Ruby red slippers

Believe it or not, it does get a bit cold here in Queensland in winter, amplified by the fact our house has no heating and tiled floors.  Admittedly, its not Siberia, but any excuse will do to attend a workshop to make a pair of 'fabulous' felted slippers!  I attended a QSWFA workshop taught by Philippa Rooke who is a lovely person and patient teacher, also a real perfectionist - there is no sloppy feltmaking or cutting corners in her class, which means things always turn out well.  It was a one day workshop and took the whole day of working hard to produce these slippers - I didn't quite finish during the class, I had to do the final 'foot massage' to get the perfect fit at home, and they do fit perfectly :)  so much so that it makes me wish our 'winter' lasted a little longer than 2-3 months.  Almost.

I used a relatively course grade wool (the micron is probably over 20, the lower the micron the finer the wool) - sadly I can't find the name of the wool though I know I bought it at the Canberra Region feltmakers.  It is a lovely wool with a multitude of colours in it when you look closely.  When making bags and slippers it is better to use a coarser grade of wool for durability and strength as well as less prone to pilling.  To make the slippers a bit special, I put some lengths of spun sari silk through the wool to make swirls - I love the way the spun silk curls a little on itself when it gets wet and adds a beautiful texture.  I also added silk velvet around the cuff - this was a bit daring as its not easy to felt in and took a lot of working, but the luxury effect is totally worth it.