Familiar Others Needle Felted Dolls

Finally a new work to show...

2011-12-19T11:46:00.000-08:00

InUterine1 Vessel/Pouch
This is a theme piece I did for our annual Kindred Spirits holiday party. Each of us was to bring a gift to exchange and it was to be something from our own stash. One friend hinted that she might go to the "Knitty Womb" for funny inspiration. Since I have been comtemplating a series of InUterine vessels, pouches and figures, I found this to be a perfect opportunity.
My Kindred friends are mostly wool spinners and knitters. They are forever giving me colorful bits and pieces of wool and yarn, scraps from their projects, which I snatch up thankfully.
And we have ladies who own sheep and alpacas, so handdyed fibers are often available and I can purchase them at very fair prices. Virtually all of the fibers - batt and merino rovings - in this piece came from my Kindred's fiber inventory.
It was so much fun to felt this vessel/pouch and all the little surprises inside. It's the second piece I've let go of and the possibility of selling my work is more appealing.

Oh sooooo terrible at blogging Update

2011-11-01T08:15:00.000-07:00

I promised a change and still it hasn't happened. But I really have been working:
Doctor visits for my husband, my friend and myself. Steve's hearing and vision issues are being resolved, Susan's MS is unfortuantely much worse, and I've been diagnosed with complicated migraine syndrome and peripheral neuropathy. Simple things like thinking and moving are more difficult, but I can still do them thank goodness!
Grandchildren and now, gulp, two GREAT grandchildren - and cute little boys they are! But not nearly enough time is spent with them.
Daughter Michelle has a new best friend of the male variety and they are just moving into new digs and building a life together. Tween granddaughter Lexy says they are correctly called "domestic partners".
Raising our new best friend Rocky from a cute little 7-week old puppy to a 1-year-old rambunctious delight!
And okay, I confess, to having watched a few episodes of Ghost Hunters and Ice Road Truckers along the way.
I've been doing a little writing mostly short, short stories and poetic stuff and have a new "Critter Cam" hobby (will have more on that later on my other blog).
I'm felting vessels and character dolls and currently working on "Mary Elizabeth", a doll modeled after my great great grandmother. But not enough time is spent in studio. I vow every day to change that.

Unfortunately blogging, as you can see, is at the bottom of my list. The quality may suffer, but I WILL COME HERE MORE OFTEN! If I can find the time that is, smile.
Oh, almost forgot to mention, I still work two days a week.
My life is full and I am thankful!
God Bless and see you soon.

First vessel finds a good home

2011-07-10T16:15:00.000-07:00

Several weeks after my friend Carol's husband passed away I gave her my first felted vessel. She grows beautiful orchids and had really expressed an interest in having it to put an orchid pot in and the combo turned out quite lovely I think.

As my very first vessel it wasn't up to the standard I want to achieve but she likes it and I'm proud it pleases her. It has found a good home.

Back to Felting & Blogging...At Last!

2011-06-27T07:20:00.000-07:00

Life - health issues, family matters, etc. - has kept me away from this blog for much too long. But thanks to finally finding the right doctor I now have diagnosesis and appropriate medications and am feeling better. And with some of the family issues resolved I am able at last to resume felting and blogging about it.
It has really been a lovely spring in East Tennessee but now we're getting into a long hot summer . My studio is finally set up to where I can enjoy working in it and I am FELTING BETTER AGAIN! YAY!!!
My current project is a large handdyed wool and bamboo vessel, shown below at the soft felted stage and with slub yarn embellishments added. Today, I will finish the wet felting and fulling and am so excited! Soooo, let us go do that now!

Update, 9:21 p.m. - It's felted, fulled and drying. Can't wait to steam and shape it and add the finishing touches. Will upload more pictures then.

Update, Tuesday, July 5 - Gettin' there...a little more shaping to do, then shaving off the fuzzies to give it a little sheen, then adding beading and perhaps additional embelishments.

A sad time for our family...

2010-09-23T10:23:00.000-07:00

We have lost a very dear friend who enriched out lives for 15 years. We will miss her crazy funny antics and her sweet, sweet smile! Go with love our pretty 'Jessie Girl'. We hope to see you at the Rainbow Bridge one day.

Shining at our lil' ole county fair

2010-09-11T09:33:00.000-07:00

Getting a pat on the back every now and again feels pretty darn swell and even getting a blue ribbon or two at the local county fair strokes the old ego. In light of this I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to enter a couple things this year. And much to my delight both entries won blue.

Lily was looking pretty nifty in her new blue felted merino dress as she stood by her man Zeke. I entered them as a pair...that's how they wanted it.

And they looked so small in amongst the hooked rugs, counted crossstitch pictures, crocheted doilies, and numberous other needlework items. There are not many other needle felted pals in this neck of the woods and there wasn't a catagory for felted works at all so they competed in the general soft sculpted doll category.

On a lark, I also threw in my first and one and only (thus far) wet felted, silk cap on blended wool (merino and C-1) beaded vessel. Again, there was such a variety of crafted items in this catagory and no two were alike so it's hard to really judge how well an item placed. The judges had a difficult job...almost everthing entered was neat and interesting.

Creature Feature

2010-07-30T09:42:00.000-07:00

Stepping outside the realm of normal again, I have been working on creature characters and VooDoo style dolls...
This guy doesn't yet have a name and I am not exactly sure what he is either...alien, dragon, vampire?

No pictures of the VooDoo dolls yet...not even sure if you will see them here...that's a whole 'nother story that may never be told.

Introducing "Miss Lily"

2010-06-27T10:27:00.000-07:00

Finally I have finished my first female character and what a challenge she was! Who knew how much harder it would be to create a softer more feminine doll? And still there is much room for improvement, starting with a smaller nose. Sorry about that Miss Lily, but you are still a cutie to me...big nose and all!

Feisty Miss Lily likes fast cars and sunny beaches and is ready for both!

Miss Lily & Ezekiel hit it off immediately!

Party in the Playhouse?

2010-06-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

Early yesterday morning I walked out to my "new" studio and made a startling discovery.

Over the past month or so I have been working hard on converting one of our storage buildings into a place where I can work on my felting projects without having art supplies strewn all over the house. Every artist needs a studio, right? But not everyone is fortunate enough to have such a space. I am very lucky. It's only about half finished - floors still bare wood, ceiling not finished, no air conditioning - but I have moved in and sorted all my fiber and other supplies where they are handy and within easy reach of my work station. No more digging through plastic bins trying to find the right fibers. Hurray! Also my dolls are out of their plastic confinement and displayed around me as I work. It is not beautiful or glamorous but it will do very nicely. Anyway, I digress. Back to yesterday morning...

I walked in and there was "Ezekiel" laid out in the middle of the floor, a good 3 feet away from his shelf. Then I discovered "Oliver" passed out, face down, clinging to the edge of his shelf. The "Moonshiner" was a bit red faced and seeing double.* The other characters were just where I had left them. But did I imagine that faint snickering sound all around the room?

I figure there may have been a big celebration in "Granny's Playhouse Studio" the night before. After all, it was their first Friday night out of confinement plus I had finally finished my first female character doll (excluding the little worry dolls) and she had joined the crew. "Lily" is a feisty little redhead who loves fast cars and sunny beaches. She likely caused quite a stir after I closed up for the day and left them to their own devices.

What fun they must have had!

*Just kidding about Moonshiner seeing double...playing around with Photoshop on that one. Rest is truth, I swear!

Ezekiel hit the floor...

Oliver hung on by a thread and Henry just grinned...

The Moonshiner saw double while Lily looked a little devilish...

In the end, all were a little embarrassed but doing okay...

Latest Find...Funky Old Hickory Nut Head Doll

2010-05-26T07:38:00.000-07:00

It's no secret, my friends all know it, I am very addicted to "junk'n." Do I need help? Maybe an intervention? No, no, no. I can control this thing on my own, thank you. No, really I can!

It's true, I do love prowling through thrift stores, yard sales, and flea markets. And I used to buy anything and everything that caught my interest and "might be of use sometime." And that's exactly why I have a storage building full of stuff...some good old stuff and some not so good newer junk.

But in recent months I've narrowed my purchases down to only buying things I will actually use like kitchen gadgets, leftover bits of yarn, lace and ribbon, buttons and beads, etc. I also still have an affinity for old and small oddities and collectables. And of course I am always scouting for doll chairs and other props to use when displaying or photographing my needle felted characters.

Last week I paid just one dollar for this funky old hickory nut head doll in our local Habitat For Humanity thrift store.
She's about 6 inches tall and is really quite a study in contrasts - elegant in her beautiful lace and satin dress but quite haggard and witchy in her face and stance.
One has to wonder why she is dressed to the ninths and if she made it to the ball (or her wedding) on time?

Kindred's Dye-In: Oh the Beautiful Colors!

2010-05-22T10:55:00.000-07:00

A dozen or so "Kindred Spirits" met for our annual Dye-In at Ms. Peggy's house this past Thursday. We brought fibers of all sorts (mostly wool) and our hostess provided dyes of many colors. We had a great time - playing like little girls - painting, dunking, steaming and even microwaving until at last a rainbow of colored roving, batting and yarn hung on the clothes line drying. Lunch was potluck style and boy can we gals cook!

What a great and beautiful day it was down in the country on the Cumberland Plateau...good friends, good food, and beautiful fiber to work with...who could ask for more?

Thanks Peggy, for having us!

In The Top Photo: These silk caps, wool locks and wool/mohair yarn have been handdyed to coordinate with each other. My plan is to use them, along with C-1 and Merino, in making felted vessels. I will use the beads and buttons for embellishments.
Barb Keyes, of Lancing, TN, custom dyed the silk caps for me. I ordered a blend of turquoise, copper, rust, etc. and she nailed the colors beautifully. My goal at the Dye In was to dye small amounts of wool locks and yarn in a variety of coordinating colors to also use as embellishments on my pots. With the help of fellow Kindred Spirits I was able to pick the right colors and they will work perfectly, don’t you think? I am so excited to get started!

Applying dye to fiber...

Brewing fiber in a dye kettle...

Rolling painted fiber up in plastic wrap for steaming or microwaving...

Rinsing fiber...

Draining and inspecting the dyed fiber...

Hanging dyed fiber out to dry...

Relaxing and chatting with friends...

Having loads of fun!!!

Click here to see more "Dye Day" photos on Wool Tales' blog.

'Martha Rita' the Little Worry Doll

2010-04-12T10:46:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Guatemalan worry dolls

Often times I get inspiration from catalogs, magazines and the like. In one of the several catalogs received just before Christmas I came across a set of little Guatemalan style worry dolls. They were so cute and colorful I had to try felting them.

Guatemalan worry dolls date back to Mayan times. Traditional worry dolls were simple little amulets less than an inch tall and were made in groups of six that fit snugly in a brightly colored woven pouch. Fashioned from scraps of various materials – fabric remnants for clothing, pieces of wood for bodies, etc. – they were created as a distraction for children who needed comforting in the night. Each night the child would take one of the dolls, whisper a worry in its ear, place it under their pillow and sleep soundly with assurance the worry would be gone by morning. I wonder why only six dolls were made instead of seven? Were there only six days in the Mayan calendar week?

My "Martha Rita" is about 4-inches tall and one of a kind. She is needle felted from Norwegian C-1 batt, Merino top, and other wool fibers. My other worry dolls are about 3 inches tall and felted from the same materials. I use found objects - beads, threads, ribbons, etc.- as embellishments.

Thanks to fellow 'Kindred Spirit' Lucy Elmore for sharing her original snapshot of my Martha Rita. I used Photoshop CS to manipulate the background, taking out the holder's lap, the floor, and other such distractions and adding the background colors so the doll stands out for presentation here. I love Photoshop! It is so much fun! By the way Lucy is a fab photographer. Visit Lucy Elmore's PBase photo galleries

Update June 27, 2010: More Little Worry Dolls
These little ladies are so much fun to make!

Trying My Hand At Felted Vessels

2010-03-28T12:36:00.000-07:00

Almost finished...another great learning experience!

Vessel 1 in progress:

'The Moonshiner' Update...

2009-11-29T16:43:00.000-08:00

May 23, 2010 - Finally I have put the finishing touches to my "Moonshiner" doll. He is now sporting a brand new felted hat and is having a long awaited smoke. Also I lucked out in finding a willow chair that is just his size. My little "Popcorn" is just pleased as punch (moonshine punch that is) to finally have all the comforts of home - including a miniature jug o'shine sitting by his side. It's ironic that the little wooden trunk is prison art and made by some poor soul who wound up exactly where the real Popcorn Sutton did not want to be - so much so that he took his own life to avoid going there.

Original Post...

This is "The Moonshiner" but my friends call him "Popcorn" because he was inspired by the late great, the last one of his breed, the Appalachian moonshiner Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton.

My "Popcorn" is about 10 inches tall and made entirely of 100% wool fiber using needle and wet felting techniques.

I found his rocking chair at a local flea market. The real "Popcorn" preferred a handmade willow chair - difficult to find in doll sizes.

My "Moonshiner" is content to while away the hours in his wooden rocker and dream of days gone by and things that were and things that might have been.

I will likely add a couple more things to this mountain guy's attire...a Fedora hat for his head and a cigarette for his hand...and maybe, just maybe, a Mason jar full of moonshine to sit by his side. The real Popcorn Sutton apparently chain smoked for I’ve yet to see a photo or video of him without a lit cigarette either clutched between the thumb and middle finger of his right hand or dangling from his lips when his hands were otherwise occupied. His hat and smoke were his secondary icons...the number one being the ‘shine he made.

The Moonshiner is Doll #3 in the Familiar Others Series.

Ezekiel - Coonhunter, Mountain Man, Ole' Hippy

2009-11-29T16:19:00.000-08:00

'Ezekiel' is doll #4 and was inspired by an old friend of mine...a mountain man and coonhunter who is often mistaken for Willie Nelson by tourists frequenting the local quick market just off Interstate 40 in Westel, Tennessee.

The original 'Zeke' always wears either a black cowboy hat or a Redman ball cap and is quite an interesting and complex character. He has spent most of his life in the East Tennessee woods hunting raccoon and gathering wild herbs like ginseng. He has extensive knowledge of trees, plants, and animals, yet has only a rudimentary formal education.
In his younger days Zeke drank enough Budweiser to float Donald Trump's yacht. But beer was not his friend, often leading him into violent fits of rage. I've heard that he no longer drinks and lives a much calmer life now in his 70's - still coonhunting, still gathering herbs, still popular with the tourists.
I have just purchased wool to felt a black hat for him. He says it is high time seeing as he just has to have a hat. He has also been pestering me for a female companion so I am currently working on "Lily", a fiesty redhead who should suit him very well. Look for new photos, hopefully in the near future.

Then Came Oliver

2009-11-29T16:13:00.000-08:00

Who is this familiar other?

'Oliver Ego' is Doll #2 in my Familiar Others series.
Can you guess who he was inspired by?

Here are your clues:

The Wizards beat up on the Bulls in a late winter game.
Number 44 witnessed the contest, received a souvenir and really, really liked it.
Both characters are famous for their wide toothy grin.
My Oliver is a look-alike, an alter ego if you will, rather than an exact double of his original inspiration.

Added April 3, 2010 - Look for answer below.

The fitting...

Oliver Ego came into being at my kitchen table. His self is entirely needle felted from 100 percent wool fiber. I wet felted merino wool into fabric for his clothing; then designed, cut and sewed the pieces together using wool thread.

'Henry' Was My First

2009-11-29T16:02:00.000-08:00

The Old Sailor Henry was my first real needle felted soft sculpture doll and is #1 in my Familiar Others Series.

Henry was inspired by an incident that happened at my very first job, car-hopping at Archie's Drive-In Restaurant in Rockwood, Tennessee, during the 1960s. I was working there during my fourteenth Christmas eve and it was bitter cold, snowing and the wind was howling like a banshee. I was a little runt then and the wind cut threw me like a knife. But I kept right on running from car to car, order to order. We were famous for our cheeseburgers, fries and milkshakes (my favorite was strawberry) and last minute Christmas shoppers and travelers were pouring in by the carload. I didn't mind though, I needed the tips to help pay for a portable stereo my mom had let me buy on her dime - my first debt and my first financial responsibility - it was a valuable lesson that has served me well over the years.

Anyway, near closing time a car load of homeward bound sailor boys pulled into the parking lot hankering for hot chocolate and burgers. They were super nice, polite, very cute and totally sympathetic to this teenager who was freezing her skinny little legs off - we wore skirts back then, not slacks. I'm sure my cheeks were rosey red, my nose would have easily lit the way for Santa had Rudolph not been available, and my ears hurt like heck. One of the sailors - the cutest one I might add - took pity on my coverless head and offered me his sailor hat...for keeps! I was thrillled and treasured it for many years thereafter. I think of those sailors every Christmas eve, especially the cute one who gave me his head covering on that bitter cold night. I wonder where and how he is...who knows, maybe he is an Old Sailor Henry with long hippie hair and a cute little grin.

My Henry doll is very proud that his uniform still fits....well, actually it is a little snug around the middle making the pants fall a little short but that's okay, he still looks very cute to me.

Henry looked especially cute before clothing. Almost wish I had left him bare.