Latest Folk Pillow~ Paddling Among Fish. The P.E.I. wool shop Fleece and Harmony is the real woolly deal with happy sheep hanging around the shop's acreage, and where the wool makers create from scratch their nature-inspired hand-dyed yarns.
Paddling Among the Fish (Handknit, stitched, felt) by Minaz Jantz
In the fall of 2017, a week-long holiday to Prince Edward Island found me walking through the woodlots, drenched in colorful leaves, and taking time to seek out the next batch of wool to inspire a new folk art pillow. 'Paddling Among Fish' reflects my gratitude for the wonder of the marine species that share this grand planet.
While swimming and paddling in the kayak, I am in a state of floating bliss, meditative and at peace. Each time I go to the water, I am replenished, uplifted, and relaxed. Water is my healing source, and I am grateful to have manifested a life by the lake and the Atlantic Ocean.
The Fleece and Harmony wool colors remind me of water, and so this batch of wool became the next pillow cover for Paddling Among Fish. The brilliant blue wool is a curvy crochet stitch that resembles water waves, drawing us together yet separating us by water.
The fish appliques are made from a mix of roving wool colors, using hand carder brushes to combine and blend the colors, which creates the pre-felt fabric that I can cut and shape to suit my applique designs.
To attach all the felted appliques to another piece of thin black felted fabric, they are secured with running stitches, which provide the applique with stability on a stretchy knitted pillow cover.
Each needle-felted appliqué is complete with embroidery before being attached to the knitted pillow cover, as shown in the above photo. The boat is made from salvaging a felted knit slipper, and the brown wool jacket of the paddler is a pre-felt saved from another project. Nothing goes to waste with felted wool!
The backside of my Folk Art Pillows has a simple cable stitch running horizontally to create texture and showcase the beauty of the yarn. The backside of the Folk Art Pillows is designed for laying one's head, thereby preventing wear and tear on the applique design on the front side.
All the Folk Art pillows I design are conversation pieces in any room, and I like them to be not only decorative but also soft and huggable.
Who doesn't like BLING? My pillows get the BLING treatment, and I love coming up with the goodie bits to adorn the edges of my pillows. This pillow features two stuffed crochet fish instead of the predictable tassels, which I like to call 'Fish-assles'!
After a winter storm, it was time for an interesting backdrop to photograph 'Paddling Among Fish' pillow. Luck would have it, I found a giant tree washed up on the perfect ocean shore!
All my Folk Art Pillows are made to be one-of-a-kind; no two pillows are alike. The collection is for sale. The Folk Art Pillow Collection and my artworks will be featured during the studio event, "Follow the Yellow Balloons," on Sunday, September 30, 2018.
To see other Folk Art Pillows
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