Crafting On Tuesday

Linking today to Frontier Dreams for Keep Calm Craft On.

I finally made the rainbow silk angel mobile. I dyed the silk for this ages ago, washed and carded the wool, and then it sat...and sat...and sat!
But here it is!

 

I think the angels are too crowded together, but this is the ring I had available to use.
I followed the basic directions in The Children's Year, but I cannot remember where I saw one arranged like this, with the colours spiralling down.

I used the 11 x 11 silks from Thai Silks and dyed them using Wiltons cake icing pastes.
I used beading elastic because that is the clear thread that I had on hand, but I think fishing line would have been easier to work with - the beading elastic was well, too elastic! It was really difficult to tie into knots.

I rolled a small ball of carded wool, placed it in the centre of the silk, then tied beading elastic around to make a neck. Using a long doll needle, I then threaded the elastic through the top of the angel's head. OUCH!!!

Tie the beading elastic for each angel onto the ring, arranging the angels as desired. I think in the book, they are arranged in a line on a branch.

Tie four ribbons to make the hanger. Wrap the ring in another ribbon to cover all the knots from the hanger ribbons and the beading elastic.

Tie the four hanging ribbons together with a knot. I then used the leftover end to tie a bow.

The longest part in the whole thing was wrapping the ring in ribbon! Next time I might use a thin ribbon, embroidery floss or wool through the angels' heads - then the knots would look nicer and I wouldn't want to cover them up!

Just a little note for any Australian readers. I have mentioned my sheep before and how excited I am to finally be using my own wool for projects. I have heaps of white from our sheep and black from a friend's sheep. So if any sheepless Australian readers would like a little parcel of white and black sheeps wool sent their way, let me know at steinermum22@gmail.com - it will come totally natural, as it came off the sheep's back! So children can go through the whole process of washing, carding (you don't need carders, just hand tease the knots out), dyeing if you wish and using!
I have made this tree and this sun.
Just drop me a message if you would like some - just be aware it will be NATURAL, ie. smelling of sheep and with bits of grass and hay in it!