Needle felting workshop

The November meeting of spinners and weavers of south west France was held in the groups new location 5kms out of Caussade. As this is a building owned by the council the group has had to become an association, Luckily I wasn't at the last meeting when a committee was formed (my days of being on committees are over). It's now going to be run mainly by French ladies so there may be a few changes a foot. Eve, who formed the group many years ago,  now in her nineties still comes to each meeting with her Ashford box of goodies to sell they are pushed and squeezed into my car as she only lives up the road and when wheels and looms, along with her husband having to come too space can become limited.

So Mondays workshop was on needle felting, I had dabbled a bit in one dimensional so onto 3D came over me. It is one fibre craft that doesn't need a lot of equipment or space, no water or soap is needed like wet felting. Just a thick foam base to work on and special needles that are barbed along their shaft to catch the wool making it form together gets you started. There are different thickness of needles and holders that grip one, two or more needles at a time. Caution is needed as the needles are very sharp, its very easy to stab yourself (especially when you hold your work in your hand) so one needle is a one prick, the more needles you have in a holder equals more pricks.

Like any craft there are different techniques and props to help form limbs, kebab sticks for wool to be laid out and wrapped up felted by stabbing with needle then remove the stick. Pipe cleaners for when you need a bit of help holding a neck up and interfacing for making ears stand up rather than flopping.

You also need a project in your mind, I started with a fairy for the tree which changed into a reindeer (may of over estimated the antlers) which then changed into a fox (I had fox coloured wool roving with me). There is also a trick of getting legs and arm the same size, that is to make one long roll and cut it in half thus the same size and thickness of legs and arms are formed. Bodies and heads were  shaped by rolling up batts of wool (think layers of wool) into a round of oblong shape before stabbing away to get them to stay in the shape you require.

Once body parts were formed in white fleece colour can then be added (cheaper white fleece keeps cost down as coloured roving's (think a long snake of wool) are usually processed merino wool and therefore more expensive. Layered over the piece you wish to work you then stab away until no white is showing.

Body parts can be sewn on making them a bit stronger or again stabbed into place with the needle, I sewed Mr Fox's legs and arms making them movable. His features were last to be stabbed into place by which time my fingers had a few indentations but i was pretty pleased with him.  A few hours to make it wouldn't make you a living but it was enjoyable and i think a bit addictive. Finally he was put in a 40 degree machine wash to felt him a bit more. His legs and arms changed shape a bit but with a full machine and practise it would work and you can manipulate limbs a bit while still wet.

There is a good webite here which expalins all about needle felting and shows life like models ( personally I perfer animals I think the dolls a little scary but she is very clever)