Meet The Hens Who Inspire The 'Happy Chicken' Dolls

Handmade dolls and chickens are pretty high on my list of favourite things. Black Hen's Happy Chicken series of rag dolls are inspired by a my flock. I love working outside amongst my girls; watching their antics as they putter around the garden scratching for tidbits. Each hen has a distinctive personality: some demure, some brash, while others are aloof.  Happy Chicken dolls are as distinctive as the hens that inspired them. Each rag doll is created with upcycled wool and vintage fabrics, buttons and embellishments. They are all one of a kind. Come visit Blondie, Misty, and Mother Hen when they make their public debut at the Anna Templeton Centre's Tea and Sale, this weekend December 13, 14, and 15th.

 Grey Mystique, aka Misty is an Aracuna who lays bright green eggs. She also has a muff and tuffs on the side of her head which gives her face lots of character.  Although she looks very angry about getting her picture taken, she is actually a very friendly and inquisitive chicken. She loves treats and comes when she is called. She is quite the girl.

Mother Hen is a mille fleur bantam. She is quite tiny and many people mistake her for a grouse or a partridge. Although she only lays a egg every couple of days she is an excellent mother and faithfully sit on any egg big or small. She loves to make nests in the woods under fallen trees.We stick eggs of all sizes under Mother and know that she will do a great job raising the chicks.

Blondie is a comet. She lays a large brown egg almost every day! She is quiet and calm. Blondie will run over when you come outside to see if you have a treat. Her feathers are a beautiful shade of strawberry blonde. She is beautiful and she knows it. 

No Idle Hands: Newfoundlands History of Functional Craft

Escape, 2010, Eric Walsh Photo

The 2nd Annual No Idle Hands will showcase a larger number of craftspeople who will demonstrate many of the functional crafts essential to the Newfoundlanders' survival in a bygone era but kept alive by a select few.
Come join us November 30 - December 1 at the Quidi Vidi Plantation in St. John's. Open from 10am till 4pm.
From 12 noon until 1pm on both days we invite you to bring your treasured family craft heirlooms and share their stories.
Admission is free! 

I will be there demonstrating hand embroidery. It is going to be a wonderful time. Drop by and say hi!

NORTH at the Craft Council Gallery

Chuckley Pears

Over the years, I have been blessed to teach numerous workshops in northern Newfoundland and Labrador. I love everything about the area: the people, the landscape and the weather. The northern province is down to earth, raw and beautiful. When there, I feel as if I can truly breath. As I mentioned in an early post, I learned to tuft when I was teaching in the Labrador Straits. It is a very happy memory of howling winds, cups of tea with large bowls of bakeapples and cream. The exhibition NORTH, will include work inspired by Northern experiences. Limited by time, I designed a smaller hand embroidered piece based on one of my favourite local shrubs. This pieces is a reflection of a fusion of my own goldwork style with the traditional art of caribou hair tufting. Chuckley Pears is worked on a background of recycled and felted wool suiting, with metallic threads, vintage shell buttons and caribou hair. I am pleased with the results and as my skill in tufting increases I feel I need to explore 'tufting' in a totally contemporary context. Very exciting prospects indeed!
Chuckley Pears will be on display in the NORTH exhibition at the Craft Council Gallery from Saturday November 30th to December 18th, 2013. The opening on Saturday the 30th will coincide with the Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador's Open House.

Lots on the go that day, if your out and about be sure to visit the Craft Council as well as stop by and visit me at the Quidi Vidi Village plantation for No Idle Hands; a showcase of craftspeople creating contemporary work which has its roots in traditional Newfoundland and Labrador craft....more on that event later :)

Labrador Tea As A Natural Dye

Labrador Tea,
Rhododendron groenlandicum
 Conception Harbour, NL

Labrador Tea, Rhododendron groenlandicum has a long history of use in Newfoundland and Labrador. Most often it is used to make a hot 'tea' by steeping the leaves. It has also been used as to flavour meat as well hung in closets to repel both moths and ghosts. It has a pleasant 'woodsy' aroma that reminds be of happy walks over the barrens.

One of the things that I love about working with local natural dyes is the scent that fills the studio as I work. This is especially lovely when working in winter. Autumn dried dye plants bring the hope of spring in the long dark days of February. 

Dyeing with northern plants is relatively easy. You don't need to premordant fibres, just add them to the dye bath with the wool. With just a little research you can find plants in your area that have dye properties.  On my property, in Newfoundland, there are over 20 different plants that will produce light and washfast colour. It is best to pick dye plants in the fall when the plant has had all summer to develop the tannins that will help produce colour.

Here is a basic recipe for Labrador Tea that will work with most plants and dye approximately 200 grams of fibre. 

You will need:

Wool and beaver teeth dyed with alum and
Labrador Tea picked in the Labrador Straits, February 2011.

20 grams of Alum (food grade alum can be purchased in bulk food shops and pharmacies, you can also order alum through natural dye suppliers such as Maiwa.
A 20 litre stock pot that has been designated for dyeing. The quality doesn't have to be great and you can get them for pretty cheap at big department stores or thrift shops.
A wooden spoon that has been designated for dyeing. 
Mild soap, such as Ivory bar soap.

1. Gather enough Labrador Tea to fill a grocery shopping bag. You can use all of the plant including the stems and stalks. Labrador Tea is slow growing so only pick a little from a patch and move on to the next area to insure that the plant stand is not compromised.
2. Put all of the Labrador Tea in a large stock pot.  For safety, designate a stock pot to be used only for dyeing.  Cover with water and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for an hour. Remove from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.
3. Prepare fibre for dyeing by tieing skeins of wool (to reduce tangling) and scouring (washing gently with warm water and mild soap). You may want to put fleece into a a mesh laundry bag.
4. Remove Labrador Tea but leave the dye 'liquor' in the pot. You may want to strain the liquor  if you are dyeing fleece to remove any bits that may tangle into the fibre.
5. Add Alum to dye liquor and stir to dissolve. Add fibre to be dyed and return to heat. Bring up to a simmer (190F/95C) and maintain temperature with out boiling for approximately an hour. 

Fleece and yarn that have been
dyed with Labrador Tea and Iron.

6. Allow pot and fibre to cool to room temperature and rinse gently with warm water and mild soap. Hang to dry. 

That's it! You have created a skein of sunny yellow wool or fleece.  By using iron as a mordant instead of alum, you can 'sadden' the colours the plants will produce.

If you are interested in more information on natural dyes, Maiwa has a great printable instruction sheet full of information. Interested in going further? I regularly teach workshops at the Anna Templeton Centre for Craft Art and Design. Follow us here and on Facebook for information on upcoming textile workshops. 

Happy colouring!

Art Dolls and Tree Toppers

Upcoming Workshop at that Anna Templeton Centre for Craft Art and Design

Eric Walsh Photo

Starts Wednesday, November 13, 3 Wednesday 6-9pm
What do a Victorian lady, an alien, a Greek Goddess, and your best friend all have in common? You can use them as inspiration for an incredible art doll! Susan Furneaux is excited to share her expertise, helping you to flush out the unique character of a doll or funky tree-topper of your own design. This class moves through designing the doll, making a materials list, and creating this work of art. Susan will teach you about doll stands and presentation and the mechanics of making a tree-topper. Dolls will be constructed using machine and hand stitching, so it is helpful to have some experience in these areas. Come create something unique that will be cherished for generations!   $90 (Most supplies are extra) To register, please contact the Anna Templeton Centre at 739-7623 or register online at http://www.annatempletoncenter.com/adult-classes/adult-design-classes/

Caribou Tufting at 11th Annual Craft Retreat

This weekend is the 11th Annual Craft Retreat hosted by Textiles: Craft and Apparel Design. This fun-filled weekend is held at the Ecological Conservation Centre on the Salmonier Line, Newfoundland.
The weekend is full of workshops, lectures and great food. Craftspeople from across the province come together in the beautiful setting to share ideas, skills and experiences.

During past Craft Retreats, I have held natural dye workshops but this year I thought I would mix it up and offer an Introduction to Caribou Tufting. Caribou and moose hair tufting is a traditional needle skill that is practiced throughout northern Canada. I was shown how to tuft by Grace Norman of the the Labrador Straits. I was in the area to instruct a design workshop and ended up snowbound. It was fortunate dilemma, as hair tufting was a skill that I hadn't tried and Grace was more than happy to share her skills. We stitched away the afternoon, drinking tea and watching the snow fly outside.

Perfect for those new to the skill of embroidery; the stylized floral pattern comes together with 3 simple stitches, caribou hair and vintage shell buttons.  Easy to stitch, the mastery comes in the shaping of the hair into perfect floral components. Send along an email if you would like more information about the Craft Retreat.

Natural Dye Workshop in New-Wes-Valley

Susan will be hosting an introductory natural dye workshop at, Nortons Cove Studio in New-Wes-Valley later this summer. The area is home to some of the most spectacular beaches in Newfoundland. A fun event in a beautiful location.

Colour Naturally

Tuesday,  August 20th, 1-4

Join fibre artist, Susan Furneaux, to create stunning colour from locally gathered plants. Participants will complete a one-of-a-kind Silk Scarf or skein of wool. Workshop fee is $30 includes all materials.

Off to Some Good Market Tomorrow

Black Hen Studio's Naturally Dyed Handspun Yarn

We are off to Some Good Market tomorrow. The Market is usually held in Makinsons, Newfoundland but tomorrow it is off to the big city of St. John's. Over 60 vendors from across the province will be showcasing their wares. It is going to be a great event. Laurie Legrow is the driving force behind Some Good Market. The bi-weekly event started in her garden and quickly outgrew the space.

The Artists of Black Hen Studio

Susan Furneaux 

Susan is passionate about hand embroidery and natural fibres. She is committed to the time required to tell a story through hand stitching with colours created from nature. Susan works seasonally: summer and fall are a time to gather and dye materials, winter and spring are for stitching. Her studio is nestled in beautiful Conception Harbour, where she spends time growing and foraging for dye plants and as well as collecting interesting objects to incorporate into her embroidery.

An instructor at the College of the North Atlantic’s Textiles Program, Susan has also taught textile workshops throughout North America. She has many followers who enjoy her passion for fibre, as well as her casual teaching style. Susan’s award-winning textile creations can be found in collections around the world

Michael Harlick 
Michael has been smithing metal for the past 15 years. Most of this time has been in the creation of fine one of a kind silver jewelry. More recently, he has been spending my time at the forge, shaping recycled metal into fine edged blades. Michael's designs are influenced by traditional metal smithing, the arts and crafts movement and his love of the fantasy genre, both in literature and role play gaming. His goal is for each piece he crafts is for it to be as beautiful as it is functional.

Black Hen Studio Goes to Town

Black Hen Studio will have it first sale of product on August 3 at Some Good Market in St. John's Newfoundland. Stay tuned for details on our product.