yellow tulips

I've been busy the last few weeks so have been neglecting my blog. In the last post I was working on my April Shower felt panel, progress has been slow. I'm having two flowers on the panel, grape hyacinths and tulips. Just finished the tulips this morning. Here's how I made them....

The research pages in my book

As for the flower, I dyed silk gauze yellow and with yellow wool made some nuno felt. I had great difficulty with the nuno, so if anyone has any tips how to make nuno felt I'd love to hear.
I then cut out six tulip shaped petals for one flower head.

 

I then gathered the base of the petals with tiny running stitches and joined three petals in a ring.

I sewed one ring of petals onto the stem (felt dreadlock). Followed by the other group of petals making sure they fitted into the spaces.

Once the petal bases were secured I needlefelted the edges of the outer petals (slipping a small piece of foam inside the flower), so the tulip kept its shape.

I wet felted some green wool for the leaves, machine embroidered it and cut it into blade shapes before attaching them to the stem.

Forgot to mention the flowers are silk side out, as I thought it looked more petal like.

Have a good weekend everyone, Ali.

felt panel

Work has started on my final City and Guild piece. I'm planning to make a felt panel and the inspiration is spring flowers - yellow tulips and grape hyacinths. I am going to call it April Shower, thus the grey sky.

First layer, starting with the sky.

Second layer, tufts were laid horizontally.

Third layer and the picture is beginning to take shape.

Now the fun part, starting to add the details of the picture. The clouds are silk tops and plastic fibre (made from recycled plastic bottles). The grape hyacinths are Wensleydale wool locks. On the bottom left of the panel I added a bit of colour by snipping yellow and blue wool.

 

 

After a little rubbing to form prefelt. I stitched some green Filz it wool to form the stems of the hyacinths. I also added some sewing threads in various shades of green to add interest.

 

 

I'm hoping to make some 3D tulips. Now I have to do the felting so I better get rolling.

Bye for now, Ali.