Needle felting

"Psalm 34" Number of posts : 54431 Mood :

Have any of you ever done any needle felting? A friend of mine sent me a starter kit, and I didn't think I'd like it very much . . . but it's pretty enjoyable. It's done using raw, carded fiber like wool, or alpaca hair, etc. . . and uses a barbed needle to shape whatever you're making by poking it repetitively. (Opie, by the way, is incredibly interested in the sound the needle makes as it passes through the wool! :Hahaha: He was scaring me yesterday, because he kept sticking his paw so close to the needle!) I don't think I'll probably do a lot of needle felting, because I have too many other things to try and juggle right now, and really don't have time to add another hobby in - but, at any rate . . . it seems like it could be fun. This is a little bear I made with the starter kit my friend sent me:

Needle felting Felted

Subject: Re: Needle felting Tue Feb 10, 2009 11:38 pm

Those are so cute Savannah! Applause

I take good care of the little book marker you sent me!

I would have no idea where to start lol
Great work! Thumbsup

Subject: Re: Needle felting Tue Feb 10, 2009 11:55 pm

I'm about as crafty as a ten thumbed gorilla, so no, I have done any of this, but...

I have a writer friend who does it and she wrote a book where she used pictures of her needle felting objects for the illustrations. It was really neat. There's also an instruction sheet at the end of the book that shows how to do it.

You seem to have gotten all my crafting genes. Do you want to give them back? I might use them one day. Laughing

The bears are cute.

Subject: Re: Needle felting Wed Feb 11, 2009 12:21 am

You did great work, Savannah! Those bears are so cute!

"Within the heart of every stray, lies the singular desire to be loved."

Subject: Re: Needle felting Wed Feb 11, 2009 8:37 am

That is so cute Savannah!!!! What a great job you did.....

The only needle felting I have done, was when I stepped on a needle and felt it go into my big toe......A trip to the doctor, some cutting and removing of said (broke off) needle was done and I felt the needle no more..........

CANCER FREE!!! April 9, 1998-April 9, 2025-I AM A SURVIVOR!!!

Subject: Re: Needle felting Wed Feb 11, 2009 11:01 am

They're darling Savannah! Applause

And they have such 'character' too! I'm trying to figure out---did they come with a 'form', like moveable arms and legs and such? And then you sew on top of those? Or is this somehow from 'scratch'? I'm not sure I could do this. I do love cross-stiching but have gotten away from it...I would love to pick up a new kit and start again. This kind of sounds like fun though! You could open a craft booth and sell this stuff, you know? Along with all your other crafty items! Thumbsup

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”

~Mother Teresa

Subject: Re: Needle felting Wed Feb 11, 2009 12:28 pm

Rhonda wrote:: The only needle felting I have done, was when I stepped on a needle and felt it go into my big toe......

Rhonda!

"Psalm 34" Number of posts : 54431 Mood :

Amy wrote:: They're darling Savannah! And they have such 'character' too! I'm trying to figure out---did they come with a 'form', like moveable arms and legs and such? And then you sew on top of those?

No, there aren't any forms or molds . . . you just start with raw fiber, and poke repetitively til it (hopefully) starts to look like what you want it to. Hold on. . . I'll take a picture of what the kit started out with........

(I was just as unfamiliar with this stuff as you are, by the way! :fyi: I'd heard of it, but the "how to" part didn't make sense, even after reading the directions. So, I just went "by guess and by golly".)

Okay......Here's what came in the kit - along with useless directions:

Needle felting 102_0336

And, because the needle is very sharp, and barbed, you use a piece of foam or something like that to protect yourself from being poked.

Cheryl, what's the name of your friend's book? My SIL is looking at really getting into this needle felting, and she might find that helpful.

And Rhonda!! :Hahaha: (I'm not laughing that you stepped on the needle! Just at how you worded that! :haha: )

Subject: Re: Needle felting Wed Feb 11, 2009 4:51 pm

Oh Wow they Look Cute

Subject: Re: Needle felting Wed Feb 11, 2009 5:31 pm

Very cute, Savannah.

It amazes me how you started with what was in that kit and turned it into a darling little bear.

Spring is finally here, the lovely pink blooms on the "spray" tree outside my window are gone leaving a beautiful willow.

"Psalm 34" Number of posts : 54431 Mood :

Thank you, Jacob and Alice! (Alice, I was actually surprised, too. :Hahaha: )

Subject: Re: Needle felting Wed Feb 11, 2009 11:26 pm

Savannah wrote:: Cheryl, what's the name of your friend's book? My SIL is looking at really getting into this needle felting, and she might find that helpful.

It's actually a kid's book, but the last page has needle felting instructions. The book is called Rainbow Sheep and it's by Kim Chatel. Here is a link to Kim's website: http://www.kimchatel.com/Home.html If you click on Art you can see some of her fiber art. If you click on books and go to her Rainbow Sheep website there is a bit more information too.

"Psalm 34" Number of posts : 54431 Mood :

Thanks, Cheryl! I'll take a look.

Subject: Re: Needle felting Thu Feb 12, 2009 12:12 am

Wow it's hard to imagine from this raw material can turn into cute little bears. I'm still trying to have this mental vision of poking...I feel so alienated. Huh?

"Within the heart of every stray, lies the singular desire to be loved."

Subject: Re: Needle felting Thu Feb 12, 2009 12:57 am

Thanks for posting that Savannah---You certainly are amazing...it seems like it would take forever to get that big glob into a detailed little bear!

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”

~Mother Teresa

"Psalm 34" Number of posts : 54431 Mood :

Aww, thanks, Amy. But I'm not amazing at all. Anyone could poke wool. :shy:

Lily, it didn't make much sense to me, either, when I first heard about it. But it makes a lot more sense when you have it in your hands, and can look at it and feel it.