My wool felt keepsake 我的羊毛紀念樣品

 

I call this  "Nicola Sample Pack" - a pack with samples of wool felt and eco prints.

 To prepare for the upcoming series of eco prints and wool felt workshops for a NGO, I made a sample pack of different  textures for students' reference.  One of the techniques is the object enclosure.   A week ago my Irish artist teacher Nicola Brown spent a day with me in Stanley where my tiny studio located.   We strolled in Stanley beach for treasure hunt for future creations. She picked a few broken pieces of pottery bowl used by the fishmen living there decades ago and gave me a sand washed broken glass plate. 

這日為一非牟利團體準備羊毛氈工藝及植物染課程, 做了一份學生參考樣品包, 當中有愛爾蘭老師Nicola Brown  教的技巧, 她訪港期間我們踏海灘, 我把她在灘上檢拾給我的玻璃片包含在樣品上紀念我跟她在葡萄牙的學習與她在香港的時刻. 

I made a nice keepsake for the memory of her nice visit. That's the pack with various samples, some of the skills Nicola taught me in her Portugal workshops.

Lots of shells, broken sand washed pottery and glasses in the bay .......

Handful treasures for Nicola's creation

I got the shell and the sand washed broken glass Nicola gave me.

I used Finn wool as base and part of  the cover made with nuno felt skill.

Surface with techniques of "coble stone", "hole" and "object enclosures".

I wanted it with eco printing sample as well. One side with eucalyptus prints.
The bundle boiled for 1.5 hours in water with onion skins 

The other side with not quite strong print on wool felt surface so I stitched for the clear outline.

I also wanted to show students the making of loops. The flower ring is a good sample.

The hole with "golden sands" running out and a shell enclosed.

  The pack cover is made and named "Nicola ●Stanley 3-3-16"

Then various surface techniques are enclosed - "spikes", " twisted spike", "wool coming out of the hole".........

Nuno felt and fringes......

Textures of nuno felt

Colorful textures with  yarns

Felt with my own cat Mogi's hair

"Clear cut" review

"Shibori" textures- this technique shared by Heather while we're in the same trip to Nicola's workshop

                                  Then I made the pack with all together

 

A sample pack with some of the techniques learnt from Nicola's workshop

 

Sounds Mogi likes it as a wall hanging

Honor to have Nicola visited my studio with some displays I made in her Portugal workshops.

I knew Nicola Brown via Facebook in 2012.  I remembered that year I approached her if I could come to Ireland to learn wool felt. At that time she was going to run a residential wool felt extravaganza in Portugal.  I immediately signed up. For the two consecutive years I learnt from Nicola many skills of wool felt.   To refresh my good memories here 2012 and there 2013 are the blog posts. This year she will have ten days luxurious residential retreat Felting and Eco Printing in Ireland, (details here), in her own country.  I am sure any one joined the workshop will be armed with various techniques.  Since I have schedule conflicts would not be able to join. Do wish to visit the beautiful country sometime in the near future and learn from the brilliant teacher again. 

Nicola Brown , 一位非凡的藝術家, 有幸曾在葡萄牙參與她 2012 (網誌重溫) 及 2013 的工作坊,   七月份她在愛爾蘭的工作坊, Felting and Eco Printing in Ireland, (詳情)  能夠跟隨她學習將會獲益良多.

Wool felt cobblestone handbag "石板路＂手袋

This is the "cobblestone" textural suface handbag I made just after new techniques learnt from Nicola Brown in Portugal. 

 

In Portugal and Spain some paths and buildings are made with cobblestones.   

Inspired by the cobblestones paths, this is the sample I made in the workshop for the trial. 

Back home, I applied the technique on the flap and made this one. 

Completed with lining, inner pockets and magnet closures.  The bag size is good for a wallet, iPone and iPad.

With detachable strap.....

A clutch is fine

Thanks Heather for the idea of using resist and also the skills of making 3D flowers.

Portugal wool felt workshop 葡萄牙羊毛工藝交流

My wool felt workshop in Portugal was fabulous. Truly brimming with new skills and inspirations.  The Serra da Estrela sheep, so called "Bordeleira" in the farm are wonderful and their fleece are fantastic to work with.  My week in the farm was wonderful.    

我在葡萄牙不一樣的羊毛工藝交流 .

優美山莊田野, 美酒餐飲與來自不同地區的朋友共同學習, 好享受的文化與技巧交流.

The workshop was held in the ecological farm amid the olive groves in central highland of Portugal.

Participants from the US, Spain, England, Portugal, Sweden and me from Hong Kong.  On the first night welcome dinner...

Wow, I love cat, she greeted us as well.

Next day felt artist Nicola Brown started instruction and demo.

We started on different projects as we decided.

I was making a beret with nuno felt skills.  The silk fabric was my own dyed euc leaves.

All our days in the farm were super with blue sky though hot.

Lunch in the sun was great feel and comfortable

Each day served with breakfast, 2-course lunch and 3-course dinner with wine

The first day I completed the beret

Next day a fish bag with handle.  Indeed I intended to make a jug with handle but come out not so proportional I turned it to this look.  So call it the "fish bag".  Making wool felt is flexible that wet pieces can be changeable to something unexpected.   (I don't mind but I can't do custom order !!) 

Following days were handbags with 3D textural surface mixed with decoration of local raw fleece.  I like to work with the long and short fleece.  A very special combination.

The brown silk scraps were eco printed by myselt.  This is truly OOAK.

Without needle this technique of making a textural surface is wonderful.  A little purse with long rope is cute. 

Again a simple bag with long raw fleece.  The fleece is super white after felted.

A sculpture with curl tail, embellished with flower

3D vessel with mulberry silk.  My first trial to make the firm rim and shape.  Turnout good.

A session to watch local sheep shearing in the same farm.

My rug done with the  fleece just shorn.  Though took some time to pick the bits.  I like to do a small piece.  Love the texture, the brown fleece is particularly soft.  I call this a "black & white sheep". 

We've done lots creations in the week.  Time to show the local village people how wonderful the wool are.

Nuno felt scarf, iPad case, sculptures, vessels.... 

Corner of my works - handbags and beret.

Rug of raw fleece by Ann, rope necklace by Cynthia and hat by Conchita. 

These are amazingly done by Heather, Ann and Estela. 

Variety creations, some are done by the girls.

 Eco print and dye are part of the works showcased. 

Tie marks on wool felt and euc leaves are impressive. 

Nuno felt scarves are beautiful 

Sandy's nuno felt scarf looks like a pretty flower patch. 

The hanging demo by Nicola is awesome 

Eco print & dye on silk or wool felt are great 

I was glad to share the tying on chiffon 

String marks and eucalyptus prints 

My other way of using the "dark fabric" (with iron mordant) to transfer prints on another silk fabric. 

Nikki's silk fabric with local oak leaves and strong euc prints. 

We'd a visit to a wool processing factory and museum. 

In the factory we're introduced quality of wool. They're very well to felt and good price.  I bought 4 Kg home.    

 These are part of the projects I made during workshop.

My travel to Portugal was quite a fabulous interaction with international participants to broaden my wool felt skills and creations.  Next journey going on in Spain with good friends.  Will have another post about the exceptional scenery of Andalucia......