I keep seeing such gorgeous examples of what can be made with an embellisher; I must have one! I want to experiment with it! I want to make new and exciting things with it. My poor muse has just been begging me to get some new T's - I just call them T's because I never can decide if they are Tools (because they are so necessary for getting the job done) or Toys (because, face it, they are so much fun to work/play with).
For this week's Friday Flickr Favorites, here are some examples of beautiful embellisher work. And not pictured here (I have trouble getting her images to copy) but definitely worth a look-see, is the work of Sara Lechner and also the gorgeous embellishments made by Beate Knappe.
Click on a title to see the full picture on the photographer's Flickr page: 1. Pinks and Greens embellisher play, 2. flowers on felt background, 3. purse 1, 4. summerembroidery 2, 5. Maureen's journal cover, 6. Cottage in a Meadow, 7. Untitled, 8. Star Garden, 9. felted spring flowers
UPDATE: Shame on me for just assuming everyone knows what an embellisher is. An embellisher is a machine, similar in appearance to a sewing machine, which uses special barbed needles to create a marriage of fibers. It is usually used to turn wool roving into wool felt; often there are additional embellishments in the form of other textiles added to the mix, such as silk or cheesecloth. The process is called needle felting and historically has been done by hand, using a needle felting tool, i.e. a knob of some sort in which the barbed needles are held securely. The user plunges the needle, repeatedly, in and out through the layers of fibers (hmmm, I could probably write this section like a semi-porny romance novel). The fibers get caught on the barbs and enmeshed with each other. The machines which are used for this purpose are called embellishers. They make the process much easier to complete. Among the companies which make embellishers are: Babylock, Janome, and Pfaff. Bernina makes an attachment that can be used as a needle felter. There is also an attachment that can convert a machine into an embellisher, recommended for use if you have an old machine that's been gathering dust ever since you got your new machine. :)
Here are some links where you can learn more:
For this week's Friday Flickr Favorites, here are some examples of beautiful embellisher work. And not pictured here (I have trouble getting her images to copy) but definitely worth a look-see, is the work of Sara Lechner and also the gorgeous embellishments made by Beate Knappe.
Click on a title to see the full picture on the photographer's Flickr page: 1. Pinks and Greens embellisher play, 2. flowers on felt background, 3. purse 1, 4. summerembroidery 2, 5. Maureen's journal cover, 6. Cottage in a Meadow, 7. Untitled, 8. Star Garden, 9. felted spring flowers
UPDATE: Shame on me for just assuming everyone knows what an embellisher is. An embellisher is a machine, similar in appearance to a sewing machine, which uses special barbed needles to create a marriage of fibers. It is usually used to turn wool roving into wool felt; often there are additional embellishments in the form of other textiles added to the mix, such as silk or cheesecloth. The process is called needle felting and historically has been done by hand, using a needle felting tool, i.e. a knob of some sort in which the barbed needles are held securely. The user plunges the needle, repeatedly, in and out through the layers of fibers (hmmm, I could probably write this section like a semi-porny romance novel). The fibers get caught on the barbs and enmeshed with each other. The machines which are used for this purpose are called embellishers. They make the process much easier to complete. Among the companies which make embellishers are: Babylock, Janome, and Pfaff. Bernina makes an attachment that can be used as a needle felter. There is also an attachment that can convert a machine into an embellisher, recommended for use if you have an old machine that's been gathering dust ever since you got your new machine. :)
Here are some links where you can learn more:
- Denise Spanos compares different embellishers
- A Flickr embellisher/discussion group
- An Embellisher Network ning
- A book by Sheila Smith