Textiles: Needle Felting

I kept working on the little fox head after the demo. This is how he turned out.

Needle Felting Demo Twitch Highlight

What are felting and fulling

felting - force the fiber's scales to interlock permanently

fulling - same thing - but on a piece of fabric - say a knitted pair of mittens

History of needle felting

Was done by machine in the 1800s for quilt bats and insulation and things like gaskets

1980s - Elanor and David Stanwood - brough back needles from a mill and made felt in small quantities

Ayala Tapai and Birgitte Krag - experimented with them for art - sculpture

It spread around the world

Supplies

Needles: 3 sided barbed. Single or groups at a time

A case/box /tube to hold your needles

wool (the fibers need to have scales on them to interlock)

needle felting pad, felting brush or foam

Optional needle felting machine (for flat applique like options)

Where to get your supplies

Yarn shops or craft stores

look for felting needles or felting needles kit

Safety

Keep your fingers out of the way! (This sounds obvious but it's harder than it sounds.) Keep your fingernails between your fingers and the needles!

Have an up to date tetanus shot

Only stab at the wool of you are looking at it! (if you have to look away - stop doing the poking of the wool!)

References

Needle Felting 101: History, Wool, Tools

The history of Needle felting