"Unearth" - the Staffordshire Hoard

Inspired by the discovery of the Staffordshire Hoard and the thought of uncovering such a find, I created this felt piece Unearth. It will be shown Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th June at Reading Arts Week at the New Directions Centre, together with pieces by my EquilARTeral friends Sandy and Merete who also responded to the Staffordshire hoard - Sandy working with machine and hand embroidery, and Merete working with pieced patchwork.

We Felt United!

Felt – intertwined, bound together, forever as one – United .

2009 is the United Nation's International Year of Natural Fibres. On October 3rd, 2009 - feltmakers from around the globe celebrated by joining together and displaying their felt. It will be the first annual International Day of Felt. The theme was set as yellow through to red. I joined in by making felt with my children's pre-school. We made bunting to decorate their room. The children (all aged 2-4) were fascinated by the feel of the fluffy fibres and each laid out fibres across their yellow triangle of pre-felt. Then we rolled, rubbed and scrubbed with hot soapy water. Our favourite bit was to rub with a Lego Duplo brick across the net over the felt and create lots of bubbles.

All the creations will become part of an online exhibition at FeltUnited.com created by artists Elis Vermeulen (Holland) and Cynthia Reynolds (Norway) after 17th October.