Rollin', Rollin', Rollin' - in the Spirit of Peace

TODAY I spent a good part of the day felting with a group here in Austin for their Peace Felt Project. If you don't know about Peace Felt yet...go here or here.

Group organizer Mary Tokumaru contacted me and shared that they wanted to create a felted origami lotus flower - emulating their group logo to give to their peace partners. But as it turns out...not one of them had ever felted!

Their group is Sheng Zhen Austin. They are a local group practicing a special kind of qigong (chi kung) known as Sheng Zhen Wuji Yuan Gong.

Mary makes Origami, and so a few weeks ago I received a crash course in origami. I then agreed to help them make an origami lotus flower to send to their Peace Partners, the Hera Group in the UK. They started today 8/28 by felting enough to create two flowers, one for their group and one for HERA.

We opened our gathering with a very lovely Qigong exercise(I don't know the proper term) calles AWAKENING THE SOUL. Sitting on small stools in a circle, we went through a series of movements that cleared the air of nervous energy, focusing the participants, and opening the heart... allowing peace and calm to bless our space.

THEN ...it got pretty crazy :O) It was a challenge to keep everyone's attention because they were so ready to go! At least while learning to felt in their little palm pieces.

They were very proud of their little starter felts...


The architect in the group could NOT rest until her edges were straight :O) so she discovered the scissors and made it something she was finally satisfied with.



That was entertaining...and then we got down to some serious work...getting plenty soppy felting on the floor! Having no tables was a surprise, but I thought of Mehmet and Theresa May O'brien...it seems as thought all of their workshops are on the floor. :O)




I have definitely felted larger pieces on the floor -- but tables really are easier on the body. Many of the participants had a challenge with this - but they all did their best and put their love into the project.

The outcome desired are Two Lotus Flowers, each with 12 petals and 6 leaves, something like this:



Next they will sew it into an origami shape...I'll share as soon as I get the updates!