Spring happenings, adventures, and fiber fun from HeartFelt Silks

We have had a busy few weeks at the HeartFelt Silks Studio! From felting classes, to felting kit prep, to creating new garment and wall art designs, to participating in two major fiber festivals, here are some highlights from spring 2014 with HeartFelt Silks, Robbin and Harry Firth.

In April, we took a long road trip to South Dakota for the Black Hills Fiber Arts Fair, where Robbin was an invited teacher, and Harry manned the HeartFelt Silks marketplace booth and entertained fair fiber fans with Palm Washboard demonstrations. The Dahl Arts Center in Rapid City, SD, was a great venue for this exciting weekend of workshops, connections, and lots of beautiful fiber. Many Palm Washboard felting tools went home to happy owners. And Robbin didn't come back empty-handed either -- she brought home an arm-load of bison fiber from Chinook Winds Bison Yarn and Fiber and Icelandic sheep fiber from The Creeks Edge. Below are just a few photos from Robbin's felting classes and demos at Black Hills Fiber Arts Fair 2014.

Robbin Firth's felting classes at Black Hills Fiber Arts Fair 2014

Robbin Firth demonstrating felting with Palm Washboard felting tools at Black Hills Fiber Arts Fair 2014

Earlier in April, The Textile Center again invited Robbin to demonstrate her felting techniques at the American Craft Council Show in St. Paul, MN. While at the show, Robbin stopped by for a visit and a photo op with feltmaker Barbara Poole.

Felt Artists Robbin Firth and Barbara Poole in Barbara's booth at ACC St. Paul show 2014

In early May, we were on the road once again, for a very short trip to the Shepherd's Harvest Sheep & Wool Festival in nearby Lake Elmo, MN. There were demos, chats, and lots of giggles with Robbin, Harry, the entire line of HeartFelt Silks felting tools, supplies, good times, and, of course, Robbin's newest Wool Lock Shawls, which were a big hit with the visitors.

Robbin Firth demonstrating felting with Palm Washboards at Shepherd's Harvest 2014

Happy visitors to the HeartFelt Silks booth modeling Robbin Firth's wool lock shawls

Between travels, Robbin has been busy in the studio making lightweight summer scarves for her retail space at the SEASONS on St. Croix Gallery.

Lightweight summer scarves by felt artist Robbin Firth

Lightweight summer scarves by felt artist Robbin Firth

One of Robbin's side (or pet) projects this spring included this plaid-patterned pet bed made out of different color fleeces Robbin has collected over a period of 20+ years. Not surprisingly, the bed was too small for Mick (just about everything is a little too small for Mick!), but it was the perfect size for sweet Tinker.

Join us again soon for more felting adventures with HeartFelt Silks!

Harry Firth, Robbin's husband and Palm Washboard maker-extraordinaire, in his woodshop

Upcoming Felting Classes with Robbin Firth of HeartFelt Silks

It's a new season of felting classes at the HeartFelt Silks Studio at SEASON on St. Croix Gallery! See the list of select classes before. Other felting classes (including private and group instruction) can be arranged by appointment.

All registrations are done via phone or email and must be prepaid. 

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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 Flowers, Vines, Necklaces and Belts Create beautiful and delicate flowers with stems to make belts and necklaces. This class will take you through the basics of making the flowers with the Palm Washboard felting tool. Robbin will show you an easy technique to create the stems and then a way to connect them to the flowers for making your own fashionable accessories. (Bring a couple of towels)                                                 Material & class fee $55.00                                 Friday, May 9th 6:00pm-9:00pm
Wrapped In Seasons Shawl (Knitting Class by guest teacher Diane L. Augustin) Learn to knit a luxurious Merino Wool shawl to enjoy through the seasons. Quick and rewarding to knit, each pattern version uses 2 hanks of fabulous Malabrigo Mecha. You will begin your shawl in class and finish it on your own. Custom-made shawl pins by Harry Firth of HeartFelt Silks will be available to purchase for your shawl. Age/level: adults, beginners & beyond. For materials list and additional details, contact Diane at 651-398-5319 or dianelaugustin@mac.com Class fee: $30.00                                                              Friday, May 30th 6:00pm-8:00pm
Lightweight Summer 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. Materials provided. (Bring a couple of towels.) Material & class fee: $65.00  Saturday, June 14th 1:00pm-4:00pm                                                                                     Saturday, July 12th 1:00pm-4:00pm
Silk Ruffle Scarf Create an original silk scarf and learn the basics of three crafts (needle-felting, wet-felting, silk dyeing). First, we will needle-felt and wet-felt using merino wool & silk blend roving. This creates great ruffles! Then we will dye the whole thing with bright beautiful dyes. Supplies needed: Five prong clover needle-felting tool and large clover needle-felting mat (available through Robbin). (Bring a couple of towels) Material & class fee: $55.00                                              Friday, July 18th 6:00pm-9:00pm                                                                                     Friday, August 15th 6:00pm-9:00pm
Nuno Felted Scarf Have you been waiting for this one? Nuno-Felting with the Palm Washboard! We will be taking hand-dyed Habotai Silk, adding Merino Wool roving, and then felting with the Palm Washboard felting tool, and very little rolling. You create the design for your own unique original scarf. No experience needed. Materials provided. (Bring a couple of towels.) Material & class fee:  $60.00                                     Saturday, August 30th 1:00pm-4:30pm

Policy on Cancellations and Refunds: If you cancel a class 2 or more weeks ahead of class, there will be a 10% cancellation fee. If you cancel less than 2 weeks before class, there will be a 50% cancellation fee. If you cancel the day before or day of class there will be no refunds. A full refund will be made if a class is canceled by the instructor.

UPWOLFING Mats are here -- let the felting fun begin!

We are delighted to be a USA distributor of select UPWOLFING products! Created by felt artist and inventor Irene Van Der Wolf from the Netherlands, the UPWOLFING felting technique has taken over the felting world by storm! Irene's innovative tools and methods allow you to get very creative and have a lot of fun with your felting projects. The UPWOLFING mats are best known for allowing you to create unusual texture and nodules on felted objects, garments, and works of art.

Irene Van Der Wolf, felt fiber artist and inventor

We currently carry the Big Hole UPWOLFING mats (24"x24") as we all s the Long UPWOLFING mats (80"x8"). The mats can be cut into other shapes, as desired. You can find both mats in our Etsy shop and our website shop.

Big Hole UPWOLFING Mat, available in the USA from HeartFelt Silks

Buy the Big Hole UPWOLFING Mat.

Long UPWOLFING Mat, available in the USA from HeartFelt Silks

Buy the Long UPWOLFING Mat.

To see Irene Van Der Wolf's process when working with the UPWOLFING mats, watch her YouTube video. You can also learn more about her artwork and designs on her Kunstwolf website.

Here is how we have been using the UPWOLFING mats in the HeartFelt Silks studio. Our Palm Washboard felting tools work very well for the UPWOLFING technique too! Oh, what fun!

Felt Art by Robbin Firth of HeartFelt Silks

Note: Our stock of UPWOLFING mats is limited, and all orders are filled on first-come first-served basis. We are only able to ship UPWOLFING products within the USA at this time. For overseas shipping, please contact us for a shipping quote.

Happy Felting!

Felting Classes with Instructor and Felt Artist Robbin Firth of HeartFelt Silks

Here are a few photos of happy students and their marvelous felted creations at my recent felting classes at the HeartFelt Silks studio and at The Textile Center. Stay tuned for our March-April 2014 class schedule coming soon!

Cross-Hatch Scarf Class at the HeartFelt Silks studio

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Students with their new Felted Scarves at the HeartFelt Silks studio

 

Cross-Hatch Scarf Class at the HeartFelt Silks studio

 Here is a large felting class held at The Textile Center in MN.

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

Felting Class at the HeartFelt Silks studio

Students using their Palm Washboards to make felted scarves at the HeartFelt Silks Studio at the SEASONS on St. Croix Gallery.

 In December, we had a great time making felted Christmas stockings!

Another great class! Top photo: beautiful ladies and lovely scarves made with instructor & felt artist Robbin Firth.

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!