Remember the little grey painting I showed a few weeks ago?  It is now a grey and yellow painting and is one of three.  I'm definitely going to hang them somewhere.

It has been a crazy couple of weeks.  Last week was all about felting, I made another hat and spent many nights working hard at making a felted jacket, which ended up more as a felted jumper (sweater).  I haven't got photos of either, but I'm rather pleased with both ... even if the jumper is a bit too short and a bit too wide.

Last weekend we went skiing with our friends Wendy, Kim, Lauren, Anthony and Nathan.  I totally sucked.  What a contrast to just a month ago.  If we could find the camera downloading thingy then I could show you a little video that Riscy took of me skiing like crap (luckily he didn't film the tantrum(s), me crying, me sitting halfway down a hill, me sliding down the hill on my bum or me throwing in the towel and chosing to carry my skis up a big hill rather than ski anymore). 

Still, we are thinking of abandoning our plans to go to India this summer for possibly skiing in Japan where I might regain my mojo.  Both options are appealing from a textile point of view, so I'm sort of leaning towards Japan.

This week I have been sick. A full blown cold. I'm a sneeze machine.  Hopefully normal creativity will resume shortly.

I'm right into felt this week :-) Last night I made this hat... which was an utter disaster (think scull cap) until I started playing with the creases.

Now don't go thinking that I'm original or anything, I am lucky enough own a hat by May Hvistendahl of Norway (my hat is the first hat on row 4/last hat on row 3) obviously it did inspire me to try manipulating the shape.

The wool is a ochre yellow fading to black at the rim, overlayed with silk which also fades from Yellow to a dark khaki/green at the bottom. I'm playing hat model here and Riscy took the pics (thanks Riscy!!).

I'm getting more ambitious. Now I want to make a jacket :-) Might do it tonight!!

This week I found out that Fulvia Boriani Luciano has a blog. Fulvia creates wonderful art quilts but has also been branching out into wool with some felting, spinning and knitting.

LittlePaperBird is the blog of Sarah from Leeds. Paper, stitching books, lovely photos ... it's all good :-)

My Art Grows Around Me is the blog of Marjojo (aka Marion Michell) of London. Marjojo is an artist who is currently working on project which involves crocheting tiny little hairy dresses. If you want to see more, check out her webpage it gave me a wider context for her current work.

I've been meaning to learn how to make 3D felt for years, this inspiring tutorial on the blog Homework got me very enthusiastic and excited to try it out.

The red slippers are the first ones I did. I made the leg bit a little too narrow (ie I couldn't get my foot in), so they ended up with the U shape at the front. Which I now quite like! They are very snug and soft. I think they need a little bit more felting as the inner white fibres are migrating out into the red and pilling a little.

This is the other pair I have made. Thse have a wrinkly look because I added silk fibre on top. As the wool felts, the silk scrunches up to give an interesting texture. These ones are more generously sized and I can get my foot in and out no worries. I never realised my feet were so pointy until I felted theses slippers!

I have recently replenished my supplies of coloured fine merino wool tops. I order mine from Nancy at Treetops Colours in Western Australia. I have been ordering from Nancy for years and she has always given great service. This time I ordered the Colour Nuances Sample Pack which is 400g chocked full of great colours, just right for little felting and spinning projects. This is in preparation for the felting day I've been planning with some friends.

I've been home sick from work today. I'm a bit fuzzy in the head and achy... I hoping like mad that I have not got the lurgy. Perhaps I've come down with a raging case of hypochondria LOL.

I'm hiding these photos right down the bottom because the photography is very ordinary... but I wanted to record a finished quilt:

This is the Lines quilt. I can see lots of possibilities with printing and I want to do heaps more :-) Riscy doesn't like it. Too much white at the top, he reckons.

I hung it in our bedroom. This is an insitu shot with my attempt at a little bit of interior decorating styling inspired by some of the home dec blogs I've been browsing lately (ahem!)