Tag Archives: felting

Felting & Applique | week 5

This week we explored 2 new techniques: Felting and Applique.

Felting

Felting can be used to create both flat textiles and structured 3D objects. There are diverse applications and we can see felting in everyday products in the form of fabrics, hats, bags and handicraft.

Techniques

There are several felting techniques such as wet felting, needle felting and Nuno felting. The basic felting techniques requires these materials: wool, felting needles, hot water, soap, and a soft surface to work on.

To start, gather the colours and arrange it into the intended shape or design. Moisten the wool with some hot water and start massaging; this will help the fibres intertwine and shrink to create a strong and firm material. A little bit of soap can be added to speed up the process and make the massaging easier.

Arranging felting wool

For my first felting attempt, I decided to make a blue rose! I combined both wet and needle felting techniques. I made the individual petals first before felting them together using the needles. The petals in the centre are darker and gradually become lighter on the outer petals.

After felting together several petals to form the rose, to complete this little sample, I used a green metal wire to add a stem and leaves.

Applique

Work in progress… to be updated!