Basic Needle FelTiNG iNsTrucTioNsusing a wire armatureCAUTION
needles are EXTREMELY SHARP! Keep out of reach of children and
pets, NEVER put a needle down without putting it back in the
envelope, into the foam or in a sealed container. If you have
children or pets ALWAYS put the needles away. I looked away from a
project I was needling and just that quick one of my Siamese cats
appeared and took a needle. If I hadnt caught him at that moment
who knows how much damage the needle might have done. Needle
felting requires all your attention especially where your fingers
and eyes are concerned. The needles are made of highly tempered
steel, which means they are very sharp and brittle. Needle in and
out in a straight line. Never bend the needle or use it to pick or
pry with, such as to pick out straw that is in the wool - the
needle will snap. When you break a needle and you will, ALWAYS find
the pieces! Wearing glasses or goggles is a good idea. Update your
tetanus shot next time you visit the doctor. I have Color Coded the
needles I sell, enclosed in the envelope are 5 needles: 36 Triangle
- yellow; 36 Star - green ; 38 Star - red; 40 Star - orange; 40
Triangle - blue; (in sets with 6 needles, 42 Triangle - black). T
or Triangle is the shape of the needles tip, this needle has 3
edges that are flat on the shaft end in a triangular shape.Triangle
Edge
S or Star is the shape of the needle tip, it has 4 edges and it
has a concave groove between the 4 edges. It also has more Barbs
than the triangle and needles faster.Star edge
Felting needles are sized or gauged by the thickness and shape
of the needle. The lower the number the thicker the needle and the
larger the holes in the felted surface. The higher the needle
number the finer the needle or the smaller the hole it leaves in
your creature. Lower numbers for beginning, higher for finishing.
Barbs are cut along the needles shaft. When the needle is poked or
pushed into the felt, the barbs pull the fibers down locking or
hooking them together. Wool has natural barbs and needling it locks
it together more quickly. The needles barbs are cut in one
direction so that felting of the fibers will occur when the needle
is pushed in and not when it is pulled out.Barb or notch c
Copyright 2004 Neysa A Phillippi
Felting Needle
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36 triangular, 36 star, - a beginning needle used when starting
your project. 38 triangular, 38 star, - good for detail work 40
triangular - good for fine detail work 42 triangular - good for
very fine detail and a very smooth surface, I believe this needle
is optional
You may at a later date use a Sculpey, Fimo or Crayola Model
Magic to create a knob on the top of your needle (over the Allen
key L shape or the colored head). This will make the needle more
comfortable while holding it for long periods of time. Believe me
you will get hooked and spend hours felting. Bobbie Ripperger
recommended Crayola Model Magic. I used this, it dries but has a
spongy feel - not hard like Sculpey or Fimo. I purchased a Deluxe
Variety Pack containing 9 colors. The variety pack was cheaper than
buying the colors separately. I then labeled the knob with
permanent markers as 36 T, 36 S, 38 T, 38 S... etc. (You may just
want to purchase one color of Crayola Magic or Fimo and label the
knobs with permanent black marker). I find reaching for a color is
easier than reading needle tops, mine are numbered but after
working with them for a time you will recognize the needle by
color. Felting needles as I have said are straight with barbs cut
along the needles shaft; made of high gauge steel, sharp but
brittle if bent. When the needle is poked or pushed into the wool
batting or polyester, the barbs pull the fibers down locking or
hook them together. Wool has natural barbs and needling it locks it
together more quickly. The needles barbs are cut in one direction
so that felting of the fibers will occur when the needle is pushed
in and not when it is pulled out. The felting process condenses or
reduces the mass of wool batt or polyester. The barbs on the
needles sides or edges on a triangle or star shaped needle push or
condense the fiber into itself. The wool batting or roving will
lock together and hold the fiber firmly in place. It is almost
impossible to pull the felting apart. Polyester acts the same way
as wool batting, polyester makes a great base fiber or core for
your creation. Using polyester as a base fiber saves your wool for
the final finishing layers of your project. Polyester alone makes a
great polar bear. I use Monterey Mills Quality A polyester
stuffing, it feeds out in a continuous coil that is carded. Some
people recommend using silver a form of wool roving as the base
fiber, polyester in my opinion is just as good and cheaper.
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c Copyright 2004 Neysa A Phillippi
I prefer when making a three dimensional critter to use 22 gauge
floral wire and make an armature to felt around. I find that using
an armature keeps my creation to a specific size and shape. I form
the wire in the shape of the critter Im making. Depending on how
hard I felt my critter the wire armature will make him posable.
Start your wire armature at the head, the head I have drawn on the
right I find works best its just enough to work around. Add the
neck, go down one front leg then back up wrapping the wire around
the established leg. Repeat with the other front leg. Wind your
wire around the top of the legs and Neck and extend it to make his
back. Make the rear legs as you did the front, wind the wire around
the top of the rear legs and back and add a tail. Cut the wire,
curl the end back into itself. Now shape or form the armature into
a standing or sitting position, note how the arms and legs bend,
bend the armature the same way.
Cat head
Cat tail
Wind around the top of the legs
Try wrapping floral tape around the armature, your first layer
of batting or roving will stick to the taped armature and be more
stable to begin your project. The only disadvantage is the first
layer felts slower as you have to be careful not to break the
needle. The tape ads another hard object to felt around. Try with
and without the tape and see which you prefer. When needle felting,
be sure to keep your fingers out of the way. As I have already
said, when was your last tetanus shot? Just kidding, but really not
a bad idea when you consider you are working with steel and wool
fibers. When needling be sure to lift your project often as it will
begin to stick or needle into your foam work surface. When making a
three dimensional critter you must keep turning and needling all
the way around your project. Add batt or roving as you needle. The
longer you needle your item, the harder the felting will be. Within
a few minutes, it will be sticking together. The longer you needle
the harder it will become. Move your project often on your work
surface. The foam will deteriorate eventually, moving your project
around will lengthen the life of the foam plus you have more sides
dont you? When making a three dimensional critter, use a 36 T or 36
S gauge needle to start and poke or needle the fiber into itself,
when you have a fairly firm base you will begin to add batting in
layers needling it into itself as you go, be sure to turn your
project often. After a few layers and a
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c Copyright 2004 Neysa A Phillippi
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reasonable amount of time you will want to change to your 38 T
or 38 S needle, now it will begin to look like something. As your
project progresses you will start to add details such as muscle
structure, eye brow ridges, cheeks Now you are getting somewhere.
Dont be surprised if it takes hours to get to the point where it
looks like something. This is not a quick art form. I have found
that I spend a minimum of 12 hours on each critter I make. Needle
felting is like sculpting with clay, you add layers or slabs and
work them into the piece you are creating. Sculpting takes time so
does needle felting, be patient, if you are getting tense and
things dont seam to be going right, set it aside and go have a
piece of chocolate. All will look better when you have stepped away
and then return. Chocolate does work wonders! I start needling the
head first, when it is almost the shape I want when finished I add
the muzzle. I lay a piece of batting or roving on my foam base,
folding it in half (A.) and then folding it over twice from the
other direction (B.). Needle the top or folded end 2/3 of the way,
leaving the last 1/3 unfelted (C. & D.). Shape the muzzle, hold
it in place where you want it on the head and needle the muzzle in
place. The unfelted end will be felted into the head, anchoring it
into place. Needle the muzzle itself into the head. Continue to
shape the muzzle (E.). Now you can add batting to the head, even if
your muzzle is a different color. Create a line or shape defining
the muzzle. Add more felt to the head and continue to shape it.
Now wrap batting or roving around the neck, needle just to
anchor it to the head. Needle around the neck, adding layers as you
work. Needle felt around the legs, back (and tail if it has one)...
Needle each appendage, adding layers. When you have your piece
almost to the finished form start to add muscle tone and contours.
Add small pieces of batt to the shoulder area. Create shoulders,
buttocks, a hump if he is a bear... and so on. I like to look at
photographs in books for the creature I am creating. Animal books
with good photographs or resin sculptures are great references in
creating your needle sculpture. My first book Whimsical Teddy Bears
15 Patterns and Design Techniques under the source section lists
some great books on bears. All would work well as reference books
for needle felting. My second book Cats, Rats & Other Creatures
15 Patterns (to release soon) will list other animals books,
chickens included that will work as well. 4c Copyright 2004 Neysa A
Phillippi
When your critters body is almost to perfection I go back to the
head. To make the eye socket keep needling with a 36 or 38 S needle
into the same spot, as the eye socket forms you can move your
needle to shape it (F.). Take white wool or polyester and needle in
a very small amount into the eye socket - now you have the iris.
You can now stitch in a bead for the pupil using regular sewing
thread, weave the thread back an forth through the head to anchor
the bead; or needle in a small bit of black batting or roving for
the eye. You can add batting or roving to the eyebrow ridges to
farther shape and define the eye. Needle along the muzzle to create
a nose refer to the dotted lines in (F.) This gives your head more
character. To create the ears follow the instructions for shaping
the muzzle. Leave enough loose batt to attach the ears to the head.
If you wish to create an open mouth or tail follow the same
instructions. I use regular sewing thread to make the nose. Start
out by weaving the thread back and forth through the head and out
where you wish to start the nose. Stitch as you would a nose on a
mohair bear. Anchor the thread when you have finished the nose as
you did when you started it. To finish my critter I needle on paw
pads and stitch in claws the same way I did the nose by anchoring
the thread. I highlight the muscles and face by using Prisma
Pencils for shading. Start with your darkest color working to the
lightest you want to use. I will pencil in black into the ears and
on the belly. If the critter has an open mouth I will take pink or
red and add some color to represent his tongue or needle in a
tongue with batting or roving. Sometimes I stitch black thread
around the mouth. Happy Felting!
c Copyright 2004 Neysa A Phillippi
deFiNiTioNs - industry related
BATT ... layers of carded fibres that have been prepared for
felting using wool that has been cleaned. BATTING ... fibers of
wool or polyester used for felting and spinning fabrics. A textile
filling material consisting of a continuous web of fibres formed by
carding, air laying or other means. Wool batt looks similar to
cotton batting used in making a quilt. The fibers can be pulled
apart and work well for needle felting. ROVING ... fibers, that
have been drawn or rubbed into a single strand, parallel and with
very little twist. In spun yarns, the product used just prior to
spinning. Roving is one step beyond batting in simple terms. FELT
... fabric characterized by the densely matted condition of most of
or all of the fibres of which it is composed. Wool and some other
animal fibres possess a natural tendency to felt or mat together
under the influence of heat and moisture. Wool fibres in wet and
soapy conditions are milled until they are interlocked and matted
and then pressure applied. In this way, webs of wool fibres can be
consolidated into a fabric. This process is wet felting. FELT ... a
pressed, matted fabric made by heat, water and friction, causing
the fibres to interlock FELTING .... The matting together of fibres
using soap, water and friction. Or the process of dry needling with
a felting needle the batting or roving by poking the needle into
the fibre and locking the batting or roving into itself.
Needle Felting Supplies available please visit my web site-
www.purelyneysa.com. Needles, foam work base, 112 different wools:
naturals, colors and combinations. Ayala Talpais book The Felting
Needle from Factory to Fantasy also available.
Neysa A Phillippi Purely Neysa 45 Gorman Avenue, Indiana, PA
15701-2244 USA Tel. 724 349-1225 Fax 724 349-3903 Mobile 724
388-3598 Email [email protected] www.purelyneysa.com
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c Copyright 2004 Neysa A Phillippi