Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Nuno Felting with Vintage Lace


I seem to be indecisive these days in my artistic direction. This is unlike me. For many years I was pretty steady at pursuing a goal, choosing my path, knowing what I wanted to create and staying on that path. Now I feel I'm doing a bit of this and a bit of that and not finishing projects before I'm off to something else. Buying supplies for projects before I've used previous bought items. So unlike me, I'm confused. I loved creating the faux scripted "poetic" scarves and ribbons and will continue with other ideas using this technique, but I'm also experimenting with nuno felting using vintage lace curtain panels and other bits of lace and am liking the outcome. I took photos of the scarf. Do you like the frayed edges of the aged curtain panel I have left exposed?






I feel torn between things to do, too many ideas, wanting to do too much... and I want (need) to create some new classes to apply to teach and that takes a lot of time. If it's rushed then the items don't turn out so well and I never feel confident creating a class around an inferior item.

Tomorrow I would like to walk into my studio and be able to pick up something I have already started and finish it, not get distracted with creating something else to start because I have a new pattern I bought, or the pile of laces I have stacked up and are so inviting, the painted cigar box that I know houses the experimental silk flower ornaments to adorn garments with, well you get the idea. If I can't concentrate on a goal then by the end of the day I don't really accomplish anything except generating more ideas, I need end results and not more ideas.

Am I an overachiever? Should I be satisfied with what I do accomplish? Do any of you ever feel like you're in this position? It's not that I feel stuck with the creativity, just not following through and that is puzzling to me.

10 comments:

Joanne Huffman said...

I work this way all the time. I go in spurts of scattered projects and then in spurts of concentration of one thing. It sounds to me like you're in a whirl of creativity and I see nothing wrong with that; but I'm less focused than you are.

Joanne Huffman said...

I forgot to tell you how much I love the new lace scarves.

FELT 4U said...

No my dear, its the meandering journey that gives substance to your creativity. And I love the nuno felted lace curtain.

thyme said...

I love your experimentation, you step into the process and have fun! I love the look and the way you play...Thank you for your inspiration.

patricia mariani said...

What a crazy life! you wrote two years ago what I'm feeling right now. the true passion for lace, which hunt in thrift stores makes us all different ...
What I like is a lack of time between creating and doing, along with a lack of self-esteem, not reaching the hands exactly what we create, we think the art ...
forgive me for english google
fraternal hugs
Patricia Mariani of Brazil

Anonymous said...

Hello i am a Fashion Design Student from Germany. I love what you have made!!!!

Could you please let me know how you did this?! Is the lace made out of silk or isnt this important?

Please please mail me. Kesse.franziska@gmx.net

Thank you so much in advance

Bits of Fiber said...

I know how you feel. During the day I work as a sign shop artist. They leave me doing "my thing" which is so satisfying, especially since I get paid for doing what I do best ... creating art. BUT, while I'm at work I think of all the other things I want to make, things I need to finish, things I have in my head and more and more of them keep coming into my head, I'm really starting to run out of space up there and my hands try to keep up but I always seem to run out of time. I have 2 etsy shops which do ok, I just hate spending time on the pc trying to get people to purchase my things. I have a booth every Sunday at a Farmers Market which I love. I love the people contact, I love people being amazed by what I create with felt and there I feel just right. I'm selling the things I made and while I'm there I make more things in front of them so they can see how it's done. Just keep up your lovely work, it's better to have too many ideas then none at all!

Anonymous said...

Because my workbench is at the end of our Family Room,my scattered brain hangs out there for all to see.
My partner seldom complains and if...he does I offer to trade him places and take over his workshop space...the garage..๐Ÿ’‹
I work with upcycled fabrics exclusively so buy on a whim and have a huge amount of silk blouses,linen dresses,velvet jackets,etc in storage room aka our closet
Since Jan 1
I have completed 3 purses I had partly completed since since last Spring 2013๐Ÿ’ž
With that positive note
I am signed up for Nuno Felting workshop Feb 8...and now am inspired with vintage lace nuno...happen to have 2 giant bins of vintage crocheted lace

Oh boy...
Kathleen in Niagara

Moss Hollowe said...

I just stumbled across this.. and so glad to know I am not alone in the way I work and think, too many projects, supplies bought in advance of projects, and moving to the next one before ever taking them out of the package!

And what's even stranger is I found this because I just bought a vintage crochet tablecloth and was thinking of trying to nunofelt it. Now, I see it's been done, and it looks smashing!

Lynn of
Moss Hollowe

Raine said...

As a retired designer, I can tell you that your work is wonderful. Just go with it. Don't put yourself in a box. I also love working with old lace.
We must create...that is the important thing.