Festival of Broken Needles

I'm so intrigued and enchanted by the rituals of cultures older than mine.   The USA is such a young country in comparison to most of the world.  Here in this country we are, in some ways, lucky to have access to so much and yet that leads to taking so much for granted.

I was so very moved when I recently discovered the Festival of Broken Needles, held every February 8 in Japan.  I'm thinking that it was a good thing that I discovered this custom a few days after it was celebrated this year because I can now thoughtfully prepare for next year's ceremony.

The Festival of Broken Needles, also known as Hari-Kuyo is an annual ceremony held at Shinto Shrines and Buddhist Temples for sewists, tailors and kimono makers.  Their worn and broken pins and needles, saved throughout the year, are laid to rest, thanked and honored for their faithful service.

I love that the value of small, inanimate objects is recognized and appreciated.  The concept that serviceable tools not be lost, wasted or carelessly replaced appeals to me.  In researching this post, I read about a woman's Grandmother who always had a needle woven into the fabric of her dress, ready to be called into service.  Every day.  And the Grandmother had only one needle.  Imagine her connection with that needle, and the care she had to take so that the needle wasn't lost.  That kind of connection is worthy of ceremony when it's days are done, don't you agree?

Another aspect of the Needle Mass is the recognition that women have 'secret sorrows' which are reflected upon during the many hours spent stitching and that those sorrows are passed on to the needle which helps to bear the burden.  To show such reverence for a seemingly simple tool is, in the act of this ceremony, a living prayer.  In fact, the women who participate in this requiem ceremony pray that their sewing skills will improve in the coming year. 

To honor her own needles, Susan Elliott of PlaysWithNeedles designed this gorgeous needlebook and e-class.  The class has already begun and, sadly, it's too late to join in, but maybe Susan will offer another...I can hope, right?

And I have to say that I'm quite thrilled that Susan chose FeltOnTheFly wool felt for her beautiful needlebook.  I had no clue when she ordered the wool felt that she was working on such a meaningful project.  If it hadn't been for Susan sending me a link to her blog post showing the needlebook, I may have never learned about Hari-Kuyo.  Thank you, Susan!  You can see Susan's personal needle ceremony right here.

So now that I know about this 400-year-old Festival of Broken Needles, and since I have vowed to make more time for stitching this year, I will need to create something special; some soft place in which to rest my broken and bent needles and pins so that I may properly and thoughtfully say goodbye to them on February 8, 2013.  I don't plan to travel to Japan for the official ceremony, but I'll come up with something right here in the USA...

Beautiful in it's simplicity, I hope you'll take a few minutes to scroll through this booklet:

 http://issuu.com/audsomee/docs/hari-kuyo?mode=embed&layout=http://skin.issuu.com/v/light/layout.xml&showFlipBtn=true

Inspiration, Collaboration and Serendipity!

You might want to make yourself a cuppa tea for this post - lots of links and pictures and stories!  This is the blog post I promised a few days ago when I left you with a little teaser of what I was working on...

I made something!  Yay!  I'm usually up to my eyeballs in the Felt Mines doing all the things I do on a regular basis to keep my business running smoothly.  But lately I've had an overwhelming urge to make something, and an underwhelming urge to find the time.  But thanks to an internet connection with Erin of Clever Charlotte and that rare and wondrous thing called serendipity, I made an Embroidery Folder!  

It all started when Erin was inspired by the colors in this artwork by Alyssa Nassner of SmallTalkStudio.

Erin wondered if I could pull together some of my wool felt colors to recreate Alyssa's unique palette in her 'Dream Catcher' print  (silly goose... I can recreate any palette!!) for an embroidery/needle case she wanted to make for herself.  Here are the colors I chose:


Baby Yellow
Yellow Green
Avocado
Blush Pink
Coral Pink
Coral
Grey
Slate Grey

Once I saw this pretty pile of wool felt, I started thinking about a project that had been brewing in my mind for quite some time...an Embroidery Folder using parts and pieces cut with dies.  My name, Felt On The Fly, comes from the fact that I love to design 'on the fly'!  It always starts with a need, which fuels my creativity and off I go - designing from my imagination.

Erin and I decided that we would each design our own project using the same color palette and compare results when we were done.  You can see her finished project right here. 

 My wool felt cuts like a dream with most of the popular dies available in craft stores and on-line.  I used just three Sizzix dies for all of the parts and pieces shown here.

The largest pieces were cut with the Sizzix 'Pocket Page and Tag' die which requires the huge Sizzix Big Shot Pro Die Cutting Machine.  The smaller embellishments were cut with the Sizzix 'Flower Layers #7' die and the Sizzix 'Jungle Leaves' die using the smaller, more manageable Sizzix Big Shot Die Cutting Machine.  

I knew I'd need lots of pockets for my Embroidery Folder because I like to carry lots of bits and pieces around while I'm designing and stitching.  Lucky for me, the 'Pocket Page and Tag' die includes holes - so much neater than trying to make little slices with scissors!  Those holes made it really easy to insert metal rings to keep the pocket pages lying flat when the Folder is open. 

Some creative cutting and folding and stitching ensued and, what the heck, why not toss in a few sparkly little beads too... and here's what the inside of my Embroidery Folder looks like:

There are three layers of pockets.  Each of the top two layers open like a book.  The bottom layer is one large pocket.  I used the tag die cuts to make a needlebook and a handy little layered pocket for reading glasses and my needle threader - both of those little extras fit right inside the Embroidery Folder making one nice, neat little package.


I cut out embellishments using the same color palette and used those embellishments to repeat the theme of Alyssa's artwork. 

And finally, so you can get an idea of how all of this looks when it's actually being used...here it is, stuffed with the bits and pieces of my next project!

Here's a few close-ups of some of the detail work...

The three-dimensional flower is actually three flower die cuts, folded in quarters, embellished with beads and stitched together.






 I love the 'Jungle Leaf' die.  Looks just like a feather, don't you think?

And here's the simple leaf/feather design again - simply embellished with minimal embroidery and a few tiny beads.

All done!  Easy peasy!  Thanks, Erin, for the unintentional wool felt project throw down!  I look forward to the next challenge, whether it's matching a color palette or designing another project on the fly....

And the Winner Is....

Congratulations to Mandy Pelton!  She made this adorable journal:

Mandy used a few of the parts and pieces from my Wool Felt Heart and Key Die Cut set that was featured over on Larissa's blog, mmmcrafts back in January.  The Die Cut Set was free with a purchase from my shop  for a limited time (See???  It pays to follow me around and see what I might be handing out for free!!)  and Larissa and I challenged readers to upload their finished projects to a special Flickr group - using all or some of the die cuts - for a chance to win even more felty wool felt.

 

Larissa and I were really impressed with Mandy's sewing skills.  Wow, that girl is one neat sewist!  I love the sweet, simple design and the soft, pretty color combination.  The little bookmark is just too cute.  Mandy told me that she got her sewing machine just about a year ago, but it was only recently that she actually started using it.  I'd say she's a natural and I hope to see more of her work. 

Mandy, thanks so much for sharing your project.  It sure was a pleasure to meet you!

Thank you Clever Charlotte!

There's a great Winter Woolle Blog Series going on over at Clever Charlotte.  Erin (one half of theErin/Carla team that makes up Clever Charlotte - ummmm, maybe Erin and Carla are two-thirds of the team.  We shouldn't forget Charlotte, right??) invited me to write a blog post for the series and I was very glad to oblige.  I can *talk* a blue streak about all things felt, but when it comes to *writing* about it I usually freeze up (hence the skimpy quantity of posts on my own blog!).  But once I commit to something, I like to follow through, ya know?  So thank you Erin for the invitation which forced me - in the nicest possible way of course - to write something!

Erin and Carla design fabulous patterns for children's wear - very classic 'clothing patterns for modern children'.  They sell their patterns and even fabric kits for uber-convenience on their website. As a little added bonus, check out the 'Meet Charlotte' page on their site for a cute little story.  Not only are their patterns original and sweet, I love their consistent nod to the brand that is Charlotte : )

I hope you'll take just a minute to click on this link and read the post.  I was so very happy to share the limelight with a few of my customers who use my felty wool felt for their fabulous creations.  Featured along with me in the Clever Charlotte blog were the following Felty Friends:

Celina from GardenBirdie, USA:

Robyn from GiddyUpAndGrow, Canada:

Agah from MadeByAgah, Poland:

Sue from HuggerMuggerDolls, France:

and Lena, LenasShoePatterns, Bulgaria:

While Erin was putting together the blog post, she came across some gorgeous artwork which inspired us (with the artist's permission of course) to pull together the same color scheme in my felty wool felt.  Erin already had an idea rolling around in her head about what she would like to make using those colors, and I had an idea rolling around in my head too.... so, I'll leave you with this little teaser and a promise of a blog post with my finished project.  I hope to share a link to Erin's finished project as well!

It's a Big Felt Universe Out There!

Tis true!  It *is* a big felt universe! Everywhere you look these days there is felt.  And of course, we all know that there are lots of different types of felt.  And I'll bet you've heard of and/or worked with several types, but did you know that not all felts are created equal?  I've said those words a bazillion times and the truth of that statement hit home for me once again today, but in a slightly different way.

Let's talk about wool felt (ha!  no surprise that I'd want to talk about wool felt, is it?!).  I just added a brand new listing in my shop for a big fluffy pile of felty wool felt ***and*** Jeanette Lim's book "Big Little Felt Universe".

After browsing through the book, ooh'ing and ahh'ing over the adorable projects (at least 70 of them - all in one book!!), I decided to take a gander at the fine print.  The author states 'Not all felt is created equally.' Sweet!  I thought I'd found someone of like mind.  However, sadly enough, the author goes on to express her opinion that 100% wool felt is 'too thick' for the projects featured in her book. WHAT??? Clearly, dear author, you have not tried my luscious pure wool felt.  That comment truly does make me sad as I can completely assure you, dear readers, that my felt is the *perfect* felt for the cute projects featured in this book : )

My point is that not even 100% wool felts are created equal.  "SERIOUSLY?" you may ask...  Yes, seriously.  How could that be?  Wool is wool, right?  Well, it's actually kind of simple.  There are hundreds of different breeds of sheep.  Each one producing a wool fiber.  But different sheep produce fiber specific to that sheep.  Sure, it's still all 100% wool, since, after all, that's what a sheep's fiber is.... but some fiber can be thick, or thin, or long, or short, or thick, or stiff, or curly or straight.  And then you have to factor in exactly how that fiber is processed into felt.  And of course there's the dyes that color the fiber that are to be considered.  It all makes a huge difference in the end product. 

Perhaps the author of Big Little Felt Universe used a 100% wool felt from Nepal.  Holy smokes, now there's some thick, stiff felt!  Totally not the best choice for the projects in the book.  Or maybe she used a 100% wool felt that was hand-felted.  Most likely, that would be too thick because as wonderful as us humans are, we generally can't process fiber to the extent that a machine can.  Perhaps she used a 100% wool felt that was something other than merino and initially created and processed for an application other than crafting.  And in that instance, the felt may have been processed harshly and dyed with environmentally un-friendly dyes.  That type of wool felt wouldn't be the best choice for her projects either. 

It just makes me a little sad when I read something that's just tossed out to the masses as if it were fact - something that is a misinformed generalization.  Yes, it's true.  All felts are not created equal.  Even when they are 100% wool.  Because there are several other important aspects to consider, as mentioned above. 

If you're looking for a pure wool felt for hand stitching, you won't find anything better than my pure merino wool felt.  This felt was specifically created for handcrafts exactly like those pictured in the book.  It's created from one of the finest wool fibers available.  Because it's completely natural wool, the fibers felt together with very little energy (and that's environmentally friendly!).  This felt is fine, strong, color-saturated, color-fast, fade-resistant and toxin-free.   Not only is my felt the perfect thickness for hand or machine stitching, it cuts like a knife thru warm buttah, holds stitches beautifully,  and can be hand-washed and air-dried.

So there ya have it.  Felty sets the record straight : )  I feel so much better now.

Givin' It Away....over at TheLongThread

Ellen Luckett Baker of TheLongThread posted a give-away today - it's my merino wool felt 'Apple' color story.  And you don't even have to do anything fancy to win!  Just post on Ellen's blog, TheLongThread, by midnight on Saturday (December 10). 

 In case you're not familiar with TheLongThread, it's a pretty fantastic blog.  Full of great ideas, sources and crafty fabulousness.  Ellen is one busy lady who is accomplished in so many things it makes my head spin!  One of the things I admire most about her is this statement in her profile:  "I have increasingly begun to appreciate the value of handmade items in our mass-produced world."  Uh huh.  I totally get that : )

So... if you'd like to experience some truly exquisite, pure merino wool felt, visit TheLongThread and leave a comment for a chance to win this lovely five sheet set.  Or, come visit FeltOnTheFly and check out all of my Color Stories.

IT'S NOT TOO LATE.... to get a wool felt kit for Christmas.  Whether you'd like to stitch something up to give as a gift, or if you'd like to give the gift of a kit, there's still time!

You know the saying about giving a man a fish and you feed him for a day, but teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime?  Well, that sentiment holds true as well for crafting.  Here's Felty's take on it:

"Give someone a handmade item and you've given them a lovely gift.  Teach someone to stitch or craft and you feed their creative soul for a lifetime".  

 Felty Bookmark Kit

Eight die-cut bookmarks, hole reinforcements, coordinating buttons in various sizes/shapes, buckles and extra felt!  A wonderful gift for someone who likes to craft, or someone learning to stitch.

'Tis the Season... Wherever You Go

"Wherever you go, whenever you can....Leave a gift."

I came across that sweet little sentiment a long time ago and I've never forgotten it.  Days get busy and I don't always find the time to be extra thoughtful, but considering the season, it's only natural to be in gift-giving mode.  Here in Michigan, winter is now here.  We've already had snow flurries and the air is clear and chilly; the night sky filled with stars...

Stars have been a special symbol for me since my son was born (nearly eighteen years ago!!) and in the spirit of giving, I'm offering a set of five die cut wool felt stars with every order in my Etsy shop.  Just mention 'Felty Twinkles' in 'Notes to Seller' upon check-out and a little gift of stars will be yours.

The stars measure 1 3/4" from tip to tip.  I know you'll think of a bazillion ways to use them...scatter them on your table, attach to ribbon for a garland, adorn a tree, use as a little gift tag, stitch onto a project...stitch two together and lightly stuff...tuck one in a loved one's pocket for luck....and of course, you could always use them to wish upon...