Like everybody else, when I first started wet felting, I didnāt have a style or a voice. I wasnāt even thinking about having one. I was just trying to figure out how I could make the pieces I saw others do and, above all, understand how wool behaves.
If thatās where you are right now, know that everyone goes through that phase. And, if youāre a bit further, starting to feel the desire to have your own style, to create work that other people recognize as being yours, know that itās a phase as well. So, no matter which phase youāre in, itās all ok.
We donāt start with a style. We develop one. And developing your own felting voice is a journey. Like any creative path, it evolves through different phases. Some of them are exciting and others are confusing. But all of them are necessary.
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Phase #1: Imitation AKA learning by following
Aside from artists who were already working with other media and then decide to bring a new medium, wet felt, into their already existing style, this is ...
Is there anything more discussed in wet felting than how to get the shrinkage you want? I donāt think so. And itās kind of obvious, isnāt it? I mean, if wool felts by shrinking, we need to know how much itāll shrink. Right?
The problem is so many factors influence shrinkage. So, it can all feel overwhelming, especially if you donāt have much experience in wet felting yet.
But you wonāt feel overwhelmed if you stick to a couple of principles (that are the same every time) and you do something you may be resisting: you make a sample š
You may think thereās no need to make one, because youāre trusting some myths that are common on the internet. Letās have a look at a few of them.
Myth #1: If you use the same wool (breed), your shrinkage rate will always be the same.
Does an 18-micron Merino wool top shrink the same as a 21-micron Merino wool top? Does an 18-micron Merino wool top shrink the same as an 18-micron Merino wool batt, do you think? The answer to both questions is NO.
The s...
After experimenting with wet felting for some time, learning the basics and maybe even felting some pieces on a resist, you may feel youād like your felt to become more professional and well finished. Yet, you may also not know what to do to get to that next level of quality youād like to achieve.
So, Iāve put together a list of resources for intermediate felt makers, to help you exercise some aspects of your craft and get to that quality youāre dreaming of.
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START BY WORKING ON THE QUALITY OF YOUR FLAT FELT
I find working on the quality of your flat felt is sometimes underrated. Felt makers are often excited about moving on to the next challenging technique and forget about the impact of being able to produce an excellent flat felt.
Of course, thatās understandable, since we all want to learn new things. And, still, Iād love to convince you this is one of the most important things you can do to become a better felt maker.
Here are some clues that you should be working on perfec...
In the last couple of weeks, Iāve been making big pre-felt sheets for a piece Iām working on. And every single one of them has given me problems felting.
This can happen for several reasons. It either has something to do with the amount of soap or water, or with the temperature. When this happens, something chemical is off. So, the process stops.
But, in the end, itās not so important to know the exact reason for this to occur. The important thing is to know how to solve it, so that you can go on with the felting.
Along the years, Iāve learnt that the solution is to change something. Depending on what Iām making, and on which stage the piece is in, I can opt for a couple of different strategies.
Iām sure you can resonate with what Iām talking about. See if you can recognize this scenario (or a similar one).
I laid out my wool, added water and soap, and gave it a quick rub. And I started rolling straight away. After rolling for a long time (like over half an hour), nothing seemed...
I frequently get emails from felt makers asking me if they can purchase only the patterns for my baby booties. When I taught how to make slippers, I was often asked if Iād sell only the patterns for the slippers.
I opted for never offering the resist patterns, the reason being that Iām for teaching people to make their own stuff and not keeping them coming back for everything they need.
So, Iāve always wanted to show felt makers how they could make their own resist patterns. For everything they want to felt!
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Why should you learn to make your own patterns?
You probably have the experience of looking in vain for a specific pattern and having to make do with what you find.
You may also have noticed that, even if you managed to get a template from someone online, the size may not be the one you need. So, if you don't know what to do about it, the template will be useless.
If you've always wanted to make your own slippers, shoes or boots, but were never sure how you could make them...
Todayās video is the second one from a short series about my system to design resists for wet felting.
Last week, we looked at how we can transfer the measurements from a 3D object to a flat resist. If you didnāt have the chance to watch that video, please go back and watch it now because itās important to be able to understand this weekās topic.
So, after designing the basic pattern, deciding on which wool type to use, how thick to lay it out, on the layout and fulling methods, itās now time to:
6. Make a sample
7. Determine the shrinkage rate
8. Increase the pattern
9. And calculate the amount of wool for the project
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Watch the video for more on how to make the sample and determine the shrinkage rate.
When we have our shrinkage rate, we can increase our base pattern to make a resist in the right size to account for shrinkage.
And, finally, we calculate the amount of wool we will need to felt our vase cover.
When all of this is planned, itās time to finally felt the piece,...
What do you do when you need a resist for a new wet felting project? Do you find yourself desperately going through Facebook felting groups, YouTube channels and all over the Internet to find the right template for the piece you want to felt?
Or are you able to draw your patterns by yourself?
If youāre going around the internet looking for the template for the exact piece you want to make, you may be feeling pretty frustrated. First of all, you donāt always find it, and, many times ā if you do find it ā itās not in the size you need.
So, Iād like to suggest that you consider that you can start making your own templates for the pieces you have in mind. After all, the felt makers, who sell the patterns or offer them for free, they make them as well. So, there is a way to develop your own resists for your projects.
The question is HOW!
There is, in fact, a system. If you understand how it works, Iām sure you can start making your own templates. So, I want to give you an idea of my pr...
Easter is just around the corner. Here's an idea to make your Easter gifts extra special!Ā
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WHAT DO YOU NEED FOR THE BUNNIES?
That will depend on how many you want to make. So, Iāll just give you the list of materials for 4 bunnies like mine. You can adapt the colors and/or decoration to your own taste.
INSTRUCTIONS
Start by making the pre-felt with your wool of choice. I canāt say exactly how many layers you need, since thatāll depend on how thick you lay your wool. But 4 should do if youāre working with thick layers.
Cut 2 bunnies in pink and 2 in brown. Youāll need...
About two years ago, I taught a class called RESISTS MADE EASY ā A PROVEN SYSTEM TO DESIGN RESISTS FOR WET FELTING.
It covered how to make resists for shoes, clothes, hats, bags, gloves and vessels in all sorts of shapes.
It was well received and fun to teach. But, next, I started focusing more on 3D felting and so, I haven't come back to this class since.
Lately, Iāve had people asking about it, so Iām considering teaching it again.
This time, my idea would be to make separate classes for each of the topics (shoes, clothes, hats and vessels), but to go into a bit more detail. For example, Iām thinking about covering things like the ideal fiber for each type of piece.
Before I redesign the classes, Iād like to see how much interest there is. So, if this sounds like something youād be interested in, could you email me or send me a message on social media, answering these two questions?
This is a question I know youāre asking yourself: Is the Baby Special Edition worth it?
Thatās, of course, something only you can decide. But skimming through the class description will only give you a general idea. So, Iāve made a video to show you exactly whatās inside the ābaby packageā.
Itās divided into 4 parts: Ā
Part 1 includes the step-by-step video instructions, that walk you through all you need to know to felt your baby's jacket in 3 design variations and 3 sizes to keep up with your babyās growth. Youāll get:
In Part 2 you get the step-by-step video instructions showing you how to make a baby hat in 6 sizes that you can change in color and shape to create different designs. Youāll get:
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