Fiber Artist Lindsey Warf - What is Felting?

Lindsey Warf felted soaps

You might have heard of felting, seen felted clothing or even worn a felt hat.  Felting is a way to make fabric by compressing, shrinking and matting animal fibers such as sheep wool and alpaca fiber.  It is an ancient process that is practiced the world over by many from nomadic peoples in Central Asia to artisans in Appalachia.

There are two main felting processes - wet felting and needle felting.

Wet felting

Wet felting is a process in which you shrink layers of animal fiber by aggitating them with hot water and soap.  The crimp in the fibers latch together due to the friction and start shrinking down to a tight strong fabric.

Needle felting

Needle felting is a process using barbed needles to compress the fibers.  You can create 3D figures or decorate fabrics using a small needle felting tool. There are commercial machines to make whole sheets of felt using this technique as well.

The Gallery has added a new fabric artist to their lines. Lindsey Warf grew up surrounded by the beauty of the West Virginia mountains She comes from along line of crafts people, and graduated from college with a BFA in graphic design.  She found that design did not fill her need for hands on art.

Warf's felted hat

Felted hat

After college Lindsey went on a life changing journey to New Zealand and discovered a whole new world of growing food from seed and making fabric from sheep wool.  She took a few felting classes, began experimenting with designs, styles and color, creating her line of hats and felted soaps.  She also hand dyes the wool in small batches to get the most brilliant and original colors.   Lindsey lives in the area and uses the wool from local sheep.

Felted hat by Warf

Customers love her jaunty hats and wonderful felted soaps. The felt on the soap exfoliates as you wash with the fabric shrinking around the soap as it gets smaller in size.

Crocheted Scarves by Janice Keeler

Crocheted scarves by Janice Keeler

Fabric artist Janice Keeler has created these lovely crocheted scarves just in time for the holidays.  Add a bit of color and panache to your outfit with these cotton ruffle scarves.  Perfect gift for the women on your list!

Scarf by Keeler, top by Jude Stuecker

Hot Glass Artist Kristen Munoz

Garden globe

Local hot glass artist Kristen Munoz has been working professionally at her craft since 1999.  She began working in soft glass (borosilicate rod) but soon ventured into hot glass when a  two week intensive at Penland School of Crafts in Penland , NC was offered.  Kristen has taken this two week intensive every year since.

Munoz ornaments 

Kristen spends her winters blowing thousands of glass forms and then come spring she begins a lengthy East Coast circuit of fairs and festivals.  Her family travels with her and her children enjoy homeschooling on the road!

The Gallery carries her beautiful garden globs and ornaments - perfect gifts for any occasion!

Large globe

Shift Your Shoppping this Holiday - Buy Local!

During this busy shopping weekend and throughout the upcoming holiday season, support your local. independent merchants!

Lyn Lyndall handbag

Cecilia Tappan Minneha malachite cuff links

Buy doing that we can build an annual tradition that strengthens local economies, expands employment, nurtures a sense of community and provides a more relaxed fun and rewarding gift-buying experience. 

Jude Stuecker shirt

If you join in shifting those dollars to locally owned, independent businesses, we’ll all generate 2-3 times as much economic activity in our community than if we had spent our money at a national chain.

Nell Chandler necklace

By shopping at the Gallery, you will be shopping local and handmade, supporting local artists!  We carry all media - jewelry, ceramic, wood, leather, fabric, - something for all budgets and tastes!

For more info on this shift your shopping movement - go to www.shiftyourshopping.org!

John Burtner metal spreader

Phil Capper bar board

Byers pottery soap dish and soap

Turkey Platters

Banner platter

Several of the Gallery's potters make wonderful platters - perfect for serving turkey on Thanksgiving or Christmas.  We also carry all the serving pieces you could want to create a stunning table setting.  For a spiced up recipe - try this one from Emeril!

Canjun-Injected Spicy Turkey (courtesy Emeril Laggasse 2007)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon concentrated liquid crab and shrimp boil (recommended: Zatarian's)
• 1/4 cup apple cider
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle beer
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground allspice
• 1/2 cup Creole seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely minced garlic
• 1 (10 to 12-pound) turkey, rinsed well inside and out, patted dry
• 4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 to 2 cups chicken broth, as needed for bottom of roasting pan

Directions

Make the marinade by combining the Worcestershire sauce, crab boil, apple cider, honey, beer, salt, allspice, Creole seasoning, cayenne, olive oil, and minced garlic in a blender and process until very smooth, about 5 minutes. Fill a large syringe* and inject turkey in the breast and thigh area, as well as the back, wings, and legs, with at least 2/3 of the marinade. You will have to fill the syringe numerous times.

Preheat the oven to 420 degrees F and line a large roasting pan with aluminum foil.

Season the injected turkey well both inside and out with the kosher salt and black pepper. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan lined with aluminum foil and pour the remaining marinade all over the turkey. Bake the turkey uncovered for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, add 1 cup of the chicken broth to the roasting pan, and continue to bake the turkey until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the deepest part between the thigh and the leg registers 165 degrees F. (If the turkey begins to brown too much, tent loosely with aluminum foil until it is done. Also, add more broth as necessary to keep the bottom of the roasting pan from burning.)

When the turkey is done, remove it from the oven and set aside to rest at least 20 minutes before carving.

* Large syringes designed especially for injecting turkeys may be purchased at many grocery stores in the spice / marinade / seasoning sections; many folks inject turkeys before frying them.

Byer platter

Homemade Bread Day - Nov 17

Gabriel Kline bowl

Today November 17 is Homemade Bread Day!  Nothing comes close to the smell of fresh baked bread just out of the oven  in making one feel comforted!  Try your hand at a bread recipe today - the Gallery has all the necessary items you need - large pottery bowls, ceramic butter trays and wood spreaders and even handmade bread boards!

Butter tray by Len Lindsay  and spreader

Simple Whole Wheat Bread
Ingredients
3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1/3 cup honey
5 cups bread flour
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon salt
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons butter, melted


Directions
In a large bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and 1/3 cup honey. Add 5 cups white bread flour, and stir to combine. Let set for 30 minutes, or until big and bubbly.
Mix in 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/3 cup honey, and salt. Stir in 2 cups whole wheat flour. Flour a flat surface and knead with whole wheat flour until not real sticky - just pulling away from the counter, but still sticky to touch. This may take an additional 2 to 4 cups of whole wheat flour. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with a dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled.
Punch down, and divide into 3 loaves. Place in greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans, and allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes; do not overbake. Lightly brush the tops of loaves with 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine when done to prevent crust from getting hard. Cool completely
(allrecipes.com)

Cutting board by Chris Kamm

J.J. Jucick - Art for the Table

Vase

The Gallery is very excited to add  J.J. Jucick to our pottery lines.  Primarily a self-taught potter, J.J. has studied with Asheville potter Gabriel Kline who is also represented at the Gallery. 

Soup bowl   and dinner plate

As a long admirer of art, J.J. tries to bring that restrained yet vivid spirit to his pottery through uncluttered and quiet forms, allowing each piece to serve as a canvas for his application of abstract shapes and time consuming glaze techniques.  He believes that his bold use of color and simple shapes are works of art, stunning in their simplciity.

Small tray

 J.J.'s clay is a propriety blend of three different types of clay.  Each piece is twice dipped, with the two accent colors of yellow and red being done first, then is gingerly brushed with wax - a technique called wax resist.  Each piece is then dipped again into the black.  When the glaze dries, the black glaze that has been deposited on top of the red and yellow glaze wax resist is softly wiped off so that once the wax burns off in firing the black will not settle into the red or yellow.  The bottoms are wiped clean of the black glaze and beautifully finished as well, trimmed to perfection and sanded with a fine grit to make it smooth.

Jucick mug

J.J.'s custom made collection for the Gallery is called "The Modernist Collection."   Something this elegant and time consuming to create should be used daily and reveled in, each time.

Pumpkin Pie Spices - Pottery by Lynda Banner

Butter dish  by Terri Friday

Adding hand made dinner ware to your table makes your meal more festive.  Lynda Gayle Banner offers many options for accessorizing your table - butter dishes, small vases, tile trivets or even spice bottles.  Collect several spice bottles and display them on your counter top year round. 

4" bud vase

Mix your own pumpkin pie spices -

1. Measure 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon into a small bowl or cup.
2. Add 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger.
3. Add 1/8 teaspoon of ground allspice or ground cloves.
4. Add 1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg.
5. Stir to blend.
6. Makes 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice.

Tips:

1. Use this blend in pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, cakes, cookies and custard.

What You Need:

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger, ground
• 1/8 tsp allspice
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg, ground

(Info from About.com)

Corked spice bottle

Tile trivet by Friday

7" vase

Fall Leaves by Simone Wilson

Each leaf

 
Decorate your dining table with these lovely metal leaves by Simone Wilson.  Each one is ready to be used as an ornament or just splayed out on the table under the dinnerware creating a handmade centerpiece.

Ginkgo

Oak

New Fleece Puppets by Lucy Boyd

Owl

Puppet and toy maker Lucy Boyd began designing and making her stuffed creations in 1967 as a part time hobby.  Now it is a full time business.  As a school teacher her goal was to create high quality, affordable and cuddly toys.  She has won numerous award and accolades from some of the best art and craft festivals across the nation.  People of all ages love her soft cuddly fleece toys!

Eagle

Raven

Dinosaur

Dona Nobis Pacem

We are proud to participate in the Blog Blast 4 Peace  on November 4, 2011, hosted for the past few years by Mimi Lenox.  Begun in 2006, the BlogBlast for Peace expanded over the years, from 52 posts to thousands spanning the globe.  It is a movement to promote peace across the world - one blog at a time.

Below is a selection of local, handmade, fine Appalachian crafts for sale in our Gallery, featuring peace, love or both!  Wishing everybody peace, today and forever!

Jude Stuecker coin purse $16.

Julie Calhoun-Roepnack cat ceramic ornament $22.

Robbie Diffey copper bracelet $45.

Robbie Diffey copper bookmark $38.

Mike Cowan garden sign $28.

Stacey Betts stained glass ornament $12.