Textile Challenge/ October Challenge - Vessel

This month's Challenge for the Textile Challenge Group is to construct a 3D vessel. Well, still in my 'fantasy' mode (which I will be for quite a while) I decided to try my hand at an oil lamp! The fabric is built up from a piece of felt with painted garden fleece stitched into it and then blasted with a heat gun. Unfortunately it was the wrong sort of felt, and didn't melt, but the garden fleece did, which made a nice crunchy surface. I then painted it bright red (don't ask why!) then started attacking it with all sorts of other paints, and finally with a pearly paint. (click on the pic. to see closeup of the surface) I then ironed some fusibile web on the back, and stuck some crunched up dark grey tissue paper down, to cover up all the mess!! I then cut out the pieces for the lamp (four in all, two sides, a top piece and a gusset piece for the bottom) and hand and machine stitched it all together. Then I edged most of the seams with a hand dyed flat metallic knitting yarn, put some beads on the inner edge - job done! The little felt knob represents where the flame would be!
I thought I would include these Faery Shoes as well, as part of the Challenge. Well they are 3D, and could be termed as vessels! They are about 3" long, and made from a pattern by Annette Emms, published on Workshop on the Web way back in March 2005! Again, felt based, covered in Indian cotton fabric, stitched etc. and the soles painted, to give them rigidity.