[Not all features of this blogpost will work when viewed as an email, to view it on my website click on the title above]
In September last year I started a new collaborative project with 11 other members of a textile art group on Facebook. Most of them have taken part in previous collaborative projects but there were a couple of new people as well. I bought some felt covered polystyrene balls (10cm/4inch approx), which henceforth shall be referred to as spheres, to avoid any sniggering at the back. The spheres were divided into two sets which were posted to each participant at different times, and we all contributed some embellishment to all of them. Eventually they made their way back to me and I allocated a sphere to each participant using a random system involving postcodes in alphabetical order. This was a fun project, it was really interesting to see the spheres evolve. However they proved difficult to photograph because spheres being spheres, they kept rolling away. Here are step by step photos of set A, I will do a separate post for set B.
spheres A1 – use arrows to see all of the photos
contribution by Annie Mac : “Metal disc stitched and friendly plastic piece added” 
contribution by Angela Boyce : “A little circle stitched with the flower stitcher on my machine and then stitched on with sewing thread.” 
contribution by Alli Scott :”Long stitch embroidery” 
Contribution by Carol Macdonald: “Red glitter straight stitch with blue and green cordonnets” 
Contribution by Deborah Kenward : “Plastic fruit netting added” 
Contribution by Dee Priest: ” scrap of offcut from book cover making. Free machines scraps on backing. Chain stitch and straight stitch in yellow” 
contribution by Fran Harkes” I added 3 of my handmade buttons” 
contribution by Rebecca Cordery:”Added a line of chain stitch around the triangle and a tail” 
contribution by Jane Spencer :”Needlefelted red spots” 
contribution by Lynn Snowden:”Added wool tops.. stitched with fluffy ends” 
contribution by Sandra Shiel: ” I added a lace daisy”
sphere A2 – use arrows to see all of the photos
contribution by Annie Mac “Pulled scrim with french knots” 
contribution by Angela Boyce : “I wound rat’s tail cord round the whole circumference 4 times and cross stitched it in place.” 
contribution by Alli Scott :”vintage African print applique” 
Contribution by Carol Macdonald: “Gathered ribbon with gold couching and white sequins” 
Contribution by Deborah Kenward : “Foil T-bag wrappers melted with heat gun and painted with Inktense paint” 
Contribution by Dee Priest: ” Painted craft vilene cut with a craft knife and machined to velvet. Running stitch in variegated thread then woven back in picking up a sequin each time.” 
contribution by Fran Harkes: ” I added the yellow plastic strip, found it on the floor of my partners workshop, it’s debris from an electric nail gun , apparently. 
contribution by Rebecca Cordery:”Added some pink fur and weaved it in using the joining stitches attaching the yellow plastic object. I continued the weave stitch on a further section until it looked right” 
contribution by Jane Spencer : “Handmade felt with silk and bamboo in aqua colours – cut into leaf shapes and needlefelted in like scales” 
contribution by Lynn Snowden:”Couched bobbles” 
contribution by Sandra Shiel: “I added the irridecsent flower sequins and bead centres”
sphere A3 – use arrows to see all of the photos
contribution by Annie Mac “Hand embroidered felt” 
contribution by Angela Boyce : “A piece of silk paper cut into a circle and then cut through and stitched on with Perle 8.” 
contribution by Alli Scott :”Recycled Lazer cut acrylic elements” 
Contribution by Carol Macdonald: “Gold spirals” 
Contribution by Deborah Kenward : “Sequin waste” 
Contribution by Dee Priest: ” Offcuts from project involving organza and scrim needlefelted to the ball topped with commercial felt disc surrounded by fleece strip which is the fanned out. Variegated thread for stitching” 
contribution by Fran Harkes;”I added the square wooden buttons” 
contribution by Rebecca Cordery:”My boy called this “the mad one” so I added some lamp work beads and other beads, plus some thread to make it look like a bit of washed up sea net” 
contribution by Jane Spencer : “Pipe cleaners covered in wool and spiralling” 
contribution by Lynn Snowden:”Added large button bead ..sequins n stitching” 
contribution by Sandra Shiel: “I added sequins between the felt sprays”
sphere A4 – use arrows to see all of the photos
contribution by Annie Mac “Felted piece stitched on” 
contribution by Angela Boyce : “A metallic mesh circle embroidered in place with mixed-in-the-needle metallic and DMC threads. It sort of changed shape as I worked so no longer a circle!” 
contribution by Alli Scott :”Vintage courdroy applique” 
Contribution by Carol Macdonald: “Mixed blue sequins” 
Contribution by Deborah Kenward : ” Woolly stitch” 
Contribution by Dee Priest: “Silk cocoons one inside the other to make a dangly pod with little turtle charm and variegated stitching” 
contribution by Fran Harkes: “I added a spiral of metal teeth from a zipper 
contribution by Rebecca Cordery:” I added lots of beads” 
contribution by Jane Spencer : “Hand made felt with silks in autumn colours cut into 6 circles and needlefelted on” 
contribution by Lynn Snowden:”Turquoise flat beads with stitching” 
contribution by Sandra Shiel: “I added sprays of tiny white beads”
sphere A5 – use arrows to see all of the photos
contribution by Annie Mac “Net added by Fran part covered with sparkly organza and trim edges” 
contribution by Angela Boyce : “I used a felting needle to fix this knitting yarn in place echoing the previous shapes.” 
contribution by Alli Scott :”vintage African print fabric with blanket stitch” 
Contribution by Carol Macdonald: “Tube and pearl beads” 
Contribution by Deborah Kenward : “Chain stitch & couronne rings” 
Contribution by Dee Priest: “Fleecey stuff couched on” 
contribution by Fran Harkes: “I added the straight orange stitches round the orange circles, then added beads and tassels inside the circles. 
contribution by Rebecca Cordery:” I added the crosses and the filling in bit in thread. Just stitches on this one” 
contribution by Jane Spencer : “Pipe cleaners covered in wool – spirals” 
contribution by Lynn Snowden:”Ribbon and wired on beads” 
contribution by Sandra Shiel: “I added a lace spray with buttons”
sphere A6 – use arrows to see all of the photos
contribution by Annie Mac “Trim and old sari” 
contribution by Angela Boyce : “I echoed the line of the ‘tiara’ with a black and red machine cord and then added the little flower, stitching it in place with variegated Perle 8 thread.” 
contribution by Alli Scott :”Long stitch embroidery with gold threads” 
Contribution by Carol Macdonald: “Bonfire couched gold thread and beads” 
Contribution by Deborah Kenward : “Plastic bobbin centres” 
Contribution by Dee Priest: “Offcut of organza and lace free machining needle felted to the ball. Free machined fabric disc attached to red felt and applied” 
contribution by Fran Harkes: ” I added the yellow beaded trim. 
contribution by Rebecca Cordery:”This called for lots of sequins” 
contribution by Jane Spencer : “Handmade felt cut into teardrops and needlefelted on” 
contribution by Lynn Snowden:”Machine embroidered circle with stitching and beads added.” 
contribution by Sandra Shiel: “I added irridescent flower sequins and beads”
Ok, thanks for looking , I’ll be back with set B soon.
part 2 is here
EDITED TO ADD : you can see more of my collaborative projects here..
https://www.mcanaraks.com/category/projects/completed-collaborations/
I really liked your spheres ,something quite different.Love your posts too!
Thank you for reading it Marien, the spheres were great fun to do 🙂
These are absolutely beautiful and fascinating! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Christine, I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Really enjoyed doing these and seeing what inventive things other people used! Amazing to see them finished now. Thank you Fran! You do lovely challenges!
Thanks for taking part Dee, it was an enjoyable one 🙂
Great, I’m glad you enjoyed it, this was the most stressful one yet, with trying to identify the spheres so I could add them to the blog, but we got there in the end. Won’t be doing spheres again, though!
They look lovely but where did you buy felt covered balls? Never heard of them before.
Thank you, I bought the felt covered polystyrene balls online from Ali Express
You are all so creative and talented. Thanks for posting. These are gorgeous!
Thank you Susan, I appreciate you reading it 🙂
😊
cheers 🙂
Great blog post, great challenge.
Thanks for taking part, couldn’t do it without you fellow collaborators 🙂
I really enjoyed participating in the decoration of these spheres. I found it quite challenging to keep up the standard which had been set. Made me think and experiment. Thank you Fran for organising, I look forward to taking part in the future
I’m glad you enjoyed it Sheila, thanks for taking part 🙂
These are beautiful and interesting! I’ve participated in challenges that were similar in that different participants contributed to the doll, and pages of an art book. I have several felted spheres that I had not idea what to do with until now! So inspiring ❤️
Tracy 🇨🇦
Thanks for reading Tracy, I’m glad you enjoyed it, collabortions are fun and stimulating, aren’t they!
This was my favourite set! I think I like contributing later in the cycle!
Fab collaboration again. Thank you
Thanks for taking part Jane 🙂
What a wonderful selection of creative work! 😍😍
Thanks Morag, it was a fun project 🙂