Sandra Struck-Germann and her magnificent felt art

We are excited to welcome a very special guest to the blog -- the talented felt artist extraordinaire, Sandra Struck-Germann. One of the earliest fans of HeartFelt Silks and one of the earliest Palm Washboard users, Sandra has become our dear friend. We are thankful to her for her support, and we are grateful to know her as well as her truly extraordinary felt art.

Based in Dusseldorf, Germany, Sandra teaches workshops on the craft of felting, and she also exhibits her work widely. She is well known for her magnificent 3D artworks and for her large scale felted canvases too. Sandra was kind to share the following words and stories with us, and to tell us how she uses the Palm Washboard felting tools in her daily work. We are pleased to share Sandra's impressive work with you, along with her words.

"Portraits have fascinated me since my childhood. For years, my three children determined my life, and it was inevitable that I expressed myself in my felt art with children's faces, their portraits. I love to work in large format because it gives me freedom and space in which to create.

"As is the case for many feltmakers, my hands suffer from the constant contact with soapy water. On my large scale pieces, I often work with rough-textured gauze and rough and rugged mountain sheep's wool, and rubbing these materials with my hands for long periods of time is hard on my hands and skin. Working with gloves is uncomfortable for me. Some time ago, through Facebook, I discovered HeartFelt Silks and the Palm Washboard felting tools. When I ordered one for myself and held the Palm Washboard in my hands a short time later, I was amazed. The Palm Washboard was so very different from other conventional felting tools that I had previously used! It has a smooth and flat, yet textured, surface, ideal for gliding across the delicate felt surface and creating friction. 

This photo illustrates the enormous scale of Sandra's large format pieces. Note how small Sandra's Palm Washboard is!

A Blues Brothers wall-hanging by Sandra Struck-Germann

"I have used the Palm Washboard directly on wool in large format artworks. It hardens the surface much more quickly and consistently than I was able to accomplish with my hands. Even my elaborate layout arrangements and embellishments do not move or shift while working them with the Palm Washboard. Thanks to the large knob handle, the Palm Washboard fits comfortably in my hand, and I have the sense that I can feel the wool surface underneath the Palm Washboard through my hand and fingers.

Work in progress -- a multi-layered felted piece being worked with a Palm Washboard from HeartFelt Silks.

Sandra's work on the felted portraits of Gandhi.

And now the portraits are complete!

"Another great passion of mine is the felting of faces with three-dimensional elements. Most of these are animals portraits with parts of the animals' bodies protruding from the flat surface. The making of the transition from the flat surface to the 3D element is particularly tricky, delicate, and important. The transition must be smooth, firm, solid, and strong. For this task, I especially like to work with the EDGE Palm Washboard. This felting tool has a smooth surface and a convenient shape that creates good felting results when working 3D elements.

An example of Sandra's fascinating 3D animal portraits in felt.

Here, Sandra is working the 3D face of the fox with the EDGE Palm Washboard. The fox's body comes alive in Sandra's skilled hands!

Sandra utilizes the entire family of Palm Washboard tools in her work - clockwise from the bottom: Jumbo Palm Washboard, Regular Palm Washboard, Rounded Palm Washboard, Edge Palm Washboard.

Another stunning 3D animal wall hanging by Sandra Struck-Germann

You can see the donkey's head  so well at this angle. 

"I regularly work with seniors with dementia. Many are also limited in their motor skills. Knowing how comfortable the large handle of the Palm Washboard feels in your hands gave me the idea that this tool would be great for use by seniors. Indeed, it was a great success! During a felting lesson, the seniors enjoyed using their Palm Washboards to felt -- they got quick results, which gave them a great sense of accomplishment and boosted their self-esteem and mood.

Sandra teaches felting to seniors. The Palm Washboards help to make the felting process enjoyable and quick.

"I recently felted with a sander. I had heard people talk about felting with sanders so much that I wanted to give it a try myself. In fact, the sander felted the wool very quickly. But it also felted so quickly and powerfully that my fine and elaborate details all but disappeared! With the Palm Washboard, this has never happened to me. For me, using the Palm Washboard is a gentler, more controlled method of producing strong and solid felt. I'll stay with the Palm Washboard!

The Rounded Palm Washboard at work on a pair of adorable felted booties.

Sandra finds so many different uses for the Palm Washboards -- here, she's making a handful of felted balls.

Kids love using the Palm Washboards too, and Sandra loves the help!

Sandra Struck-Germann wearing one of her felted creations

For more of Sandra's beautiful felt art, visit her website and see our earlier blogpost featuring her work. Thank you for dropping by for a virtual visit, Sandra!

January and February 2014 Felting Classes Schedule at HeartFelt Silks Studio

We have an exciting season of felting classes in store for early 2014. Here's the HeartFelt Silks studio classes schedule for January and February. Please remember to call us to reserve your spot in the class. Follow us on Facebook to see photos from previous classes!

Learn the art of FELTING! Take a felting class with fiber artist Robbin Firth at HeartFelt Silks® Studio in Hudson, Wisconsin!

Let your creativity flourish and create unique fashion accessories and home decor objects!

Location: 401 Second Street, Hudson, WI 54016  at SEASONS on St. Croix Gallery

phone: 651-263-7275 email: robbin@heartfeltsilks.com www.HeartFeltSilks.com

Wet Felted Scarf with 3D Effects In this fun class it's all about wool, sticks and embellishing fibers. You are going to create a scarf with 3D effects, combining elements of layering and a little slicing and dicing. This is all done with the use of the patent-pending Palm Washboard felting tools. We will experiment, and there will be surprises in store for all of us. Come join the fun! Bring a couple of towels. Material fee & class fee: $65.00  Saturday, January 11th 1pm-4:30pm
HeartFelts Silks Hat on a Ball Create a one-of-a-kind hat and learn the technique of wet felting using wool roving, silk hankies & silk noils.  Never felted before? Don't worry,  you will be able to recreate this project again and again. Want a fun project to do with friends or family? Bring a couple of towels and a bowl that fits your head. Material & class fee: $70.00  Saturday, January 18th 1pm-4:30pm
Cross Hatch Scarf Create your own lattice style scarf or wrap that looks like an open weave of criss-crossed fibers. This technique makes a beautiful scarf that looks complicated, but is easy to learn. We will use merino roving, silk embellishing threads and your own scrap yarn bits to create the design, and then wet felt with Robbin’s Palm Washboard, and her innovative non-rolling technique.There will be many colors to pick from. Please bring some towels. Material & class fee: $65.00  Thursday, January 23rd 1pm-4pm
HeartFelt Silks Winter Frost Scarf- Silk and Burnout Velvet Explore the world of needle and wet felting. You'll use pieces of burnout velvet and silk, a silk scarf base, and wool roving. This is a two-part class, at two hours for each class, a week apart. Students will have some homework. The second class will be for the wet felting process. Supplies needed for this class: Clover needle felting tool. This is the tool with 5 needles. Clover needle felting matt. Large. Both can be bought at Joanne Fabrics. Material and class fee: $75.00               Saturday, February 8th 2pm-4pm   &  Saturday, February 15th 2pm-4pm
Merino Prefelt Scarf/Cowl Create an original scarf or cowl using Australian merino prefelt and many hand dyed merino silk and embellishing fibers. Robbin will show you the process of wet felting using the Palm Washboard tool. You will create a double sided design on your scarf or cowl. Bring some towels. Material & class fee: $65.00  Tuesday, February  11th 1pm-4pm
Wine Cozy Create a wine cozy by using wet felting techniques and a mason jar. In this class, students will be introduced to shortcuts and taught the basics of using household items to get the shapes desired. Wool roving will be used, as well as many other fibers for embellishing.   Material & class fee: $45.00  Friday, February 28th 6pm-9pm

Other felting classes can be arranged by appointment. Private and group instruction available. Contact Robbin at 651-263-7275 for details.

HAUTE COUTURE and HEARTFELT WEARABLES by Cristina Pacciani

Today we are very honored to share a story of feltmaking creation from an amazing artist and friend of HeartFelt Silks from across the miles, the lovely CRISTINA PACCIANI.

Cristina is a talented and accomplished felt artist and educator. We are proud to count her among the supporters and enthusiastic users of our Palm Washboard felting tools. Earlier this year, Cristina created felted work for the internationally known Dutch fashion designer Ronald Kolk's haute couture show. The collection was presented in a large runway show in September 2013.

Ronald Kolk haute couture. Pavlopetri 2013 Runway show. Photography by Jeroen Snijders.

Ronald Kolk haute couture. Pavlopetri 2013 Runway show. Photography by Jeroen Snijders.

Ronald Kolk haute couture. Pavlopetri 2013 Runway show. Photography by Jeroen Snijders.

Ronald Kolk haute couture. Pavlopetri 2013 Runway show. Photography by Jeroen Snijders.

You can watch the entire Ronald Kolk PAVLOPETRI haute couture Runway show HERE. The show was also covered in the news by Parool.nl. For more about Cristina Pacciani's work, visit her website.

As a special treat, we are also delighted to share Cristina's story about this project, her process, and inspiration. Please enjoy! Thank you so much for sharing with us, Cristina, and for being a dear friend of HeartFelt Silks!

HAUTE COUTURE and HEARTFELT WEARABLES 

by Cristina Pacciani

When the word was spread that I have been asked to work with Ronald Kolk on his latest haute couture show, many colleagues/fellow artists congratulated me and told me they have been dreaming of something like that their whole life. I never did. Yet I am lucky I got this chance. Not for the glamour or glitter, which is amusing but not really my cup of tea, but because working with talented people is extremely inspiring and, in this case, a true joy.

What I liked the most about working with Ronald is that he freed me of all technicalities about making felt. For the first time since I make felt, I FELT the shift in my own approach to the medium, suddenly liberated of all technical luggage and ready to just create and enjoy. Mind you, the technical aspect being the foundation for all this freedom I felt. I knew that I could trust my knowledge, the materials I carefully choose for the collection and rely on a very useful tool, the Palm Washboard, to quickly make little felt samplers to show and discuss.

Copyright: Cristina Pacciani

Besides working on pieces for the collection, I was personally challenged by Ronald to make a dress for my daughter and me for the very chic black tie event. The theme being underwater world, I was lucky as it is perfect for me: I simply love the sea, its colors, its life. I was ready to dive into it.

Copyright: Cristina Pacciani

That was a new experience, making my own gown, as I often work on commission for others, but had never made anything for myself. For my daughter I took the trouble to make a sample dress at first, as I had designed a new pattern and needed to check if it worked first…something I usually don’t like to do. She wanted to participate in the making and specifically asked for lots of structures because she loves to use the Palm Washboard: it gives her a certain warranty that it will felt well, no matter what. It is easy and fun to work with.

We had much fun laying out the wool and silk and creating all kinds of surface decorations in it. The pattern worked just fine and the size was perfect, so when it was finished, I dyed it into different shades of greens….well, it turned out just what my daughter wanted, so I never got to make the real thing.

My dress was a big challenge: it had a long, wide round skirt and took up to twelve meters of silk. Again, the Palm Washboard allowed me to work on the surface concentrating on certain points, keeping sight of the shape without unwanted shrinkage and constructing an intricate pattern of under the surface designs.

Copyright: Cristina Pacciani

On the night of the big event, we both felt wonderful in our felt dresses and received many compliments. The collection has been very well received as well and since then it’s history. I am still working on wearables and enjoying the post haute couture inspiration, working on next year’s collection.

If I have learnt anything from this experience (and I think it was very meaningful) I would say that, as we all know, the beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, so when designing clothes I keep comfort and colors in mind, aware that the only real elegance is in the heart."

We are honored to know you, Cristina, and we are grateful to be part of your story. Congratulations on all your successes, and we wish you many more! -- Robbin and Harry Firth, HeartFelt Silks

Copyright: Cristina Pacciani

Fall Schedule of Felting Classes at the HeartFelt Silks Studio

The Fall schedule of felting classes at our HeartFelt Silks studio in Hudson, WI is now available. Please see below for details. Space at each class is limited, and classes fill up quickly, so be sure to call early to register. See you soon!

Learn the art of FELTING!

Take a felting class with fiber artist Robbin Firth at HeartFelt Silks® Studio

Let your creativity flourish and create unique fashion accessories and home decor objects!

Location: 401 Second Street, Hudson, WI 54016  at SEASONS on St. Croix Gallery

phone: 651-263-7275 email: robbin@heartfeltsilks.com www.HeartFeltSilks.com

Wet Felted Scarf with 3D Effects In this fun class it's all about wool, sticks and embellishing fibers. You are going to create a scarf with 3D effects, combining elements of layering and a little slicing and dicing. This is all done with the use of the patent-pending Palm Washboard felting tools. We will experiment, and there will be surprises in store for all of us. Come join the fun! Bring a couple of towels. Material fee & class fee: $65.00               Wednesday, October 9, 6pm-9pm
Cross Hatch Scarf Create your own lattice style scarf or wrap that looks like an open weave of criss-crossed fibers. This technique makes a beautiful scarf that looks complicated, but is easy to learn. We will use merino roving, silk embellishing threads and your own scrap yarn bits to create the design, and then wet felt with Robbin’s Palm Washboard, and her innovative non-rolling technique.There will be many colors to pick from. Please bring some towels. Material & class fee: $65.00                         Wednesday, October 16, 6pm-9pm
Merino Prefelt Scarf/Cowl Create an original scarf or cowl using Australian merino prefelt and many hand dyed merino silk and embellishing fibers. Robbin will show you the process of wet felting using the Palm Washboard tool. You will create a double sided design on your scarf or cowl. Bring some towels. Material & class fee: $65.00                             Wednesday, October 23, 6pm-9pm
Wet Felted Double Ruffle Scarf Create a Double Ruffle Scarf using Merino wool and the Palm Washboard felting tool. Use the new  Edge Palm Washboard along with resists and layering techniques. There will be one main layer for the base of your scarf and two outer layers of ruffles. If you love ruffles  this will be a great class for you! There will be many colors to pick from. Bring a couple of towels. Material & class fee: $75.00                          Tuesday, November 12, 1pm-5pm
HeartFelts Silks Hat on a Ball Create a one-of-a-kind hat and learn the technique of wet felting using wool roving, silk hankies & silk noils.  Never felted before? Don't worry,  you will be able to recreate this project again and again. Want a fun project to do with friends or family? This is stylish but easy to make. Bring a couple of towels and a bowl that fits your head. Material & class fee:$70.00                            Wednesday, November 6, 5:30pm-9pm
Wet Felted Christmas Stocking Create a Wet Felted Christmas Stocking using the Palm Washboard and cardboard resist. You will be combining Merino wool roving, layering techniques and experimenting with embellishing fibers. Top the stocking off with beautiful wool locks using a needle-felting technique. There will be many colors to pick from. Bring a couple of towels, and your needle-felting tool (optional). Material & class fee: $65.00                Wednesday, Nov. 20, 6pm-9pm         Tuesday, Dec. 3, 6pm-9pm

Other felting classes can be arranged by appointment. Private and group instruction available. Contact Robbin for details.

Busy Summer at the Felting Studio

It has been such a busy summer here at our fiber teaching & retail studio, and at the woodworking shop too! When Robbin is not teaching a class on felting, she is either making kits, creating samples for upcoming classes, filling orders of felt scarves and wraps for her galleries, hand-dyeing silk scarves, attending to visitors and customers, or experimenting with new designs. And Harry has been very busy making many new Palm Washboards, from the Original, to the Mini, the Rounded, and the Edge. He has been making his one-of-a-kind shawl sticks and shawl pins too! Robbin and Harry have also been working behind the scenes on a brand new addition to the Palm Washboard family. Shhhh....this secret tool is not out of the bag yet, but here is a hint -- it is BIG!

Below are a few pictures of Robbin's recent nuno-felted and wet-felted cowls and scarves, as well as Harry's latest woodworked creations.

Hand-dyed silk scarves, scarves, and cowls by Robbin Firth

Robbin Firth's recent nuno-felted and hand-dyed scarves

Recently made by Harry Firth of HeartFelt Silks - Palm Washboards, and one-of-a-kind shawl pins made of many kinds of Minnesota hardwoods.

Keep up with studio news, and discoveries from the wonderful world of felting, by following HeartFelt Silks on Facebook. We have many exciting things, projects, and specials planned for the months ahead!

August-September 2013 classes at the new HeartFelt Silks studio

Our new studio in Hudson, WI has a great and busy summer! Here are a few photos from recent classes at the studio. Our August-September schedule of classes is below. Classes fill up quickly, so be sure to call early to register. See you soon!

Lovely Students from the Wet Felting and Silk Dyeing classes at the HEARTFELT SILKS Studio.

Learn the art of FELTING!

Take a felting class with fiber artist Robbin Firth at HeartFelt Silks® Studio

Let your creativity flourish and create unique fashion accessories and home decor objects!

Location: 401 Second Street, Hudson, WI 54016  at SEASONS on St. Croix Gallery

phone: 651-263-7275 email: robbin@heartfeltsilks.com www.HeartFeltSilks.com

Felted Lightweight Cotton Gauze Scarf Felting and experimenting with hand-dyed cotton gauze is the starter for this lightweight summer scarf. Fabric, merino fiber and various silk fibers go into this unique and classy summer creation. Never felted before? No problem, we will teach you the convenient non-rolling technique with the Heartfelt Silks patent-pending Palm Washboard tool. 3 hr class. Materials provided. (Bring a couple of towels.) Material & class fee: $65.00                                               Monday, August 12, 1pm-4pm
Cross Hatch Scarf Create your own lattice style scarf or wrap that looks like an open weave of criss-crossed fibers. This technique makes a beautiful scarf that looks complicated, but is easy to learn. We will use merino roving, silk embellishing threads and your own scrap yarn bits to create the design and then wet felt with the Robbin’s Palm Washboard, an innovative non-rolling technique. Material & class fee: $55.00                                              Monday, August 26, 1pm-4pm           Thursday, September 5, 6pm-9pm                                  Tuesday, September 17, 6pm-9pm
Merino Prefelt Scarf/Cowl Create an original scarf or cowl using Australian merino prefelt and many hand dyed merino silk and embellishing fibers. Robbin will show the process of wet felting using the Palm Washboard tool. You will create a double sided design on your scarf or cowl with no rolling involved. 3 hour class. Material & class fee: $65.00                                        Wednesday, August 21,  6pm-9pm              Wednesday, September 11, 6pm-9pm                       Monday, September 30, 1pm-4pm
Parent and child --  Intro to feting Never felted before? Want to try a new way of felting? This class will give you the basics of wet felting merino wool and embellishing fibers. You will create bracelets, coasters, flowers, coffee cozies, as well as learning the basics of flat surface designing. Bring a couple bath towels. 6 yrs of age & older Material and class fee: $45.00                                    Thursday, August 15, 1pm-3pm

Other felting classes can be arranged by appointment. Private and group instruction available. Contact Robbin at 651-263-7275 for details.