Working in fibre gives Janice much joy!   She is primarily a wet felter – using the process of adding warm soapy water, friction and heat to coax wool fibres into felting, either with themselves or with silk fabric.   The same basic principles allow her to create hats, scarves, handbags, felted lampshades and garments from wool and silk.  Using silk fusion techniques,  she creates clutch handbags and lanterns from wispy fine silk fibres.    

Wool fibres spun into textured yarns are woven into scarves or squares used to accent the front of a purse.   And most recently, using long curly locks from particular breeds of sheep, she creates dramatic collars and scarves.  Working with fibre has been part of her life for the last 10 years, ever since a cancer episode led her into a world of creativity through necessity.    A bald head in the winter in Manitoba needs a hat!   And a hat during cancer treatments needs to be a fabulous hat!!  Everything that followed is what Janice refers to, tongue in cheek, as the silver lining in the whole episode.     Coincidentally, her hair grew back in a beautiful silver shade – the other silver lining!

Living on Lake Lac du Bonnet for 7 months of the year and on Vancouver Island for the winters gives lots of variation in surroundings, light and beauty – much of which works its way into her work.    Colour is everything to Janice – she struggles to accommodate those who want to live in earth tones.

A changing repertoire makes her booth worth visiting each year.  Things are never the same!   Her flights of fancy lead to her Flights of Fibre.  Don’t miss visiting her during this Boreal Shores Art Tour!

Flights of Fibre

Face Book/ Flights of Fibre