing days of October.....SHOES AND BAGS

Months of prior planning culminated in NATALYA BRASHOVETSKA bringing to the Bunbury Felters a comprehensive and bespoke shoe and bag workshop at Stirling Street Art Centre in Bunbury.
Our group was the final of her Australian workshops, after several in the Eastern State and the Great Southern Workshops.

Natalya had honed her shoe making skills to precision. Her confidence and obvious expertise were plainly evident. The group worked with unfamiliar wool and new techniques, and after 3 long, intense but rewarding days produced shoes that looked like they might have been bought in a shop. The last details were to be attended to at home. 

She gave as much information as she could to enable the participants to make a veritable wardrobe of personalised shoes, if we chose to do so.

A HUGE THANK YOU TO NATALYA FOR HER PERSISTENCE AND PATIENCE

Colleen with her guest Natalya

Sorting out Bergschaff batts

Day 1: Planning and templates

Hard work! Jen gives Jean a massage

Christine applying pressure

Jean gets her hands wet

Jane using her muscles to get those shoes felted
 

Kayleen, Lee & Jen stitching shoe tops

Jen

Natalie & Natalya pictures of concentration
........Trying to get it just right 

Lee working hard at felting those shoes!

Jane sanding her bag

Natalya demonstrates gathering up a bag 

Natalya explains

At the end of 3 days of work...Natalya proudly shows her students' achievements

Gems from our October meeting

OCTOBER - Members shared their newest work

Carmen Tryer, a very new member, showed this uniquely ultra-fine hand dyed wool.

                     

                    Kylie's lovely needle felted angel

Sandra's eye-catching vest created at
workshop in the Whitsundays

    

         

Carol's Nuno silk wrap

         
                                                              

  

Linda's Nuno wrap

 
 Kylie's silk dress with a recycled top

              

Kylie's bag with rose

                                      

                                             Sue#1's lattice wrap

                          

                   
Kylie's made to order earrings

Some current news at last...

Dear Felters....Technology did not allow me to post images while in Europe. It seems an iPad is beyond the pale!


Therefore this is catch up time................


The BFG Felters Downunder have been very active, as usual, over the last few months.....

 DOUBLE CONGRATULATIONS TO........ 

JEAN BRAUND

Overall winner in the Ag Art Competition at the Dardanup Bull and Barrel last weekend

and 

JACQUELINE GIBSON

whose garment won the prize for the "Best Out of Town" entry

 Well done ladies

A new member and textile artist Carmen Tyrer from Waroona won 1st prize at the Waroona Show

Not a little bird, but rather a large one by the name of Laurence overheard Colleen reporting that 

"Carmen showed us her beautiful and complex wraps made with ultra-fine local wool, hand dyed and using her own techniques to enable the wool to be felted". 

Laurence is good at eavesdropping as he has also heard some hints that Sue Smorthwaite's work has been selected to go on show again. He is yet to find out more!

It has been reported that Sue#2 is back in Oz. and at the October meeting she gave an excellent demonstration to get the group thinking about interesting edges that add more detail to scarves, clothing, sculpture.

Sue# shows her edges............

...........and what a variety!

Val's edges in progress

Posting a little of France to inspire

This administrator has had a heap of trouble over the last months trying to keep the blog going from other continents........Technology, you got me beat for a while there! 

Here, however are a few captured textures I would like to share, from small French country villages to whet your felt-making spirits, and hopefully fill in the gaps over the last months! Although I was not able to gather actual felted work, inspiration was all around...........enjoy and create!


                 

        
 
      

                        

      

Further congratulations

Natalie Jackson is to be congratulated for her entry in Fire and Fibre exhibition. She received the People's Choice Award for this striking hat and scarf. 

Well done!!

  

Congratulations

CONGRATULATIONS to our former Group Leader Colleen Castledine on her Judges Choice win at the annual Fire, Fibre and Fine Arts at Stirling Street Art Centre. This is a well deserved prize for her beautiful jacket.

Started in CapeTown and finished back in Bunbury

After a huge 'run around' to get onto this account, here I am again with much relief. Google you are annoying at times!! As, I believe it is in WA, cold and overcast, it is the same here in Cape Town, the only difference being that much needed rain is only in the air on this Southern tip of Africa...drought persists.......just the kind of weather for felters....

Laurence is taking a short holiday back in Australia so this keeper can let you have a peek from down here, and send you BFG news and check out the Cape Town felting/textile scene for you.........

Jean demonstrated her stunning warm double layered neckpieces at the July winter meeting just in time..........

Winter analysis by Peter Booth
http://www.thatcreativefeeling.com/enjoying-winter-arts-in-australia

Which way up?

That moment of cutting

Jean models her finished scarf

Later in July, BFG members and a couple of invited guests were treated to a 2 day workshop by the innovative and charming Andrea Noeske-Parada, who shared her explorations into origami [Traditional Japanese paper folding]. 

Instead of paper she uses fine wool felt, which she ultimately shapes into all manner of body adornments.  Andrea also builds geometric structures into a number of forms, in the footsteps of French artist Victor Vaserely. He produced amazing optical illusions using endless permutations of geometric forms. Andrea challenged our perceptions of what can be done with felt

A happy, well satisfied group

Our efforts many completed 

Andrea accepts a presentation from Colleen

More completed work

Jean diligently eases her pieces together

Some finishing touches

Maureen gets it together

Penny's piece is almost there

Andrea shows how it is done

Conversion...from paper to felt!

Completed bracelet

Funny how we could not get away from geometric shapes all day!

Some members relaxing with Andrea over dinner after all those geometric challenges