Felt Lampshade

Figured out way to make my nuno felt piece a working light filter, which was the intention from the beginning. For shade: the framework is a tomato growing metal thing --  snipped the bottom off so that I had one section of the size I desired. Felted the brown section as a solid piece of fabric.  The white flowers are leftover from another felt project...stitched the orange lines to lend a "kind of flower/something"element.

 I am not wild about how this looks overall (though it looks better in person than in photo, as in photo you don't get to see the depth of the cloth), but glad I figured out way to make acceptable shade framework...may be of use in future.

Lampshade

Took picture my four year old niece made of unicyclist, traced on silk treated with rabbit skin glue (for stiffness). Stitched on sewing machine, not using any fancy computer program, just my hand and the sewing machine, back and forth and on and on. A few hand french knots for effect, and then put on lamp base that I had spray painted to coordinate. Spray painting on metal 3-d object is an area that I have room to improve. Put the unicyclist on 3 times, so it was a fair amount of effort, but I like it. Need to clean up some of the stitches that show through, particulary evident when lit.

Stitched on felt

Planned to make this a plane to defuse light. In the process of laying thread on the hand felted rectangle, saw how brilliant a single thread could be. When I started stitching them into the felt, they lost a lot of their brilliance, though you could still see parts of them.

I began to equate that to what happens to many -- burdens, obligations, outlooks can take hold, and diminish the glow. Of course, some obligations are pleasant, burdens are commonly necessary, and outlooks often change as we encounter things/thoughts. I remembered something that my friend Candace had said about a mustard seed of hope, that little bit of hope that a person needs sometimes to turn despair or less dour a circumstance into to a more uplifting spirit.

So, in the next section, I stitched in a mustard seed, and surrounded it with some of the threads, stretching to the top, or meandering on offshoots. The next section has the threads un-stitched, to a large degree, allowing their potential to be most free.

All of this is subtle, mainly because I chose very thin threads, and of course conceptually it is a bit obtuse, at least visually. And, yes, positive thought does not always guarantee excellent outcomes, nor is worry or despair useless, avoidable, or whatever. However, uncool or not, hope is my ally, not blind, not unaided by action, but there.

Robot Uses

Robot Uses

a. Call to Mediation/Prayer. Not quite like the Himalayan chimes, but, then you aren't quite in the Himalayans. So, Robot is perhaps a call to peace.

b. Applause. Little Robot will make noise in appreciation of good things. He may need some assistance, but that is ok.

c. Improved Reception. Robot is assured of improving cell phone and television reception. Just keep him in the vicinity, and listen for things to improve.

d. Annoyance Free Zone. Just wind little Robot up, and allow him to drum for about 5 minutes. You will see that all human and animal annoyances leave the area fairly quickly. Leaving you in peace and solitude with little Robot.

e. Color Registration. Bright colors of Robot are known to stimulate positive effects..even for those who have fairly non-functioning smile muscles.

f. Back up for the Band. In a pinch, Robot can step in for the key position in the band, should that player be absent for a gig.

g. Space Occupier. Robot is an excellent occupier of space. He stands out in office environments as well as within the home. Robot sets off fine art objects as well as serious stacks of paperwork.

h. Robot is happy. Robot is positive thinker, and that is always nice to be around. Being positive, hat generally makes him happy, which also tends to lift the spirit (especially since he is a deep thinker happy, not just silly surface stuff.)

i. Dog Walker. I believe Robot and your dog will get along well during the chilly morning and evening walks. The dog may need to be reminded that Robot is a slow steady walker, and fairly light in comparison to the dog. Perhaps we can rig a saddle for the dog, so that Robot and he can walk in greater harmony.

j. Protector. Robot serves as a talisman. This I know.



Wrote this, and a little more, in sending this Robot to friend a while ago. Uncovered copy of this list while compiling past writings for self education of new-to-me computer system. I will perhaps use some of his good properties to help with the project!

In a Series

Trying to explore different options of the scheme -- felt backing, roses, light. Made this to go around light as a lampshade does, however, didn't like how the roses stuck out "in the round." So, now have flat long piece, and thinking of how to illuminate from behind, as the opacity of felt interacts with light nicely.