Feltique, by Nikola Davidson and Brookelynn Morris - Excerpt

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feltique

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feltique Techniques and Projec ts for Wet Felting, Needle Felting,

NIKOLA

DAV I D S O N

AND

B R O O K E LY N N

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Fulling, and Work ing with Commercial Felt

MORRIS

New York

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To the craft community, those who love fiber ar ts, and indie crafter s around the world.

The author and publisher would like to thank the Craft Yarn Council of America for providing the yarn weight standards and accompanying icons used in this book. For more information, please visit www.YarnStandards.com.

Copyright © 2009 by Nikola Davidson and Brookelynn Morris Photography and illustrations copyright © 2009 by Nat Wilson-Heckathorn All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Potter Craft, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York. www.crownpublishing.com www.pottercraft.com POTTER CRAFT and colophon is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

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Davidson, Nikola.

Feltique : Techniques and Projects for Wet Felting, Needle Felting, Fulling, and Working with Commercial Felt / Nikola Davidson and Brookelynn Morris.—1st ed. p. c.m.

Includes index.

ISBN 978-0-307-40699-6 1. Felting. I. Morris, Brookelynn. II. Title.

TT849.5.D35 2009 746'.0463—dc22 2008037096 Printed in China Design by Nancy Sabato Photography and illustrations by Nat Wilson-Heckathorn Nikola Davidson’s author photograph on page 158 by Andy Seavy Technical editing by Keith Hammond Makeup and hair by Rachel J. Lieberman 10

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Cyan Magenta Yellow Black

co nt ent s Introduction 6 Chapter One: Commercial Felt 8 Chapter Two: Wet Felting 36 Chapter Three: Needle Felting 64 Chapter Four: Fulled Felt 92 Chapter Five: Mixing Methods 124

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Basic Knitting and Crochet Techniques 142 Resources 150 Contributors 152 General Guidelines for Yarn Weights 157 Index 159

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My obsession with felt began with a visit to an alpaca farm in the fall of 2004.

i n t ro d uc t i o n

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WHY WOOL FELTS

What particularly drew me to felt were the many ways that it can be easily created. Add some hot water and soap to wool fiber, and presto—you’ve made felt. Poke a needle felting tool—usually made with wood and barbed needles— into fiber, and within minutes, you’ll see it transform into felt. Toss your knitted creations into your washing machine and, magically, out come pieces of felt.

When you add store-bought commercial felt to projects . . . well, it’s enough to make you want to devote your whole life to exploring felt.

When I first started playing with felt, I was also part of the rise of the indie craft movement. Across the country, people were taking traditional crafts and putting a fresh, contemporary spin on them. What better vehicle for this movement than felt? It could be funky, it could be urban, or it could rock your socks off. When I saw what artists were creating with felt, I knew that a new generation of felters had truly arrived.

Wool is an amazing natural fiber with many unusual properties. Fibers with felting properties can also be found on goats, alpacas, llamas, and rabbits. Despite their various animal origins, the fibers from these animals appear similar on the microscopic level.

Wool is coated in keratin protein. This protein is a very hard substance, and it forms small scales covering the fiber. These scales “open” when exposed to heat, agitation, water, or an increase in pH. Once open, they can easily be tangled and matted. As the scales “close” they lock in place into felt.

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Although I had gone to the farm to see the animals up close, I immediately forgot all about them when I saw a group of women making fuzzy, warm hats by poking crazy needle tools into fluffy pieces of fiber. I practically knocked people down in my rush to find out what those women were doing and how I could learn how to do it. As I touched a needle felting tool for the first time, I was hooked.

This book features the most innovative, fun artists in the world of felt sharing their best projects. The chapters are organized according to technique. Chapter One describes ways to use commercial felt, which is bought in sheets and is easy to cut and sew. Chapter Two explains wet felting—a sudsy, wet, and physical task. Chapter Three is dedicated to needle felting, a process in which a barbed needle tangles fibers together. Chapter Four is about fulled felt, which is the fabric made when knit items are shrunk into a solid, dense material. Finally, Chapter Five mixes the previously discussed methods and includes projects that use combinations of these techniques. An introduction in each chapter explains how the fiber can be turned into fabric or shapes. A variety of housewares, accessories, wearables, and warm fuzzies are featured. Review the basic skills at the beginning of each chapter, then jump into the exciting how-to’s for each project. The timelessness of each project will have you creating felt art that will endure. I hope Feltique will help you find felt as inspiring and endlessly entertaining as I have.

—Nikola Davidson

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C H A P T E R

O N E

c o m m e rc ial felt Commercial felt is an indispensable fabric for all

Felt-making companies are currently exploring the

crafters. Available in all colors and many different

use of new materials, such as recycled plastic

textures, it’s most often seen in craft shops as

bottles. Additionally, although felt used to be

81⁄2" x 11" (21.5cm x 28cm) sheets, but it can also be

manufactured by using wet felting processes, now

purchased on bolts at fabric stores. Commercial felt

it is matted together almost exclusively by using

has a reputation as a schoolchild’s material, and yet

felting needles in large machines or by using a

it can be used to create surprisingly sophisticated

chemical process.

projects.

Use very sharp scissors to begin a successful project

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All felt is nonwoven fabric. What sets one felt apart

using commercial felt. Most wool felt is thin—only

from the next is the source of the fiber used to

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make it. Commercial felt can be 100 percent syn-

projects are this thickness. But some wool felt is

thetic, 100 percent wool, or any mixture of the two

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kinds of fiber. Most of the projects in this book use

or the fiber content of the felt you are cutting,

100 percent wool felt. It is more costly, but its

sharp scissors will aid your accuracy and reduce

quality is unmatched by synthetic fibers.

distortion of the edges. Cut slowly and evenly to

⁄16" (1.6mm) thick, in fact, all the felt used in these

⁄8" (3mm) thick or thicker. No matter the thickness

avoid leaving burrs on the edge. When using patterns to cut pieces from your fabric, pin the patterns on directly onto the fabric or use a pencil to trace their outlines on the fabric. Other tools that are helpful for cutting felt include die cutters to cut shapes and rotary cutters for making long cuts.

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THE TERMS THAT DEFINE WOOLS

machine. Embellishing felt can be as simple as sewing on a button, adding beads, or embroidering with a chain stitch. You can also stitch embellishments by using one or more strands of embroidery floss and an embroidery needle.

Whipstitch is a popular choice for joining two pieces of a pattern together. Blanket stitch is equally popular for decorative stitching. Be aware that felt is a soft fabric that can distort as you sew it. To avoid buckling, creep, or shifting of the

c o m m e rc i a l fe l t

Commercial felt can be sewn by hand or by

Crimp: The bends in a length of wool. Coarse wool might have only one or two crimps per inch, while the finest wool can contain up to 100 crimps per 1" (2.5cm).

Staple: The locks, or clumps, that form naturally in sheep’s wool. They are measured and used to classify the quality of the wool.

Micron: The unit of measure of the diameter of wool. There are 25,400 microns in 1" (2.5cm).

fabric, use an even tension when sewing and be

The same principles apply when sewing felt with

Tog: The outer coat on a dual-coated wool.

Thiel: The undercoat on a dual-coated wool.

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mindful of needle placement when hand-sewing.

a machine.

Blanket Stitch

Whip Stitch

Herringbone Stitch

Running Stitch

Back Stitch Satin Stitch

Feather Stitch

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The narwhal, the great white shark, the giant squid, the diver in pursuit of sunken treasure . . . the ocean is full of wonders to recreate in felt.

Don't forget to make the fish (shown on page 16).

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undersea playset

MATERIALS

c o m m e rc i a l fe l t

SKILL LEVEL: ADVANCED

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⁄16 " (1.5mm) wool felt sheets in the following colors: sky blue, ivory, burgundy, white, black, gray, pink, sage green, dark gray, and ice blue

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6-strand embroidery floss in the following colors: black (DMC 310), blue (DMC 3755), tan (DMC 3782), red (DMC 815), burgundy (DMC 3685), white (DMC blanc), gray (DMC 169), pink (DMC 3713), gray/green (DMC 3022), dark gray (DMC 413), blue (DMC 597), and copper (DMC Antique Effects E898) Scissors TJ190-11-2008 IMUS 7/CRA0134 Feltique W:8.5”XH:10.875” 175L EX 128 M/A Magenta (V)

Small embroidery/crewel needles, size 7, 8, or 9 Fiberfill Toothpicks Straight pins Chopsticks Scotch® tape Pattern pieces (pages 18 and 19), enlarged by 145%.

For the Narwhal and Squid only: 20-gauge craft wire and pliers or wire cutters For the Narwhal only: Two 4mm black bead eyes

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thread over and under the wire. Make your stitches shallow, so your needle does not pierce the entire thickness of the felt and your stitches are not visible on the other side of the horn.

Fold the horn in half lengthwise, covering the wire. With tan floss, make small, tight whipstitches to sew the sides of the horn together. When you have completed this step, you will have a cone-shaped ivory rod with wire sticking out from the wide end.

NOTES

fe l t i q u e

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1. Enlarge all pattern pieces on pages 18 and 19 by 145%. To cut the pattern pieces from the felt, tape the pattern directly to the felt with scotch tape. The tape will leave no marks when removed.

2. Use a single strand of embroidery floss unless otherwise noted.

FISH (shown on page 16) Felt: sky blue Floss: black (DMC 310) blue (DMC 3755) Cut from patterns: 2 fish bodies 1. Add an eye to each body piece by making a French knot with 3 strands of black floss.

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2. Use blue floss to stitch the body pieces together using a whipstitch, starting where the fish’s mouth would be and sewing around to the top of the head. Make sure that the French knots are on the outside of the fish. Don’t sew the fish completely shut just yet—leave a small opening so you can add stuffing.

3. Stuff the fish with a pinch of fiberfill.

Use a toothpick to push it inside.

4. Sew the fish shut with a whipstitch.

Distribute the stuffing with your fingers.

NARWHAL Felt: ivory sky blue Floss: tan (DMC 3782) blue (DMC 3755) black (DMC 310) red (DMC 815) Cut from patterns: 1 ivory horn 4 blue fins 2 blue tails 2 blue body pieces 1 blue top gusset 1 blue bottom gusset

Horn 1. Use pliers or a wire cutter to scuff up the ends of a piece of 31⁄2" (9cm) 20gauge craft wire so that it is less likely to slide out of the horn. Lay the wire on top of the ivory triangle so that one end of the wire is about 1⁄8" (3mm) from the point at the top. Some of the wire will extend beyond the bottom of the horn.

2. Use tan floss and a whipstitch to secure the wire in place, looping the

3. Thread your needle with 3 or 4 strands of tan floss, then sew a spiral pattern onto the horn. Push your needle through every second or third whipstitch along the bottom of the horn, where the sides were sewn together.

Body 4. Start with the fins and tail. Whipstitch both fin pieces together with blue floss, keeping the flat (not pointed) edge open. Repeat with the remaining fin and the tail. Use a toothpick to stuff each piece with a little fiberfill.

5. On both body pieces, stitch up the notch where the narwhal’s mouth would be, to add some dimension to his face.

Use black floss to sew on the bead eyes.

6. Use scissors that have a very sharp point to make a 1⁄4 " (6mm) incision on the body pieces, as shown on the pattern. Insert a fin into each incision so that about 1⁄4 " (6mm) of the fin pushes through to the inside of the body. Refer to the illustration for guidance. Secure the fins to the body with blue floss and a whipstitch.

7. Sew the top gusset to one of the body pieces with blue floss and a

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9. Attach the tail. Finish sewing the remaining seam, beginning at the head and working back toward the tail. Leave a 1–2" (2.5–5cm) opening for stuffing.

10. Stuff the narwhal, beginning with the head. Make sure that you stuff tightly around the horn to provide support. Sew the opening closed with a whipstitch. Finish by backstitching with red floss over the seams just below the horn to give your narwhal a mouth.

GIANT SQUID Felt: burgundy white black Floss: burgundy (DMC 3685) black (DMC 310) white (DMC blanc) Cut from patterns: 2 burgundy fins 4 burgundy feeding tentacles

1. Use burgundy floss and a whipstitch to sew the fins together, leaving a 1⁄2" (13mm) opening for stuffing. Use a toothpick to push the stuffing in, and then finish the seam.

2. Use wire cutters to cut 20-gauge craft wire into eight 41⁄4 " (11cm) and two 61⁄4 " (16cm) pieces. The short pieces of wire will go in the arms and the long pieces will go in the feeding tentacles. Use the wire cutters to fold each end of each piece of wire so that it overlaps itself by 1⁄8–1⁄4 " (3–6mm).

Pinch the folds closed. The folds will keep the wires from sliding loose inside the finished piece. Use burgundy floss and a whipstitch to secure a wire to each arm and tentacle, looping the thread over and under the wire. Make your stitches shallow, so that your needle does not pierce the entire thickness of the felt and your stitches are not visible on the front of the arms.

3. Attach the arms to the combined head and arm pieces so the wire is on the inside.

Beginning at point A, sew the arms together with burgundy floss and a whipstitch, stuffing each one with a little fiberfill as you work. Because the arms are so narrow, stuffing a couple of inches at a time is easier than stuffing after the arms are completely sewn together is.

4. Make the 2 feeding tentacles in the same manner as you did the arms. Sew the tentacles together at their tops.

5. Use black floss to sew the black eyeballs onto the white eyes. Then use white floss to sew the eyes onto the squid’s head (see template for placement).

6. Position the pair of feeding tentacles on one of the squid’s arm pieces so that the tentacles extend above the flat edge by about 1⁄2" (13mm). Backstitch it into place with burgundy floss.

7. Sew the flat edge of the arm pieces together with burgundy floss and a whipstitch, securing the feeding tentacles to the other side as you work your way past it.

13 c o m m e rc i a l fe l t

8. Position the horn on one side of the narwhal’s head, overlapping the wide end of the horn by about 1⁄4 " (6mm) at point C. Whipstitch the horn in place.

Join both sides of the head, beginning at point A and stitching down to point B. Secure the horn to the other side of the head as you work your way past it.

2 burgundy combined head and arm pieces 2 burgundy arm pieces 2 burgundy mantles 2 white eyes 2 black eyeballs

8. Close up the sides of the head, sewing down to point A to hide the area where the arm and head pieces connect. Leave the top of the head open. Stuff the head with fiberfill.

9. Match point B on the fin and the mantle, and stitch the fin and the mantle together with burgundy floss and a backstitch. Use a toothpick to push a little stuffing between the mantle and the fin. Finish sewing the long sides of the mantle together so that you end up with a cone-shaped piece.

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whipstitch. Start by sewing point A on the top gusset to point A on the body (as marked on the template) and continue sewing down the side of the body. Repeat with the other body piece.

Sew the bottom gusset to one of the body pieces, matching point B on the body piece with point B on the bottom gusset.

10. Stuff the mantle half full of fiberfill, then place it on top of the head. Sew it in place using burgundy floss and a whipstitch, adding or removing fiberfill as needed.

GREAT WHITE SHARK Felt: gray white pink black

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Floss: gray (DMC 169) pink (DMC 3713) white (DMC blanc) black (DMC 310)

fe l t i q u e

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Cut from patterns: 2 gray bodies 2 gray dorsal fins 2 gray pectoral fins 2 white pectoral fins 2 gray anal fins 2 white sets of teeth 1 white underbelly 1 white face 1 pink mouth Cut freehand: 2 black eyes 1. Use gray floss and a whipstitch to sew the dorsal fins together, leaving the bottom open for stuffing. Use a toothpick to push the stuffing in.

Repeat this process with the anal fins.

2. Sew 1 white and 1 gray pectoral fin together using gray floss and a whipstitch, leaving the bottom open for stuffing. Use a toothpick to push the stuffing in. Repeat this process with the remaining white and gray pectoral fins.

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3. Use gray floss and a whipstitch to sew the dorsal fin to one of the body pieces at point A. 4. Align the body pieces and sew them together along the top, starting at the head and working back to the tail fin. Stitch the tail fins together, use a toothpick to stuff them with fiberfill, and then set this piece aside.

5. Using fine scissors that have a very sharp point, make the shark’s teeth by cutting tiny triangles along one side of each of the white teeth pieces. Be

careful not to snip too far into the strip or you’ll end up slicing it in two. Using scissors creates uneven, more realistic-looking teeth, but you could cut the teeth with pinking shears to achieve a more polished look with less effort.

6. Fold the pink piece of felt that will become the inside of the shark’s mouth along the dotted line drawn on the template. One side of the oval will be slightly longer than the other side to give the Shark an overbite.

Backstitch across the fold using pink floss to make a permanent seam.

7. Sewing the teeth onto the pink mouth is an intricate task. Lay one set of teeth along one of the curves of the pink mouth. Use white floss and a whipstitch to delicately attach the teeth. Keep your stitches as small and even as possible inside the mouth, since the white thread will be visible against the pink felt and will look like of an inner ring of teeth.

Cover the pink edge of the mouth so the shark has little or no visible gums showing. Repeat the process with the second set of teeth.

8. Continue building the mouth by laying the overbite side of the toothy mouth piece on top of the white face piece.

Align the curve of the toothy piece with

the curve in the dotted line shown on the template and pin it in position. Use white floss to backstitch the pieces together, once again being mindful that your white stitches will be visible inside the shark’s mouth.

9. Position the white underbelly under the Shark’s mouth, aligning the curves and pinning the pieces together. Use white floss to backstitch the pieces together. Remember, your stitches will be visible inside the shark’s mouth.

10. Put the top of the body on the bottom of the body, aligning the pieces that form the top of the head and pinning them in place. Position the pectoral fins on the body about halfway

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a c kn o w l e d gments Thanks to Urban Craft Uprising for the inspiration, Meredith for creating the spark, Rosy for taking a chance, Moxie for getting the ball rolling, Brookelynn for coming through in the clutch, and Andy, B.B., and Ritzy for their unwavering support.

—Nikola Davidson fe l t i q u e

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I must give due accolades to many important people, first and foremost to the contributors, whose art made this book the fantastic compilation of projects that it is. Second, to Nikola Davidson, my fantabulous co-author, and to Moxie, Nikola’s original co-author, who kindly invited me to take her place. Third, to my husband, Nat. His photography and illustrations are stunning and create the atmospheric quality that fills these pages.

Much gratitude to my editor Jen Graham at Potter Craft, and also Rosy Ngo, Erica Smith, Chi Ling Moy, and Nancy Sabato. Jen, your due diligence was obviously crucial to me. The beautiful locations featured in our photos gave generously of their space and time, including Far West Tea Bar, Willowood Market Cafe, and the Underwood Bar and Bistro, all in Graton, California. I want to thank Mark Growden, Sarah Rubin, the Nolans, and Goli Mohammadi, and the models: Leah, Lisa, Emma, Hannah, Princess, Tremaine, Harper, Jenny, Leila-Anne, Fina, Sarah, Dyanne, Ruby, Roxanne, Cadence, Jordan, Devon, Galen, and Chai Dog.

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Thanks to the makeup and hair designer, Danger Peach, aka Rachel J. Leiberman. So much thanks to “Knitting”: Christiana, Coleen, Kathy, and Sarah. I graciously thank my technical editor Keith Hammond and his supportive wife, Suzanne Olyarnik. And lastly, our entire families: Thanks to my dad and his wife Joanne, Nat’s parents DeAne and Alex, and our brothers, for all your love.

—Brookelynn Morris

NIKOLA DAVIDSON is the founder of Sticky Wicket Crafts as well as the cofounder and first president of Urban Craft Uprising. She is also a featured guest on HGTV’s That’s Clever and the popular crafty podcast CraftyPod. Visit her online at stickywicketcrafts.com.

BROOKELYNN MORRIS’s work has been featured on the cover of Craft magazine, where she is also a contributing writer. She travels the country demonstrating her love of craft at events such as Maker Faire.

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