needle felting

[badger]

I never knew such a thing existed until today. I was at a bookstore looking at books on making teddy bears and plush toys when I saw quite a few books on needle felting. I'm rather fascinated by this because you see some really amazing creations.

Do any of you needle felt (is that what it's even called)?

[HoosierGiant]

I don't do it, but my 12-year-old daughter, who's into all things crafty, has been begging me to order supplies so she can needle felt. You're right -- the creations are absolutely amazing!

[sfa]

I've tried it once--it's fun and easy. My sister has been into needle felting for a couple of years, mostly making embellished bags like the Halloween one below. I know there's a lot more you can do with it. The supplies aren't expensive to get started, so I say give it a try!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v126/Sarahfran/IMG_8151.jpg

[badger]

sfa, that bag is CUTE!!!

I'm liking how you aren't limited to just one thing with it, you can make clothes, decorations, even boots!!

I think I'll have to give it a whirl!

[bambu101]

Check out this very cool shop on etsy that makes needle felted polar bears, kittens, mushrooms, etc. Plus she has a couple of kits to get you started!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/JaniceCordeiro

[marni]

when I am not on the bike,, I am a handspinner who spin her own yarn for weaving traditional Navajo tapestry style weavings. I work with raw fleece, clean it, process it and spin it. I took up needle felting to use up some of the excess scruff fleece, the stuff to rough or short to spin. Our local spinners guild recently did an exhibit of felted critters in a garden at the craft center. I did a bunch of simple flowers, mostly because I didn't have time for much else. The SAG guy- my husband- does animals and silly birds as well as bags and miscellaneous stuff. My favorite winter shoes are a pair of needle felted clogs. enjoy it. it's a fun and sort of portable craft.

marni

[badger]

when I am not on the bike,, I am a handspinner who spin her own yarn for weaving traditional Navajo tapestry style weavings. I work with raw fleece, clean it, process it and spin it. I took up needle felting to use up some of the excess scruff fleece, the stuff to rough or short to spin. Our local spinners guild recently did an exhibit of felted critters in a garden at the craft center. I did a bunch of simple flowers, mostly because I didn't have time for much else. The SAG guy- my husband- does animals and silly birds as well as bags and miscellaneous stuff. My favorite winter shoes are a pair of needle felted clogs. enjoy it. it's a fun and sort of portable craft.

marni

wow, handspinner? that's very cool, how did you get into that?

I got a couple of books from the library, and really, some of the creations are so amazing!

[snowroo]

Hey Marni, I spin too. I'm third generation spinner. My gran taught me when she was blind.

I have two wheels, the ashton I leaned on and my grans wheel which is a norweigen double drive thing that's hard to use. Haven't spun in years. The same foot thing that stopped me running and drove me to biking prevents me from treadling.

Do you have pics of your work?

Curiously coincidentally, I pulled out my knitting box as am laid up from surgery on Friday from same foot. I came across a bobbin - the last thing I spun was golden retriever hair. I spun and knitted up a scarf for a pair who adored their dog.

Sorry about the thread hijack. Excited to see a fellow spinner!

[NoNo]

I just read an interview with a mother-daughter team that sells felted soaps. What an original (and time-consuming) way to make unique soaps (my second job after my FT "real" job). They were gorgeous and I guess in theory you just wash with the felting on, acting as a scrub of sorts. However, I can't imagine ever using a bar that looked so nice.

http://images.soapqueen.com/ShoutOutSoaps/feltedsoap.jpg
Photo taken from the Soap Queen blog

[sfa]

The felted bars of soap are great--the felt just continues to tighten up as you wash with it. I've never used one with that cute of a pattern on it, but I imagine it holds the image pretty well.

Sarah

[badger]

I wish I was half as creative as these people, I'm just happy to be able to draw a stick man!

[marni]

Badger

I was taught to spin by my sister in the back of a car on the way to the Taos Wool festival 15 years ago because "there is no reason to go to a wool festival unless you can shop."

After that, the bug bit,and I did it the hard way by deciding that I needed to learn it all from the ground up (the first sheep I sheared is probably still in therapy) to learning one of the more diffficult, obscure and highly traditional form of weaving a finished product.

Felting came as a form of using up the scruff from sorting and carding the fleece and is so instant gratification fast that it hardly counts.

Sno roo
My husband (also a spinner and weaver) and I have three wheels we share, an Ashford Joy, and Peacock (forerunner of an ashford tiny tim) and a Bosworth Journey wheel, along with The Sag Guys' looms ( 4) my weaving and Navajo Frame looms (6) plus far too many hand spindles to to count- plus we are guardians for the local guilds' looms, spinning wheels and fiber processing and felitng equipment - Maybe that's why we only have one road bike each.;)

Now, back to the real thread about felting and riding and quilting and what not.

[Dannielle]

I'm a dollmaker (as well as a cyclist lol) and I've done my share of needle felting. Here's some pics-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/princessnimblethimble/1952665725/in/set-72157594579822801/

I also use felting needles to root hair in dolls like this-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/princessnimblethimble/198417829/in/set-72157594335948162/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/princessnimblethimble/2059302385/in/set-72157594579822801/

It's been a while since I've done any needle felting though. It's a lot of fun!

[badger]

I'm a dollmaker (as well as a cyclist lol) and I've done my share of needle felting. Here's some pics-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/princessnimblethimble/1952665725/in/set-72157594579822801/

I also use felting needles to root hair in dolls like this-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/princessnimblethimble/198417829/in/set-72157594335948162/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/princessnimblethimble/2059302385/in/set-72157594579822801/

It's been a while since I've done any needle felting though. It's a lot of fun!

wow, those are amazing!!

[snowroo]

Stunning!