IMPORTANT SAFETY TIP: Needles for needle felting are both sharp and covered with barbs from the tip up about an inch along the shaft. DO NOT use them on a table without the foam block and don't try needle felting when you are likely to be distracted. It is really going to hurt if you poke your fingers with this needle! Do everything possible to keep that from happening!!
Since I was making two flower centers, I pulled two pieces of brown wool roving from the roving batt, making sure they were both about the size of a quarter. I had watched several YouTube videos of how to needle felt shapes, so I knew to fold my roving into the rough shape I wanted, and that's what I did. I laid one of the pieces on my foam block and started poking it with one of the needles, trying to push it into a denser and smaller disk. I'd heard that it was better to push the needle through the roving at a 90 degree angle to lessen the pressure on the needle so it wouldn't break as easily so I started out poking my wool roving in an up and down fashion. I was sure glad I bought the needles with plastic covers on the end after a bit as they were easier to hold when you are needling for a long time.
After two-three minutes of poking the wool with my barbed needle, the disc was a little denser and smaller. I started folding the edge of my disc under and poking along the edge, trying to make a rounded edge and a thicker disk that way. Occasionally I would roll he disk with my fingers, trying to shape it better. Fold, poke for a minute, turn the disk a bit, fold under the edge again, poke for a minute, turn, repeat. After about 25 minutes of this, I had a rounded shape that was almost a quarter inch larger than the size of my paper pattern. It was thicker and denser than the wool roving I'd started with since the needle action pushed and matted it together. I put my felting disk and needles aside and took out my piece of felt, cutting a rectangle a bit smaller than the foam block that came with the needle felting kit.
 |
| Holding the disk while pushing into the felt with the needle |
I put the felt on top of the block and my wool roving disk on top of the felt. Then I continued to poke the wool roving as before except now I was trying to bond the disk to the black felt. I couldn't turn under the edge any more but I could poke it from the side with my needle, trying to push it into the middle. Of course this slant is harder on the needle so I was careful and didn't push it so far into the foam block underneath the felt and the roving. In the photo above you see the wool button I am making and the needle slant I was starting to use, plus the paper pattern that is my size reference.
It took me another 30 minutes to push and shove and poke the brown roving into a button that was the right size to be the flower center. In other words, one flower center took an hour. This is a very basic shape so you can see a more complex shape like a squirrel or cat or dog will take a while.
 |
| Felting block, felt, needle angles and the beaded orange flower where the center goes |
I think using the thick felt as a base is not necessary. The thinner felt I can get at the fabric store will probably work ok, even though it isn't 100% wool. Anyone else have an opinion on this?
I think also some folks needle felt right onto NP canvas but I'm not sure about that. Has anyone else tried this?
I discovered that even though my two needles appear to be the same size and are unmarked, one works better at creating the basic shape using the up and down action and the other works better at an angle to prod the basic shape into a smaller and denser button. I ended up switching needles when I switched needle angles.
It looks like more complex shapes are built by adding rolls of different colors and shapes as you see in this video of a stand alone owl. But that is a topic to explore later on another canvas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GychGBLkEO4
Hope this helps you figure out needle felting so you can try it yourself. Be careful with the needles!
Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
14 comments:
I think some of the stitchers at last year's Aristeia retreat felted a squirrel directly onto the canvas. Maybe one of them would share this technique.
I am hoping some of the folks who have done needle felting will speak up. After all, I have NO IDEA what I am doing! (which is pretty par for the course here in CH)
I did Aristeia's "Boat Friends" as a long distance stitcher through BeStitched. BeStitched videoed Jan doing the felting and posted them on YouTube, although those videos are probably not available outside the class.
Aristeia had use felt the roving directly onto the canvas with no felt. It didn't take as long to do it as it took Jane, but because I was creating animals with arms and legs and shading of colors, it took several days of putting it down and picking it up before I was satisfied with the outcome. I do find the wool roving fibers are wispy and might have been contained better had there been felt on the back of the project. The first I heard of using felt was a note Palma made, either on FB or Stitcherie. I'll have to give it a try.
I have needlefelted right onto stryofoam balls to make Christmas ornaments, but found I broke several needles in the process despite trying to keep the 90 degree angle. Any tips from anyone on how to avoid the breakage other than the angle, since that failed big time for me? Haven't tried it yet for a canvas.
Yes, the late and great Wendy taught to needle it right to the canvas, no other felt involved! Using the wool roving, a needle felting tool and foam block you just create your design right on the canvas or to the canvas I should say. Way too much fun!
Thanks for the tutorial. Amy Bunger's video, A Closet Full of Stitches, has instruction on how to felt directly on to the canvas. It is a man's beret that she demonstrates the technique on. I must give it a try.
Thanks for the additional information, Folks. MNStitcher, I wonder if the styrofoam was catching the barbed needle more than the more dense foam block used for felting does? I found it very hard to keep the felting needle perpendicular to the block. As for needle felting directly onto NP canvas, does anyone who has does this think the barbed needle weakens the NP canvas threads? I was worried about that as Belleza will be a shop model and on display for a long time. I also didn't want to needle felt around all those beads on my flower petals.
I found the felting needle slipped between the canvas threads easily and I didn't notice any damage or experience any catching or tugging.
I just felted directly onto a canvas using a rounded patch of wool felt. It looks good and is just the effect I was hoping for. Can't reveal much more about that project... right now. Hopefully, soon. Good to see you posting your stitching, Jane. We all learn so much from you. Hugs, Robin
Thanks for the info, Goldy. This was my first try so that's probably why it took me so long. After all, I was making it up as I went along. Some videos I found on YouTube showed felt being used as a base for felted shapes that were appliquéd later, so I thought that might be the way to go since I was worried about the beads and the NP canvas threads being damaged. Next time I'll try felting directly onto the canvas.
I am eager to hear more when you can show off your new piece, Robin. Sounds like it is much like the shape I did but felted onto the canvas directly. Did your felting needle pierce the NP canvas threads? That's what I was worried about. My flower centers are almost half an inch across and about a quarter of an inch thick and took about an hour each to do. Is that about the time you spent on your needle felting? I think I was slow because I had no idea what I was doing and also needed two identical rounds for my two flower centers.
Thanks, Vicky. I was wondering about felting right onto the canvas. I thought it would damage the threads of the canvas itself and maybe damage the beads so I didn't go that route. If I'd had any experience with this, I might have tried it. Next time!
Thanks, Goldy. I was worried about that.
Post a Comment