Those are pearls ...

I made this watery piece a while ago. I was experimenting with layering strips of plastic resist in the wool before felting, and then cutting along those lines to reveal the middle layers of dark blue wool. I stitched pearls into the cut back sections, inspired by the beautiful poem in the Tempest:

Full fathoms five thy father lies

Of his bones are coral made
Those are pearls that were his eyes;
Nothing of him that doth fade
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.
Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell.

I thought I might hang it from a piece if driftwood I found on the Suffolk coast.

Idea: If that's "water" perhaps make a matching piece, "earth" in hot earthy colours - browns oranges, and make the cut out in a rough spriral shape. Decorate with brownish seed things - star anise etc. 

Imperfect poppies

The composition of this one does not work, so I count it as another learning experience! I'd wet felted in a few red blobs for poppies. Them I added some french knots, and finally some machine stitching. Quite like the wobbly stems to the poppies. Wondering if I could add something else into bring the 2 clumps of flowers together...golden grass stems over it all?

Instant golden cornfield added! A bit better.

Now with French knots

I liked the little card so much, I tried it again.

Here is the little piece of felt ... a bit boring...

...to which I added machine embroidery, and tried out some french knots. I had no idea how to do them, and couldn't follow written instructions, but found a little video which made all clear. They are quite addictive!
Do they look more like dandelion seed heads?

There - I'm on a roll - I've made three now. 

Cow Parsley Card

I wanted to try out "doodling" with free-motion machine embroidery, so started with this very simple outline, to add texture to a small piece of felt (merino, with wisps of silk). The sunset is a bit cliched, but somehow the naive wobbly stitching  seems to add charm.  I highlighted the flowers in silver. It looked a bit dead at the bottom, so I stitched a couple of green grassy clumps. 

I like the way the stitching gives a quilted depth to the texture. I stitched it onto a card, which I think I will send to my sister.

Photophores

Photophore is the word used for marine animals that glow in the dark! It is also what the French call little candle holders that let the light filter through in a pretty way.
I made these little tealight holders to decorate my dining table this Christmas. I wet felted them around a resist and then shaped them around the glass holders. Finished then with a few crystal beads. The felt is quite  fine and I like the way the light flickers through it.

A felted flower to start...

I am fascinated by felt.

Having never made a blog before, this is all rather an experiment, and, just as with felting, I expect I'll learn by trial and error.

This little flower and leaf were wet felted using merino wool and silk
and then I added some free motion machine stitching. And a couple of shell buttons to finish.
Maybe it needs a little felted frog for authenticity.

One of my favourite french words is Nénuphar.

The most beautiful waterlilies I have seen are at Latour Marliac, Le Temple-sur-Lot in France (where I took this picture - spot the frog?). They have the French national waterlily collection, and it's where Monet ordered his plants.

All this has given me a felting idea...
A "raft" of flat water lily leaves - a bit more delicate than this, and paler - just connecting where they touch, with a few flowers and buds, in a paler colour. Could be a table centrepiece, or even a floor piece.