Needle felting has become a new passion, restrained only by the amount of available fibers on hand. I have wanted a new IPod cover and decided that I would make one. Below you will see a couple of different kinds of merino prefelts. I really like the stability that using them as a base gives to the finished fabric. The prefelt on the right is probably my favorite. It's not too heavy and not too light. Available from Fine Fiber Press. The only potential drawback is that it comes only in white - but can be dyed very easily. The other piece is as light as a feather and is available in an array of 14 gorgeous colors from Outback Fibers. Outback also sells a wonderful sample pack of all their colors in generous ten inch squares. That's a great was to both see the colors and experiment with the prefelt. You can easily see how gauzy the Outback Fiber prefelt is compared to the heftier one from Fine Fiber Press. They both have advantages and I have been using both equally as much lately. Outback Fibers also carries a dizzying array of other fibers - it's very hard to be restrained when I get to their website.
If you have not seen the wonderful work of Pat Spark (the co owner of Fine Fiber Press) you owe yourself some eye candy by looking at her work. She does amazing hand needle felted 'water color' pieces that are breath taking. She is also a truly fabulous teacher. A lucky chance to take one of her classes locally is what led me into this latest fine obsession. Thank you San Juan Textile Guild for sponsoring this class
They next two photos are a sampling of the wool rovings I will use and then a photo of how I loosely laid the fibers on the prefelt to begin the felting. Fibers being brushed out and blended on the brush (aka card) and another photo of the first bit of felting being done with my trusty new Pfaff... which I am appreciating more and more. Below those are pictures of the felted fabric from the front and from the back.
When I finished doing the felting on this piece it looked like Fire on the Land to me .. and now I am wondering if I should keep it to use as a full piece or make my desired IPod cover ....next step is wet felting. I'll see how that turns out before I decide. I think felting is a magical process - I love never knowing what the final result will really be like.
If you have not seen the wonderful work of Pat Spark (the co owner of Fine Fiber Press) you owe yourself some eye candy by looking at her work. She does amazing hand needle felted 'water color' pieces that are breath taking. She is also a truly fabulous teacher. A lucky chance to take one of her classes locally is what led me into this latest fine obsession. Thank you San Juan Textile Guild for sponsoring this class
They next two photos are a sampling of the wool rovings I will use and then a photo of how I loosely laid the fibers on the prefelt to begin the felting. Fibers being brushed out and blended on the brush (aka card) and another photo of the first bit of felting being done with my trusty new Pfaff... which I am appreciating more and more. Below those are pictures of the felted fabric from the front and from the back.
When I finished doing the felting on this piece it looked like Fire on the Land to me .. and now I am wondering if I should keep it to use as a full piece or make my desired IPod cover ....next step is wet felting. I'll see how that turns out before I decide. I think felting is a magical process - I love never knowing what the final result will really be like.
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