Neckwears & Necklaces.

..refers to various styles of clothing worn around the (human) neck. They are worn for fashion, combat, or protection against the influences of weather. Common neck wear today include bow ties, neckties (cravat), scarves, feather boas and shawls. Historically, ruffs and bands were worn.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neckwear)

2020

          

                                                                                           

Contemporary neckwear. Merino wool, Mohair yarn.

Spring/ Summer 2017 Collection.

Cheerful Scarflette with 3D Strawberries and Flowers

Seamless. Wet felting technique. Merino wool, Viscose Fibers.

"Pea in a Pod" scarflette.

Merino wool, Viscose fibers.

3D details.

No longer available. World traveler.

Hand made felt with hand dyed Silk Cocoons.

No longer available.

Pretty in Pink.             

Hand made felt with hand dyed silk cocoons.

No longer available. Settled in France.

Hand made felt with Silk Cocoons.

Hand made felt with hand

Scarflette with white flowers.
Hand made felt. Seamless. Merino wool, Silk fibers.

dyed silk cocoons.

"Orlando". Neck wear/ scarf.
Hand made felt. Superfine Merino wool. Soft, elegant, cozy.
Unisex. Pets friendly. No longer available.

"Romance"
Necklace/Scarf.
No longer available. PA resident.
Superfine Merino wool.

"Pretty in Pink"
Necklace/scarf. Superfine Merino wool.
No longer available. Princeton resident.

"Fantasy" 
Collar. Hand made felt embellished with embroidery, stones, metal objects, Shibori. Silk lining.
No longer available. PA resident.

"Frosted Berries". Necklace.
Hand Made Felt. Superfine Merino Wool, Hand Painted Glass, Rose Quartz. Embroidery.
I found piece of glass on a beach. It was beautifully polished by the ocean, I kept it for some time.
One day I found it in my desk and liked it even more for being with me all these years, and I knew immediately what to do with it.
It was made of sand, served it's purpose as an object, had a long journey in the ocean, got new shape and look, got back to the land, was found it and got the second chance.
No longer available. PA resident.

"Sandy".
Nuno felt with felted in stones found on a beach after storm.
Merino wool, Silk, Cotton.
Be different.
No longer available. NJ resident.

"Parisian Jazz" Cobweb felt. Merino wool.
Model is gorgeous also.
No longer available. World traveler.

"Once on Holidays". 
Nuno felt. Superfine Merino Wool, Lace, Silk, Vintage beads. 
No longer available. Russian resident.

"Tulips". Necklace, or belt.
Superfine Merino wool.
Irresistible.

No longer available. NJ resident.

"Red Kala".Neck tie, or belt.
Superfine Merino wool, Tussah Silk.
No longer available
PA resident.
.
.
"Daffodils". Necklace - scarf.
Superfine merino wool.
No longer available. NC resident.

"Cravat".
Hand made felt. Super fine Merino wool.
I thought it might be interesting to know
No longer available. Has been seen in Amsterdam.

The cravat is a neckband, the forerunner of the modern tailored necktie and bow tie, originating from 17th-century Croatia.^[2]

From the end of the 16th century, the term band applied to any long-strip neckcloth that was not a ruff. The ruff, a starched, pleated white linen strip, originated earlier in the 16th century as a neckcloth (readily changeable, to minimize the soiling of a doublet), as a bib, or as a napkin. A band could be either a plain, attached shirt collar or a detachable "falling band" that draped over the doublet collar. It is possible that cravats were initially worn to hide shirts which were not immaculately clean.^[3] Alternatively, it was thought to serve as psychological protection of the neck during battle from attack by a spear.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cravat)

Toys for All Ages.

*Please note that all images are property of Nelly Kouzmina and cannot be used without written consent 

from the artist.

I found that making toys is very relaxing. 

.. it can be challenging also

Introducing Mr Sterling Ratman.
16" tall (21" with tail), charming, adventurous, brave, young. Single.
Working progress.
Hand made felt, Merino wool. Seamless.

Making Mr Ratman..

Hello, my name is Sterling Ratman, you can call me Sterling!
I got nose and eyes today, apparently I need glasses,
oh well, life is good anyway!..

Being single was fun, but a little boring. Mr Ratman was looking for his very special lady and finally met Bril.. future Mrs Ratman

Sterling and Bril on a date.

Lena and Nina

Lena was lonely for awhile till she met Nina, and they became best friends.
Nina is tall, beautiful blond girl with deep blue eyes. She wears nuno felt summer dress, her hair casually pulled together with velvet ribbon.
Lena, well known fashionista, is happy to give Nina advise.
They are planning on going shopping.
More stories will be posted later.

In preparation to teach new summer program in Fiber Art west Windsor Art Center I made this seamless 

felt doll Lena with set of clothing all stitched and embroidered by hands.

"Lena"
Stylish, pretty, reserved, well aware of the latest fashion trend. 
Single. Vegetarian.
She wears white silk blouse, red velvet skirt, and light summer Cotton coat lined with flannel.
Seamless. Merino wool, Mohair locks (doll's hair eco-dyed with onion skin), 12.5" toll.

My first toy.

"Miss Squirrel"

If you are lonely you might consider to get a cozy felt creature to hug.

I was asked to make a big pillow size squirrel for a little girl. As I was working on it I thought some grownups might like to have it too.

"Miss Squirrel". 
Large hand made squirrel. Norwegian wool, Merino, Angora.
She got a necklace and Challis shawl. OOAK.
2' tall.

No longer available. Manhattan resident.

Small Things, Simple Pleasures.

I had few silk eye glass cases, white, a bit boring.
After playing with leaves - Eucalyptus, Tamarisk, I've got some interesting results.

100% Silk.
Botanical print.
Natural and Acid Dye.

Corsets and Bodices

*Please note that all images are property of Nelly Kouzmina and cannot be used without written consent 

from the artist.

Corsets.
..for walking, traveling, dreaming, napping, dining.. corsets.

Recently I came to idea of making small garments/ large accessories - revival of Corsets and Bodices.
My corsets are seamless, worn over dress or pants, have zipper closure on the back, and have a pouch for phone, or house key, or other important things.

Navy soft corset with pocket-pouch accompanied by bright strawberry shape felt bag.
Merino wool, Silk & Bamboo fibers.
Appropriate in  many occasions.
No longer available.

"Alpine" style waist warmer/ soft corset with pouch.
Merino wool, Silk.
Comfortable, soft and cozy. The design was inspired by the purity of Alps.
Either you are in the mountains, or on the road - you have all you need - phone and snack in the pouch.
Reserved.

Hand made soft corset with pouch and Egyptian motif.
over nuno felt dress made of Cotton Gauze, Merino wool fibers and hand dyed.
 Corset has zipper closure on the back and decorated with hand dyed Indian cotton fabric in nuno felting technique.
Stylish and unique.

A corset is a garment worn to hold and train the torso into a desired shape for aesthetic or medical purposes (either for the duration of wearing it or with a more lasting effect). Both men and women are known to wear corsets, though this item was for many years an integral part of women's wardrobes. Since the late 20th century, the fashion industry has borrowed the term "corset" to refer to tops which, to varying degrees, mimic the look of traditional corsets without acting as them. While these modern corsets and corset tops often feature lacing or boning and generally imitate a historical style of corsets, they have very little, if any, effect on the shape of the wearer's body. Genuine corsets are usually made by a corsetmaker and are frequently fitted to the individual wearer./ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corset

Bodice - A bodice (American English /ˈbɑːdɨs/, British /ˈbɒdɪs/), historically, is an article of clothing for women, covering the body from the neck to the waist. In modern usage it typically refers to a specific type of upper garment common in Europe during the 16th to the 18th century, or to the upper portion of a modern dress to distinguish it from the skirt and sleeves. The term comes from pair of bodies (because the garment was originally made in two pieces that fastened together, frequently by lacing)./ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodice

Publications

"Worldwide Colors of Felt (Holland, May, 2016)
http://textiellink.nl/en/

Magazine of International Feltmakers Association (U.K.) - "FeltMatters", Issue 117, Page 28

"Spotlight on America"

http://www.feltmakers.com/images/FeltMatters/Issue117-contents.pdf

New Hope Art Council (PA, 2016)
http://www.quiltfest.com/blog/new-hope-arts-center-presents-fiber-fabric-fashion-pennsylvania-national-quilt-extravaganza-sunday-september-18-2016/

New & Experimental Work.

Once on a path of felt exploration you start notice things you didn't pay much attention before - unusual objects, shapes, color combinations - all in relation with felt making.
As the time goes by, your curiosity is growing. 
What will happen if I felt this in, or with this, or use chosen fibers, fabrics to create certain effect? 
It is always magic, always something new. Not that you always like it but it is never the same. 
This is a beauty of felt - very live textile form.

This is my dog Eddie's toy

what if I play with it?

and play more

I am not sure what to do with it. It could lead to something else eventually. 

As long as we feed our curiosity with trying something new, and do something new - life goes on.