Rapt in Felt 2009

Members of Canberra Region Feltmakers held their Annual Exhibition, Fashion Parades and Buyers' Bazaar this weekend at the CSIRO Discovery Centre.

Lis Mertens exhibited three pieces including a Pademelon wrap hand felted in merino wool on hand dyed silk chiffon.

A popular exhibit was a Peacock Feather hat hand felted in merino wool with sari silk loom ends.

Melbourne Scarf Festival 2009

After a short hiatus, the very popular Scarf Festival is back and is moving from its former home at Craft Victoria in Melbourne to its new location at the National Wool Museum in Geelong, from 19 June to 19 July.

"Transformation - Scarf Festival 2009" has been developed in consultation with Craft Victoria.

* The Transformation Showcase is an exhibition of original, handcrafted scarves created by entrants, and featuring a range of awards for the best scarves. All scarves entered will be displayed in the exhibition and most will be available for purchase.

Lis Mertens will have two entries in the exhibition.

The first is titled "Autumn Eucalypt" and is hand felted in black chiffon silk and merino wool.

The second is a hand felted black silk chiffon and red yoryu silk chiffon and merino wool scarf.

Autumn Vacation Nuno scarf workshop

Nuno felt is the term used to describe the combination of wool and fabric, usually silk or cotton voile which were both used in today's workshop. Polyester or rayon fabric can also be used: the success of the combining of the wool and fabric depends on the openness of the weave.

Autumn Vacation Beginners Workshop

Enthusiasm and concentration were high at
yesterday's Beginning Felt Making Workshop with Lis Mertens, held in Braidwood.

Students were a mixture of Adults and Primary kids who inspired and motivated each other.

Participants made a range of items from a bracelet, wallets, a seamless mobile phone holder to scarves.

As you can see from the photos, some very pleasing results were achieved.

Incidental Art Exhibition

As part of the Two Fires Festival taking place in Braidwood, NSW, this weekend, 28th and 29th March, the Braidwood Regional Art Group in collaboration with the Festival organisers is staging an incidental art exhibition, in an effort to bring works by local artists to the public.

Works can be seen hanging at various venues around town including The Serrated Tussock and The Criterion restaurants. On display amongst works by various artists at the Eureka Pizzeria on Wallace Street is a hand felted vest made by Lis Mertens which is a depiction of Fire Scars on the Tanami Desert, N.T., as seen from a satellite orbiting the Earth.

Needle-felting

Lis attended a Needle-felting workshop which was part of the Selling Yarns 2 Conference held at the ANU on the 8th March.

Gay Epstein, the tutor, has been a workshop convener at 'Beanie Fest' in Alice Springs for the past 6 years and has worked with women in remote communities making felt mukata (beanies).

Participants were shown examples and images of needle-felting from Australian Desert communities for inspiration. They first worked on design, then learned the technique of needle-felting and correct finishing whilst exploring the creative possibilities of the technique. There was a focus on Health and Safety and participants left the workshop with a finished embellishment on a beanie or item. There was also be discussion on other applications for needle-felting.

A winner!

Lis took out 3 firsts ( one in each category entered ) at the Royal Canberra Show.