Friday, November 13, 2020

Felt: Fiber Transformed 2020

I am so grateful for the daily chats, strong bond and lasting friendship that Linda Armstrong and I have developed over these many months of the pandemic. Although we are separated by thousands of miles (she in Ontario, Canada and me in southern California), we have been collaborating on several felted pieces starting with complex, hand painted nuno felted garments that we submitted in response to Fiona Duthie's "Separate Yet Connected" challenge.

Several months ago, I entered our second garment collaboration in the Fiber Arts Now Magazine juried competition called Felt: Fiber Transformed. Of hundreds of applicants, we were one of a handful of lucky winners. The Fall 2020 magazine issue featured only one photo of my garment and not both of our works so I want to share with you both of these beautiful garments.


OUR WORK WAS SELECTED!


Fall 2020 issue of Fiber Art Now 


We are shown as #2 in the Fall 2020 issue of Fiber Art Now magazine.


Our design was inspired by one of Linda's cool designer tops. We made several changes including changing the hem line, adding a godet in the wide cowl neckline and adding long sleeves. Using methods that we both learned from Ellen Bakker from The Netherlands, we each painted silks in the palette of our choice and incorporated them with wool roving and other textiles to make these winning garments! Cheers to us my dear friend and collaborator, Linda Armstrong. 


Are those tall, green boots to die for!

My fun boots are by Papucci.  I made the earrings from my late friend Charlie Warner's stunning lamp work beads.

Check out that fun felted bracelet.  




Thursday, November 12, 2020

City Felt - Fall, 2020

It was an exceptionally cool day today in southern California and just the perfect temp to don some felted pieces.  So we four friends biked to downtown Long Beach and explored our city finding some of the fab murals around town as a back drop for a photo shoot of our young and beautiful friend Alena originally from Belarus. But we all got in to the modeling act, young and young at heart!

City Felt - Fall 2020 from Beth Marx on Vimeo.



Elise modeling a felted hat and Alena modeling an urban cowl.








Relaxing at Beachwood BBQ.


What's so funny Alena?






Saturday, October 24, 2020

A Bevy of Felted Hats

Making felted hats is so satisfying.  Not only does it involve collaging of silk fabrics, silk and plant fibers, wool and more, it involves sculpting the hat to a beautiful and flattering shape for wearing.  I never dreamed this would be so fun.  

















Monday, July 20, 2020

Camouflage is the New Neutral


Camouflage is the perfect neutral and so versatile. And wearing it now is so apropos to symbolically fight against Covid 19, our invisible enemy.  

I created this dress and matching shawl with hand dyed merino roving, both dyed and hand painted silk and other textiles like mesh and jute. African trade beads line the neckline hanging from repurposed torn tee shirts.  

I have styled the dress with polka dot leggings and top by AMB Designs, boots by Walk, my hand made earrings, vintage bakelite bracelets and a felted camo cuff on my right wrist.


Camo purse with flap, inside pocket, and twisted leather strap. A few beads are almost hidden on the front flap.




The shawl as a skirt with the short poncho on top.


Hand dyed roving along with commercial roving on black 3 mm habotai.  


Wearing the shawl as a skirt along with a camouflage poncho.

Like a camo cocoon!