Cork Textiles Network Exhibition 2009

For this exhibition I wanted to try combine some of the Irish Crochet Lace pieces I have been working on , and some other medium. I have a sort of mix 'n match attitude to textiles, and love trying to combine techniques and fibres. So, I thought maybe felt and crochet.

I haven't felted in years, and wanted to get back into it. The best work I ever did, was for the finals of my Diploma, these strange felt/scrap metal sculptures. I haven't made anything like them since, and I've decided to try re-explore the methods I used, as I think they are probably my favourite, of all the things I have ever made.
Normally I have what I call emergency felt, lying around. It's like hand-made paper, you can never have enough of it to make emergency artwork, presents, etc... But as I said I haven't felted in ages, so I needed to spend a morning working on felt. And we had the perfect weather for outdoor felting!!

So, I get ever thing ready, all the essentials (as above, the coffee helps but is optional). I have bags of old fleece, to rough for spinning with, so I though I would use up some of that. So, back inside for something I forgot, and when I came out my cat was attacking my lovely pristine, batting!! Pesky cat, though I had to forgive her as she did look very cute...I have never used batting before, and was looking forward to trying it out.

I made a few plain pieces, just to get back into the swing of things, and then started layering with colours. I also wanted to try embedding some crochet to see how that worked.

So felt made, I then spent a few hours experimenting with cutting, snipping, tearing, needle felting my wet felting. Finally, my piece was made, here's a snippet. If you want to see the whole thing, you have to go to the exhibition!!

It starts today, and the opening is at 6pm tomorrow night

St. Fin Barres Cathedral. Cork City. More details on the Cork Textiles Network website...

A quick hour in Cork after dropping off my piece, and I nipped into the yarn shop in the English Market to buy a handful of goodies for the next project/proposal. Which is to attend Electric Picnic 09 again, with an even bigger and better display...Watch this space for details...

Stuck behind a donkey and a trailer on my way home from Cork