Felt so Good |
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Felt is one of the oldest known textiles – it’s simply tangled fibres matted together with much rubbing and soapy water. And, right now, it’s the latest thing in funky fashion.
Modern felt is usually machine-made and is a blend of wool and acrylic. It has a consistent thickness and it’s robust. Amateur craftspeople and experts can work with it easily: no neatening of edges or hemming required. Pieces of felt long considered scraps in the sewing cupboard are reappearing as retro-style handbags, funky cushion covers, party decorations and kids’ toys.
You can sew it, glue it and jazz it up with old buttons or embroidery stitches: lazy daisy, chain stitch, stem stitch and French knots come out to play.
Creating felt requires no loom or spinning wheel and can be done wet or dry. Dry felting is for the brave; it uses an ultra-sharp needle with tiny barbs to tangle and mat a piece of washed and carded fleece into a firm shape. A different look can be created by using fleece in different colours and stabbing the pieces together until the fibres are inextricably entwined, with no stitches required.
Wet felting, in which fibres are matted together through a wet, soapy process, produces fabric most people will be familiar with.
Louise Hatchard has fallen for felt – needle, thread and thimble. She creates dolls, cushions, bags and animals to sell, using felt and felted blankets. Felt’s best attribute, Louise says, is that it’s so forgiving.
“If you haven’t cut a piece quite right and one side is longer than the other, you can stretch it gently to the right length and it will still look great,” she says. “These projects are a chance to dust off old stitches or learn new ones. Ask your mum or grandmother if they have any pieces of old felt tucked away.”
Many old blankets, often grey or champagne-coloured, are 100 per cent wool, making them perfect for felting. Before using them for a sewing project, Louise puts them in the washing machine with a gentle, environmentally friendly detergent. “They come out softer and thicker,” she says. “Sometimes I throw in a few tennis balls to help them fluff up a bit.”
Louise recently held a highly successful birthday party for her daughter in which felt took centre stage. Louise had made ragdolls and little dresses from felt. The young girls glued sequins, felt flowers and stars on the dresses and took their new friends home with them.
How to make a felt bird
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You need: a piece of felt 12cm x 16cm for the body and a piece 4cm x 4cm for the wing. a button. a 20cm piece of string, embroidery thread (use 2 strands), stuffing (hobbyfill), needle, pins and scissors, a pen and a felt bird pattern which you can download here. |
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1. Print the pattern and cut out the body and wing templates. Place the template for the body on a single thickness of felt and trace around it. Do the same with the wing and then cut out both, keeping your scissors just inside the drawn line. |
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2. Attach the wing to the body piece with tiny whip stitches and sew on the button. Embroider the wing and tail feathers. Continue with chain stitch and French knots if you wish. |
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3. Double the string and knot it close to the cut ends. Pin the embroidered piece onto the leftover piece of body felt. Use it as a template to cut out a second body piece. |
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4. Using blanket stitch, start at the beginning of your opening and sew around the body, tucking in the string loop in the middle of the bird's back as you go. Stop at the other side of the opening. Push in small amounts of stuffing until it is full. Continue stitching to close up the hole. |
Web Exclusive - How to make an owl cushion
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You need: a felted blanket cut into the following sizes: 42cm x 42cm, 42cm x 18cm and 42 x 35cm; felt in the following colours and sizes: yellow 20cm x 8cm, rust 18cm x 14cm, cream 8cm x 5cm, green 25cm x 7cm, indigo 10cm x 9cm; brown, green, rust, indigo, cream and dark grey embroidery cotton, size 14 cushion inner, three 10mm domes, needle, pins, scissors, pen, sewing machine, iron, owl pattern PDF from this website.
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1. Overlock or zigzag around all edges of the felted blanket pieces. Cut out templates, place on the coloured felt, trace around them and cut out. Position the pieces in the middle of the largest square of blanket and pin in place. Starting with the yellow log, blanket stitch around the piece with two strands of brown thread. Continue blanket stitching the body, then the wings, beak, eyes and leaves. Make French knots on the wings with cream embroidery and make a few long stitches on the eyes with dark grey. |
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2. Take the 42cm x 18cm piece of blanket and fold a hem 3cm deep along the 42cm edge. Machine stitch and press. Position this piece over the 42cm x 35cm piece so that together they measure 42cm. Tack in place on both sides. This now becomes the back of the cushion. |
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3. Stitch on the domes – one in the middle and the other two 10cm away from the middle one. |
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4. Position the other three leaves over where the domes are. Blanket stitch in place with green thread. |
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5. With right sides facing, pin the front and back pieces together. Machine stitch right around. Turn right side out and press. Insert the inner and do up the domes. |
Suppliers:
Spotlight – branches nationwide
Patchwork Passion, (09) 622 2270
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