www.feltgoodfeltfine.com

Aboriginal design

FLAT FELTING

MATERIALS YOU NEED:Old Towel, sheetNet (larger than the size of felt you want to make, bridal voile is best), apron, bubble WrapCotton ties/string for tying up the roll of felt.Soap, greater, jugOld plastic milk bottle with holes punched into the topBroom handle/rolling pin or pipe lagging tube.Felt in the colours you like – Merino/local wool tops (about 250 g) the fibre used needs to be as fine as possible.For Soap SolutionFill jug with boiling water and 2/3 tablespoons of grated soap (stir to mix).Add this solution to the milk bottle and top up with cold water so that it’s hand hot

LHS Aboriginal Wall hangings, RHS Eija Pirttilahti – Felted Pictures.

How to Make Felt.

Draw your design or just play with the colours first.

1 lay out ¾ medium fine layers of fibres on bubble wrap and cover with net. Each layer at 90 degrees to the last. The last layer will be your picture, so you can add special thread and shapes onto this.2. Wet out fibres with soap solution.3.Rub gently for 10 minutes, paying special attention to the detailed areas.4. Gently remove the net and turn over, do the same process on the other side.If you feel like it you can also roll the felt in an old sheet.5. Roll up the felt firmly with a dowel and sheeting – tying with the cotton ties to prevent it from slipping. Roll 100 times.6. Open up the roll and give the material a quarter turn, reroll 100 times.7. The pinch test – is when you pinch the fibres between your thumb and forefinger to see if the fibres come away in your hand or not. If the felt is fairly hard then it’s finished otherwise keep on rolling.8. When it’s ready rinse carefully and squeeze the water out.9. Iron on both sides and leave to dry flat.

You can also cut out shapes to use on top of your felt picture; you can cut strips and lay them in a woven design.

Other techniques to think about Try embroidery or sewing over your felt.Try fabric paints and dyes

LHS Wendy Bailye. Middle – unknown. RHS David Hockney Felt Workshop with Artybird. Blog of whole process www.yas2010.wordpress.com

Have fun!MATERIALShttp://www.winghamwoolwork.co.ukALI’S BLOG http://feltgoodfeltfine.com/wordpress/

ⒸCopyright 2011: A Rabjohns. All rights reserved.