Wet Felting Workshop - Spikes and Craters

So today I attended a wet felting workshop with felt maker, Jenny Pepper. It was a lovely day, which was lucky, as I travelled to Scarborough for it.

The first thing we did was laid out three layers of Merino wool and created a pre-felt.

This is Liz creating her prefelt.

This one belongs to Jenny who came all the way from Cumbria, somewhere near Hadrians Wall.

Jenny (the tutor) helping Liz out with her prefelt as it was quite thick and she needed to add more soapy water.

This was one of Jennys samples showing a few different techniques that I wanted to try.

We each created a base and then stopped for a bite of lunch. I just went with a plain cream. Jenny gave us a demo of how to create the different craters and spikes and flaps and then we had a play on our own pieces using the previously made prefelt.

We used the prefelt as it has still got some felting life left in it, so it will adhere easily to the background piece which was just laid down (3 layers), wetted and left until we needed to use it.

The after much rubbing and rolling and more rubbing and rolling and hot and cold water shocks x2 finishing with cold and rinsing out and cutting and sealing the cuts, this is what I ended up with.

I love how it came out, I forgot to say about the spikes on the bottom, they were the last thing to be felted after everything else had been wetted out and rubbed.

 

And this is how Carols turned out. I didn't get a photo of Jenny's and Liz's finished pieces as they left pronto, as their lifts had arrived before I got chance.

Had such a lovely day and my piece is now drying in the airing cupboard.

Frankie

Once I'd made the body I attached the head and the hands which is why they don't look in proportion.

Close up of the head. The bits on the chest are just oddments of wool I've used up.

After speaking to Emma on a felting group and watching a video I decided to have a go at wet felting the clothes. Here I'm making a resist using the doll as a guide.

Then I roughly drew in the shape.

This is how it looks after they've been cut out. I just put the tape measure in for reference. This is to allow for the shrinkage of the wool. I'm using Merino which I know shrinks around 30%.

I gave one side of the resist four layers of black wool. Layering at 90 degrees to the previous layer. Make sure you overlap the edges.

Flattened it down and added more wool to any shallow spots and covered with netting.

Next I wet it down with a bottle of warm soapy water.

I very carefully peeled the netting off.

I covered them with another sheet of bubble wrap

and flipped them over. Wrap over the extra wool. You may have to make a cut or two to follow the resist, like in the crotch and under the arms.

Make sure it's a snug fit on the resist.

Then do exactly the same to the other side of the resist. Cover it in four layers of wool at a 90 degree angle for each layer. I now have each piece on a separate piece of bubble wrap.

Once wetted out, flip over and wrap over the overlap. Work on it a little to massage it onto the wool.

Then felt each piece gradually being more aggressive. Remember to work on the edges.

Also keep turning them over and keep pulling up the netting.

Once I was happy that the wool had felted I rinsed the soap out.

And the same with the bottom half.

Next it was time to take the resist out, so I cut the ends, top and bottom and the sleeves.

Be careful when taking the resist out, however the wool is quite felted by this stage. Once the resist was out, I rinsed them in the sink and did the hot and cold shock. As I wanted to shrink them even further I rolled them in the bamboo mat. I forgot to take any more photos, but I cut the jacket down the middle and placed it on my doll together with the trousers, I then placed everything into the airing cupboard to dry.

This is him this morning all dressed. I needle felted his jacket and pants to his body, shaped the collar and tacked the middle of the jacket down. I also gave him some feet.

And this is how he looks from the back. I just love how his trousers have ruckled up.

He is now complete with shoes so I am calling him finished. However, I am quite disappointed as he won't stand on his own. His right leg seems very weak.

Wet Felted 3d Objects

Chris very kindly bought me this lovely wet felting kit for my birthday. So along with the huge bag of wool tops that Jan also sent and the ones Joyce sent, I thought I'd best put it to use.

I prepped the dining room table in anticipation after watching a couple of inspiring youtube videos on a vessel and a bag. 

First layer completed.

Side one of second layer.

Prepping the second layer of the second side.

With the soap and water solution on it.

I think this was the third layer.

After it had been felted with soap and warm water, rolled and quarter turned it was time to take the middle out, so I cut a hole in what is going to be the top.

Getting the resist out the middle was easier said than done!!

I felted the hole and the inside by turning it inside out and more rolling and turning.

The template started off at 8", so as you can see, it has shrunk quite a bit.

Next I had to shape it. I really wanted to try and create a neck but I think it's probably a little bit small, or I needed to work it a little more, I'm not sure, but I had to settle for what I had! I stuffed t-shirt fabric inside whilst it dried to keep the shape.

And this is it this morning after I'd take then t-shirt fabric out and low and behold, it's not only all stayed together, but it's held its shape too!!! WoooHooo!!

  

Then the sun came out so I took a few more photos.

I think it's come out pretty well for a first try as it's not fluffy or anything and it feels quite sturdy. I'm well pleased.

One thing I do need to remember to take into consideration, is that it shrinks. The blue template is what I used originally to make the shape, but look what size it ended up.

Next I started on the bag, this is my template or resist.

Layer one layered up to completely cover the resist.

This is layer two, a different shade of green.

Third layer has been added and the resist is still inside.

This is the other side of the third layer.

I did the same process as above and this is it this morning after it had completely dried.

And this is my favourite side. I want to make it into a bag, even though it is rather small, but I want to cut it down, put a flap on it and add a huge button.

Again the blue is the size of the resist I used and it's shrunk quite a bit. But you live and learn.

I am really pleased with how my first two 3d wet felted objects turned out. I'm not sure if I'm going to decorate the vessel or leave it as it is, but I am definitely going to make a bag from the other piece.