Needle Felted Features

Continuing with add-ons or surface features for your art or clothing, some subjects just lend themselves to this method. Raw wool roving, yarn or even other materials can be used as this is Dry Needle Felting and not Wet wool felting.

Needle felting can be very easy, quick and durable. Some caution is necessary as the needles are very sharp with reverse barbs. They HURT.

In this case I made a variegated poly yarn needled addition onto a restyled sweatshirt in an Oak leaf and Acorn motif.

This has been washed frequently and is well over 5 yrs old. It's always been very secure.

The one restriction is what fabric will accept the needle felting. It cannot be a really tight weave as in Batik fabrics. As this is done by hand, using tight weaves will produce a lot of frustration and I predict a lot of broken felting needles, (voice of experience here)

This little guy shows (LtoR) muslin, felt and interfacing. No issues at all.

If you don't felt directly onto your feature material, you can cut it out and attach it where you like, clothing or art, by hand or by machine. I like a blind hem stitch.

Shawn the sheep (Wallace and Gromit fame) is ready to mow your lawn.

Of course whole art pieces can be constructed by hand using this method.

Meet my 40" Grizzly.

And the craze that started this.........LOL

This is a very easy activity to get into. Most craft stores sell everything you need. Multiple needles are readily available from Amazon.