Skip to main content

Samples, Sushi and a Socksillie

The title ( samples, sushi and a socksillie) is a summary of my creative activity this week. I have been trying to work up some samples for my felt workshop early next year. I am really enjoying making the felted containers and have started on a series of dolls, although I have only just begun to embellish them. The workshop will include the creation of felted jewellery, fashion accessories like belts and scarves, and then some mixed media items, using felt, beads and polymer clay . I am looking for a catchy name for this workshop .... so far, here are the ideas "Felted Fashion and Fingyummyjigs", " Felted Fashion and Frivolities" , Felted Fashion and Formations" ... Do you have any suggestions for a really great name for the workshop?




One of my other "jobs" is counsellor to the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. It was Mayuko's good idea to come over this weekend and do some Japanese cooking. We had a sushi party - I have tried to make sushi many times before, and I haven't been really successful. Mayuko showed Pam and me the finer points of sushi preparation - and what a great success we were. One of the steps I had omitted previously was to fan the hot rice to cool it quickly after the rice vinegar and sugar had been added. We also learnt how to cut the sushi rolls neatly - the art is in bringing the knife towards yourself.






To end the week on an even brighter note - here is my latest Socksillie. Meet Georgie - made from two socks, some embroidery thread, and a felted bobble and I love especially those rosy felt cheeks!

Comments

  1. The felt jewellery looks good Wilma. Good on you doing the Sushi!I have never even tried!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for reading my blog and please share your thoughts about my blog post by leaving a comment.Your comment won't appear immediately as comments are verified before publication in an effort to reduce the amount of spam appearing. Anonymous comments will not be published.

Popular posts from this blog

Too Precious to Waste

 Stitched tea bags/ old doily "tea lights" - Wilma Simmons  More than a year ago, a decision was made.  The annual exhibition of NCEATA ( Newcastle Creative Embroiderers and Textile Artists) 2015-2016 will have the theme "Mottainai". Mottainai in Japanese refers to more than just physical waste (resources). It is even used to refer to thought patterns that give rise to wasteful action. Grammatically, it can be used in Japanese as an exclamation ("mottainai!") or as an adjective phrase ("it feels mottainai"). There is no plural form. The collection of mottainai things could be called mottainai koto ( もったいない事 ? ). As an exclamation ("mottainai!") it means roughly "what a waste!" or "Don't waste." [2]  A simple English equivalent is the saying "waste not, want not." A more elaborate meaning conveys a sense of value and worthiness and may be translated as "do not destroy (or lay waste to) that

Fish and Sticks : Art Dolls

This week I've been working on fish and sticks ....  The sticks are the message stick art dolls which were very popular, attracting some attention and a few orders at the Wise Women exhibition. Each of the message stick dolls are from the Wise Women series, each with her own personality and  message of wisdom, handwritten on a handmade timber tag. I gather the sticks during my walks around my neighbourhood and the tags are made from special bits of timber, some collected by me or  my husband or from off cuts gifted to us  from another doll making friend whose husband makes bagpipes. These dolls start off very simply with a wrap around a stick, in the general shape of a body. 'Naked" message stick dolls - strips of wadding wrapped around found sticks.   Then I usually wrap other layers of fabric, wool, and/or fibres, over which I do some simple embroidery. I sculpt  or mould small face masks for these dolls. I really like using "sari ribbon" as wrapping str

May I Present Mrs Chalumeau...

Finally Mrs Chalumeau takes a bow …She is a Pearly Queen … 695 buttons on the doll and 10 on the journal.(I think – could be more). I would like to thank Paula from Antiques and Collectables here in Hamilton, Newcastle and Raku Buttons ETSY seller for supplying me with about 500 of the vintage mother of pearl buttons, and the rest I had in my stash. I think they look great on my pearly queen, but I am truly tired of sewing on buttons. It made me think however, how many buttons must be on the elaborate clothes of the real pearly Kings and Queens! I drew my inspiration from the lovely lady pictured here, and the following description from Wikipedia. ... A Pearly King ( feminine form Pearly Queen) is a person dressed in a traditional Cockney costume covered in mother-of-pearl buttons. These costumes were treasured heirlooms, hand made and sometimes representing much of a family's wealth. .... This doll is all cloth – a little different from most of my other dolls which generally h