Looking for NEEDLE FELTING Tut! - Page 2

Janelle Zorko · #31 2008-02-19, 1:13pm

Here's what I have for sale -

Needle Felting Starter Kit (Fiber Trends) - $8.99 - Comes with foam pad, four needles and instructions.

Needle Felting Needles (four without the foam pad) - $6.49

Color Variety Pack of Fiber - 8 colors, 1.25oz total - $5.99

Natural Variety Pack - 3 undyed sheep colors - 1.25oz total - $5.99

Natural Roving (white) - 3.5oz package - $8.99

Wysteria Lane Roving in about a million colors - ok, well, not a million but a lot - $2.68 each (each has 12 inches of roving)

Moss, Navy, Marigold, Fir, Eggplant, Teal, Lilac Haze, Nutmeg, Sky Blue, Rose, Berry, Periwinkle, Black, Smoke, Copper, Camel, Chocolate, Lima Bean, Blue, Green, Magenta, Orange, Purple, Turquoise, Yellow, Red, Candy, Lagoon, Lime, Lavender, Lemon, Pansy, Raspberry, Natural, Tangerine, Dk Green, Blue Wine, Brick, Blue, Blue Green, Navy, Red Variegated, Mahogany, Agate, Blue Brown, Flesh, Gray Variegated, Lt Gray, Med Gray, Dk Gray

I can also get needle felting tools that have or hold 4+ needles at a time.

If you're interested, let me know what and I'll send you a PP invoice!

Janelle

P.S. Roberta, I was teaching. It's a class I offer at least once a month!

artwhim · #32 2008-02-20, 6:08pm

OK, I finally got the tutorial for the pansy posted. I also wrote a "primer" that follows the tutorial with more general information to get people started. You can find them here:

http://midwestcreativecollective.wordpress.com/

Janelle, did your heart class go well? I love how easy it is to manipulate the wool. The designs are endless.

Tammy, I haven't seen her book, but am familiar with some of her beautiful work. Not sure if she is still a member on LE, but she joined at one time. Great pieces you posted! Love the combination of lampwork and felt. Sounds like you do many fun things at your place. I'll have to try and get there sometime.

Janelle Zorko · #33 2008-02-20, 7:38pm

Yep - it went great! I gave people the choice of what they wanted to make. Two chose teddy bears, one chose the heart, and one made the cutest llama head and neck I've ever seen. I love how people "get it" right away. It's an easy class to teach!

Janelle

artwhim · #34 2008-02-20, 9:00pm

Glad it went so well. It's wonderful someone even wanted to be adventurous and do the llama.

theglasszone · #35 2008-02-23, 1:49pm

OK - You needle felting people....I have a question for 'ya! I'm dying to try this art form...I'm allergic to wool, but after some "trials" and a discussion with my doctor, we are confident with the ALPACA that I won't have problems - yippee!!! OK - so I have a bunch of great ideas - I'm a DOLL LOVER, so I'll be trying dolls probably after my first few "get-to-know-what-I'm-doing" small projects.

Here's the question: If I want to clothe my dolls, is there a way, besides felting the "clothes" right onto the doll body, to make "felt cloth" to make 3-D (removable) clothing? I'm considering buying pre-made felt, adding needle felted embellishments, and making the clothing from this. I'm way more enthusiastic about making the doll itself than jacking around making my own felted cloth - what do you think?

Imput, please!

artwhim · #36 2008-02-24, 12:24am

Clothing can be made 3-D and even removable with needle felting. OK, maybe not a first time project, but after you've tackled a few things I don't see any reason it won't work. All of the clothing I've put on my figures is semi 3D. Often I will fit the bodice of a dress directly to the figure, but the skirt part of the dress is loose. Another example would be Santa's coat. The sleeves and upper part of the coat are felted directly on the figure, but the bottom of the coat is loose so it fits like a real coat. Hope that makes sense.

I haven't made removable clothing, in part because I would then feel obliged to finish the bare body in detail. The trickiest part would be the sleeves. You could felt them flat in a sleeve shape (are you familiar with clothing patterns?) and then when you join the sleeves you would need a piece of foam that would go in the center of the sleeve. You would need to be careful to not deeply felt this seam so the fibers from one side of the sleeve don't go to the other side.

It is possible to buy real wool felt, but you have to look around for it. The stuff sold in most craft stores is synthetic. You could also use old wool remnants from clothing that have been fulled. I haven't done this, but I think you just wash and dry the pieces over and over until they get thicker. You can then needle felt onto it.

One problem with using sheet felt or the old garments would be the seams. One of the reasons I like to needle felt the clothes is to get a "continuous flow" look. Often in doll making, to me the seams look out of proportion to the garment. It is entirely possible I'm the only person on earth this bugs. LOL

When making a figure, the clothes actually needle felt really fast. When I'm making a sheet to use (a skirt, for example) I will use a needle holder with 4 needles. It's amazing how fast the sheet felts. I don't tend to use the multi tool when felting the bodice portion, but keep in mind you will still need to cover the body of the figure with something, so it might as well be the clothes.

I have a lot of allergies too and don't wear wool sweaters. Fortunately the wool roving doesn't seem to bother my allergies. Glad your doctor thinks it will work for you.

theglasszone · #37 2008-02-24, 12:50am

Oh, wow!!! Thanks for the great reply!!!! I have made bears, dolls, and designed my own doll and "creature" clothing - I even won a Blue Ribbon on my first entry in our local (Los Angeles) County Fair many years ago!!! I'm confident that, once I get a feel for it and put my mind to it, I will leap forward and - as I usually do with just about everything! - try a difficult project as quickly as possible

What can I say....

I think I might use the "synthetic" concept - even though I suppose it's sort of "cheating" - but I'm probably going to save a lot of time and itchiness if I go this route. I would probably make clothes just like full sized clothes - on the sewing machine with seams and all - since this would be my natural tendency!

Thanks so much for the input!!! I can't wait to get my stuff together and try it out!!!

DeAnne in CA

zoomerpop · #38 2008-02-26, 6:06am

JoAnn fabrics also carries needle felting supplies and you can use the 40% off coupon.
They don't have the extensive colors that Janelle has, but for starters to see if you like it and then graduate to Janellle's site.

theglasszone · #39 2008-02-26, 9:42am

Quote:

Originally Posted by zoomerpop

JoAnn fabrics also carries needle felting supplies and you can use the 40% off coupon.
They don't have the extensive colors that Janelle has, but for starters to see if you like it and then graduate to Janellle's site.

Thanks! I guess each "Joann" store carries variations of what is most popular in their area My local Joann? Nada!!! I went over there yesterday and was "lucky" to find a pillow form in upholstery foam...it's just the right size to sit on my lap so I can work while watching TV (yea, right? - sounds like a disaster waiting to happen...better keep the band-aids handy!) They looked at me like I had two heads when I asked if they had ANY needle felting supplies...they do have a nice selection of pre-made synthetic felts, though. I'll probably have to go on-line to get supplies!

DeAnne in CA

PaulaD · #40 2008-02-26, 1:54pm

Wow. I love this stuff. I am sorry I looked. I don't have time for another addiction..
Great pieces Kathy!
Paula