5 Needle Felting Tips & A Free Needle Felting Pattern

re: 5 Needle Felting Tips & A Free Needle Felting Pattern

Genie Posnett — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:36:33 GMT

Wish I could show you the rag doll head I just finished! The doll has been sitting without its head for four months, and your challenge reached me on a rainy day in Maryland. The lucky fellow now has a good head on his shoulders.

re: 5 Needle Felting Tips & A Free Needle Felting Pattern

JaimeG — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 11:29:07 GMT

I tried needlefelting with my 5 year-old son and he was definitely too young! He was a pretty enthusiastic puncher and ended up poking himself with the needles. But he has enjoyed other felting projects for kids... like making felted soaps using roving and any bar of soap. And we have made roving butterflies with his preschool class (just use colorful roving and pipecleaners).

re: 5 Needle Felting Tips & A Free Needle Felting Pattern

tamcat9 — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 02:51:00 GMT

I had several boiled wool sweaters that had some moth holes in them and after seeing the process done at a craft fair decided to cover the holes with needle felting. To date I have been asked to sell the jackets 6 times, I did trailing vines with just a circles for a rose in several colors and used several shades of green for the leaves. It was a great way to make something old and tired, new and refreshed. I'm hooked. I also got an old sweater at the Goodwill and cut out large leaf shapes, maple, oak. and did the felting for the shading in the fall leave. Then felted about 12 different ones together and made an unusual scarf. I have pictures if anyone is interested in seeing them, tamcat9@sbcglobal.net

re: 5 Needle Felting Tips & A Free Needle Felting Pattern

LouisaL — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 13:25:41 GMT

Sandi, As and healthcare professional who also works with needles of all types I'm so glad you mentioned not to share needles in case of an accidental exposure to piercing yourself instead of the fiber! Thank you for caring, Bridget Lopez

re: 5 Needle Felting Tips & A Free Needle Felting Pattern

DonnaK@3 — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 12:15:15 GMT

Anyone ever needle felt with young children? Am I crazy to even consider it?!

re: 5 Needle Felting Tips & A Free Needle Felting Pattern

BonnieD — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 11:40:36 GMT

I make the Cat Bordhi mobius bags with WEBS Berkshire yarn as Easter baskets. After felting them, I add large airy flowers on two sides by needle felting bits of roving and using either the same yarn or a contrasting color to make a big center "eye" for the flowers. So many people have liked them that I now sell them to friends for the cost of the yarn, to others for a little more than the cost of the yarn, or give them away as house warming, or hostess gifts. They're fun to make and look great.

re: 5 Needle Felting Tips & A Free Needle Felting Pattern

rkr4cds — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 22:38:04 GMT

If you've 'accidentally' shrunk (fulled) a wool sweater in the washing matching, go ahead and toss in into a dryer cycle too. Or purchase all wool sweaters, skirts, vests, ties and light jackets/coats from resale shops for this purpose: woven fabrics work as well as knit, though you may have to treat them a couple of times to these hot & cold/ agitation & friction cycles to full them completely. What you are aiming for is a non-raveling fabric that can be cut into shapes like slipper soles, or clothing, purse & hat embellishments - or anywhere else you'd want to needle into. Be sure to stabilize the background fabric (Sandi stuffed her slippers full, which held the fabric out smoothly and firmly) but you'll need an embroidery hoop or frame for flat fabrics: use woven fabric or a non-stretchy knit. Reinforce stretchy ones like some sweatshirts, as you'll end up with flared out sections instead of flat. Needler rkr4cds

re: 5 Needle Felting Tips & A Free Needle Felting Pattern

KD Sandi — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 21:27:34 GMT

Sure! If you look closely at the photo of my birdie slippers, I needlefelted some white wool to the bottoms to strengthen the sole and make a warmer layer between my feet and the floors. Using white wool might seem crazy, but my floors are all hardwood, and fairly clean, except for little wisps and clumps of white dog and cat fur that roll around the floors! The bottoms of my blue slippers always looked white anyways, so I figured if I covered the bottom with a warm layer of white wool, it would actually help hide the fur!

re: 5 Needle Felting Tips & A Free Needle Felting Pattern

Mamawsandy — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 19:50:29 GMT

Can I make a felted piece of knitting to make a sole for the bottom of a purchased house shoe? Sandra