Modified another pair of wool felt boots 新做一款羊毛靴子

 

 The woolly boot I made with wet felt technique learnt from Natalya Brashovetska.

 The Austrian mountain sheep wool is really so easy to felt with.  I added UK Wensleydale curls for the textures.

 

Up to the hill where I live......

 

Lift up and relax over our city view........ Hong Kong is in the sub tropical zone.  We do have winter.   Normally Nov - Feb are cool days, cold below 8C at times.  But this year still not cool even hot. 

 Come on I need the cold days to cool down.........

 

 Indeed I made the boots last year started with wool layering.  After some rubbing, rolling and fulling......

 The hard work is to glue it and hand stitching.

 

Finished with the slip-in boots with flap.  After a year I thought it's no harm to do something and modify it to another style.  I cut it to have the lace style.

 Then punch the eyes for the lace holes each boot with 10 holes.  This is the only part I can't do it myself so it's done in a shop.

 

Though I don't have the former style of slip-in.  I can make another one later.

The pair now is lace tied I love.

My overseas enthusiastic student 熱誠的海外學生

 

Six weeks ago I was approached by a Singaporean girl for the interest of wool felting.  She said she was referred by a member of IFA (International Feltmakers Association) while she was in London with the impressive wool felt. She particularly wanted to make a wool felt hat and a scarf.   Since she lives in the sup-tropical region she would like a light cobweb scarf and a hat with pleats. After a few back and forth emails communication we made it happen. This week my Singapore student Ada flown in and made under my tutelage this set of hat and scarf.

我的遠道而來星加玻學生, 開朗燦爛的笑容, 在寒流下也暖我心窩, 兩日的學習, 她完成了這帽子與圍巾.

Since last time I learnt from Natalya Brashovetska the wool felt boots I found the wool batt of Austrian mountain sheep are great for sturdy hats making so I ordered 5kg  from the Germany supplier Schafwollen. Just arrived, Mogi already occupied the batt  and I also immediately made a sample hat for Ada's reference before she came.

The days while Ada was in Hong Kong the temperature dropped to 14C, it's the coldest this year.  We could not work outdoor.  We worked on the dining table with easy setting.  First cut the foam template of Ada's size.......... with Mogi's good company.......

  

Ada laid the wool batt........ after procedures of rolling, rubbing, shaping.......

 

Day one Ada finished the hat and happy with it.

The following day started the making of a scarf. I wanted to teach Ada a few techniques on one piece so one end laid the merino wool for cobweb and pines effect.   In the middle part, put wool around a crocheted heart shape  while the other end with a chiffon for nuno felt

So a piece of merino scarf with a big crocheted red heart, a small dark blue heart and a few Teeswater fleece for the textural surface

The scarf of purple shades with yarn strings and mulberry for the textures look

A freestyle scarf with the wool felt flower ring closure

 

It's light in a breezy day 

 

With Ada's enthusiasm,  cheerful character with laughs, the one-on-one teaching never boring.

 

Ada's 2-day learning of a wool felt hat with pleats and a scarf of nuno felt &cobweb was fun. 

Thank you for coming Ada.  I'm glad you're the one from Singapore enjoyed the versatility of wool.

Wool felt boots of styles 羊毛氈靴子製作

 

After the workshop in Cyprus by Natalya Brashovetska, I back home practiced the techniques learnt. A pair of fold-down collar boots was made. 

從小兒科到大孩子的靴子製作, 不一樣的做法, 不一樣的款式多得 Natalya Brashovetska 的獨特而專業的教授.

 

 The boots of styles with fold down and fringes 

 

 It's made with wool from Austrian mountain sheep and Wensleydale freece as well mulberry silk for the fringes decoration

 Quite a few steps to make the boots but with the tools and nice set up I managed to make the pair comfortably

 Shoe last to shape it ........

 ....then hand stitched shoe soles

 The professional way to make the boots with Italy design shoe soles

 My stylish boots for the upcoming winter

 Before I only made the slippers for babies. Now I can make the professional boots.  Thanks to Natalya Brashovetska.

I'm delighted to learn the making of wool felt boots from scratch to finish. The making is challenging but sense of satisfaction.

Workshop of boots and bags making in Cyprus

My boots and bags making workshop in Cyprus completed perfectly. Can't believe the boots I could make with the soft wool from the very beginning to the end of a very firm and sturdy boots all from my hands. 

We used the wool batt with wet felt skills to make the boots.

The boots are with inner sole boxes to protect heels Then to glue and stitch the sole. Thus the pairs are very comfortable and durable.

We made in a spacious hotel, the final touch in a pleasant bar by the pool. We chatted, we laughed. All done, not only boots but bags to make it a unique set in four days.

I finished mine and was so eager to take it to the 5-min walk beach for shots in the early morning.

So proud I made a pair of boots and TWO bags! I just love the special way of making the bags and the textures all done in one piece with handle.

Other students' works are brilliant. They made the high boots, the bags with metal frame, chic and stylish.  See .....they're the high street boutique displays!

I'm very very delighted in the coming winter I can walk with my handmade boots.

At the moment I left my foot print in the Mediterranean Sea, the Limossol beach, Cyprus - the country I love......

Time to say goodbye to the wonderful ladies from Norway, South Africa, Luxembourg and myself from Hong Kong.  Without the brilliant teacher Natalya Brashovetska and organiser Dorie van Dijk I couldn't have made the beautiful boots and bags with such special technique.

Special thank you to Natalya - my host, my teacher and my friend now. I have a great holiday and learning from her.

Holiday in the Mediteranean is going on..........Taking off from Cyprus and arrived in Israel.

Warmly received in my mentor Irit Dulman's house. She's a gorgeous artist I learnt from her the Eco printing and nuno felt before. 

Irit's works are amazing. I'm honoured we'll spend some time again in her house, with the sweet cat Lucas who can play music by hitting his metal bowl. Don't know how to post the video here but on my Facebook friends can view.

Lovely Lucas likes to rest on his favour chair, the match prints of colour tone!

Into the Mediterranean cities 悠遊地中海

Last year in March I captured the bird over the Mediterranean Sea in Tel Aviv. In two days I'll be  flying as the seagull in between the Mediterranean cities - Larnaka, Cyprus and Tel Aviv, Israel.
  過兩天猶如海鷗的飛翔地中海, 塞浦路斯與以色列特拉維夫是此行目的地, 去年三月海灣平靜, 漫山野黃菊, 特愛黃花的移印染, 現在秋天花兒不再,  攜著那次在 Irit Dulman 
工作坊印染的黃花布料縫製裙子會是此行服飾之一.

 Last time I'd a great time in Israel for the learning and meeting friends. 
 I spent some days in the beautiful promenade in Tel Aviv and good days in Galilee.

 The spring flowers camomille covered the field like a carpet was impressive.

 Such bold and strong eco prints .  I made a few pieces in Irit Dulman's workshop.

 

This knitted silk jersey I particular love most

 

The casaurina and the yellow camomille are simply good combination.  Some of the printed fabrics are now made into my wearable dresses and scarfs.

 

The eco printed and dyed clothing are to be packed for the upcoming trip. Dresses of silk jersey, cotton pants, blouses, vests, scarfs, cotton wraps, rust dyed nuno felt vest, wool wraps .....lining in the crispy breeze........

Mogi under the shade or safe guard my clothing?

Eco print fashion is now my way of dressing.  Almost every day I put on one piece since I wanted to test the color fast.

The set of cotton scarf and pant printed with assorted leaves as well the silk jersey printed in Israel last year are packed for the travel.

Mogi, "this pair is too small for you !"
Mum, " I know I know... I'm going to make a pair of boots for the chilling winter.

Gonna make a set of sturdy boots and handbag like this (photo credit from Natalya)

 That's why I fly all the way to Cyprus to learn from the renownedl Russian fashion designer,  Natalya Brashovetska and take the time back to Tel Aviv to meet my great friends again.

Show you my travels until next time......
我的網友說 "為自己的興趣做瘋狂的事", 我也是那麼熱切的老遠跑去塞浦路斯跟隨Natalya Brashovetska..........學習這創意無限的羊毛工藝, 也停留特拉維夫與友聚舊!