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3165 151013 Kathy's wet-felted alpaca wool cushion cover logo

Tuesday morning, October 13, 2015. On a gorgeous Southern California morning.

Today, our craft group gathered in the lovely garden outside of The Company of Angels store to wet-felt cushion covers using alpaca and sheeps wool fiber base as the front side and recycled wool sweater fabric as the back side. The final size of this cushion would be about 14 – 16 inches square. The supplies fees for today’s project was $12.

Thank you Christine for preparing all the materials and teaching us this craft! She told us Gina donated some of the raw alpaca fibers. Thank you Gina!  – Jzin

Gloria pulling the raw (and dusty) alpaca fibers apart and laying them down in perpendicular orientations for each layer.

3113 151014 Gloria wet-felting with raw alpaca wool fibers

She added blue sheep’s wool to decorate the alpaca fiber base.

3130 151014 Gloria adding blue sheeps wool roving to her alpaca fleece for wet-felting. logo

Stacey embellished her alpaca fiber base with blue spun yarn.

3161 151013 Stacey laid out her thick layers of alpaca fibers and decorated blue yarn for wet-felting

Next, hot, soapy water was sprinkled. Then, fibers were gently pressed under big sheets of bubble wraps to saturate the layers of fibers with soapy water. Remember to lay out your designs adequately big. The wet-felting process will cause the felted piece to shrink 20-25% percent as the fibers lock together.

Kathy wet-felting her piece with hot soapy water on top of bubble wrap.

3158 151013 Kathy rubbing wet and soapy bubble wrap to wet-felt alpaca fibers together. logo

Christine brought in a sample of previously wet-felted alpaca and sheep’s wool piece.

3154 151013 Sample wet-felted alpaca sheeps wool cushion cover throw piece

Kathy’s stunning piece, work-in-progress. Evoking the aurochs of Lascaux… This is why I love working with natural materials!

3165 151013 Kathy's wet-felted alpaca wool cushion cover logo

 Stacey’s work: thick, blue spun yarn sinking in.

3173 151014 Stacey's wet-felted alpaca based cushion cover embellished with thick spun blue yarn

3176 151013 Kathy wet-felting her alpace and sheeps wool fiber cushion cover

Out come the rolling pins! 3179 151013 Gloria and Kathy rolling their wet-felted cushion covers with large rolling pins

Raw, rustic, animal. The alpaca nature shines through the beating, the subjugation of human hands.

3184 151013 Kathy holding up wet-felted alpaca wool fiber cushion cover logo

Gloria’s piece (with more inclusion of the dyed sheep’s wool) however, speaks of Joan Miró, or curlicue day-dream of a feisty safavid hunt.

 

3171 151013 Gloria's wet-felted alpaca and sheeps wool cushion cover resembling Joan Miro painting 3x4 vertical

Next week (Tuesday, October 20, 2015) we shall be finishing up this project by sewing a recycled wool sweater backing onto the wet-felted piece to complete this handmade cushion. Click here to see our exciting line of up crafts.

October 20, 2015. Gloria with her finished cushion!

3213 151021 Gloria with wet-felted alpaca and sheep wool cushion pillow logo

Kathy and her finished pillow!

3223 151021 Kathy with wet-felted alpaca and sheep wool cushion pillow

Christine added a very thin layer of sheep’s wool batting to the wet-felting process to keep the yarn adhered to the rest of the fibers. The thin layer is barely visible.

3224 151020 Kathy's finished wet-felted alpaca and sheep fiber pillow cushion handmade

Stacey and her finished work. Soft, luxurious recycled cashmere sweater on the back side of the pillow!

3218 151027 Stacey and her wet-felted alpaca and sheep fiber pillow handmade

Jzin’s Upcoming Classes on Thanksgiving Weekend 2015

What are you doing Thanksgiving weekend? On Black Friday, November 27, 2015 1-4pm I am teaching Finger Puppet Gnomes class for Adults and for children at the Piecemakers Country Store in Costa Mesa. Instead of shopping, you could be learning to make gifts for all your loved ones this year! They make great fall seasonal display, Christmas presents, X’mas tree decorations and stocking stuffers. Please sign up now as spots are limited. Register here.

150205 Lovey Dovey Gnomes Finger Puppets for Valentines.

Click on this link to view other classes on schedule.

I am also teaching my Guardian Angel Wool Relief Workshop that Sunday. You can sign up now:

150122 Guardian Angel with shooting star at Cordata Park 7943 shoulder crop.

Castle of Costa Mesa was Featured in a Magazine!

I was a little embarrassed about the superlatives used in the magazine interview. But if you like to see it, here is our magazine feature in I Heart Costa Mesa! As much as I love to share my work with the world, I did feel exposed, because handwork is a very personal thing. Thank you for the kind words, I Heart Costa Mesa. You can follow I Heart Costa Mesa on social media here: Facebook. Instagram: #Iheartcostamesa

151028 edited IHCM_CastleofCostaMesa_GnomesInArms

 

I am teaching a beginners wool relief workshop this Sunday, October 18, 2015 1-4pm at Piecemakers Country store in Costa Mesa. Please register ahead so you have a space! Register for Jzin’s Wool Relief workshop by clicking here.

151014 Jzin Castle of Costa Mesa Wool Relief workshop PicMonkey Collage WORDS LOGO

Jzin’s Finger Puppet Gnomes and Other Classes

I am teaching Finger Puppet Gnomes class for Adults and for children at the Piecemakers Country Store in Costa Mesa. They make great fall seasonal display, Christmas presents, X’mas tree decorations and stocking stuffers. November 27, 2015. 1-4pm. Please sign up now as spots are limited. Register here.

150205 Lovey Dovey Gnomes Finger Puppets for Valentines.

Click on this link to view other classes on schedule.

I am also teaching my Guardian Angel Wool Relief Workshop. You can sign up now:

  • Click here to sign up for this workshop.
  • November 29, 2015. Sunday. 1-4pm
  • Piecemakers Country Store in Costa Mesa

150122 Guardian Angel with shooting star at Cordata Park 7943 shoulder crop.

Castle of Costa Mesa Etsy Shop

I sell my handwork on Etsy. Thank you for supporting my work! – Jzin

October 13, 2015. Here is a little boy with a kite I just finished this Tuesday morning. He is now available on Castle of Costa Mesa Etsy shop.

3193 151013 Little Kite Boy with Green kite and red lambswool sweater logo

150513 CastleofCostaMesa Jzin Toadstool hack 1226.

CastleofCostaMesa Etsy shop

Follow Castle of Costa Mesa on Pinterest!

Schedule: Upcoming Tuesday Morning Craft Group Projects and Other Local Crafting Events

Click on below picture to see FUTURE craft group schedule plus a gallery of our PAST craft group projects.

150913 Tuesday morning craft group. Waldorf School of Orange County. Show girls. CastleofCostaMesa.Com

You can “like” and follow our weekly craft group projects on facebook here.

Let’s Be the Support for Each Other

You may place a free ad on this page below. Let us be the support for one another! love, Jzin

121130 Support Our Local Waldorf Community.

Be in the know for upcoming handmade giveaways: Like CastleofCostaMesa.Com on Facebook

130914 Giveaway. Mermaid Georgina basking on rock I give away my lovingly handmade dolls and crafts seasonally. If you “Like” my Castle of Costa Mesa Facebook page, you will be notified of upcoming giveaways. Click here to view the list of my past giveaways. Perhaps the next winner could be YOU? Like Us on Facebook black and white. Fairy Tale Dolls, Handmade With Love. I want you to love learning mandarin chinese!CastleofCostaMesa.Com

Castle of Costa Mesa Facebook page.

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