Fiber artist working in felt, silk and other fabrics. One of a kind millinery.
I am working on a line of small felt purses for the Sandpiper Gallery’s Annual Courthouse Art Festival, August 8th, 2026, in Polson, Montana.
Just waiting for the leather to arrive to attach the leather straps that will be perfect for these light weight, but strong little purses.
I have been busy this spring preparing for two classes I will be teaching at the MAWS (Montana Association of Weavers and Spinners) conference June 19-21 at the University of Montana in Missoula. Some years back I took a necklace class from Deb Koesters, an exceptional fiber artist from Iowa. I thought this would be a fun project for Montana felters. Here are pictures of a few of the necklaces I have made. Some of them will be showcased in a fiber art show at 4 Ravens Gallery starting First Friday, June 5th. If you are interested in the class, use this link https://www.montanaweavespin.org/about-3
As a bonus for this class I will provide information to make bracelets from the leftover pieces of felt.
Sunshine and 49 in Missoula today. Snowdrops and bunnies have been on my work table the past few days.
I’ve been working on a series of Shawl pins during these cold, winters days.
Decided to make some bunny sachets. My seeds arrived in the mail yesterday. I have had lavender seeds stratifying in the refrigerator for nearly a month so I should be able to start a few seeds soon.
As I was looking for yarn for another small knitting project I found a bag of skeins of Shetland yarn spun from my Shetland sheep wool by a dear friend in Iowa. Martha Williams and I started our friendship on the Internet in the ‘90’s. It all started with her purchasing fleeces. As our friendship evolved she ended up coming for a week long visit, during which she organized my newly shorn fleece by color. At the time I had a large flock of Shetland sheep, known for a range of eleven colors, so this was no small task.
So lots of memories in this beautiful yarn spun by Martha from Emma’s wool. Image my surprise when Martha sent me an assortment of skeins from some of my favorite sheep. Each with a carefully made card with all the important information. Martha passed in 2021 and I will cherish this scarf and the memories it brings.
Decided to try my own version of a felt shawl pin this morning. Got the size correct on the second try. Just a bit of simple embellishment on this one but the possibilities are endless. Now to tackle making my own sticks. Will work nicely on this shawl I just finished. My first knitting in quite a few years. Good therapy for the present time.
Assembled a selection of red, grey, black and whites silk pieces to create this scarf. The reverse is a layer of red bamboo.
A few years back I discovered that I could use the remnants from hat making to create felt sachets. Most are filled with lavender but I also use kiln dried cedar and balsam.
Here’s a new scarf that I just delivered to 4 ravens gallery, in Missoula yesterday. It is a patchwork of hand dyed silk fabrics combined with with fine merino wool.
Judith Colvin Designs