Sticky Paws Blog

My next workshop will be on lattice/lace felting and usually I list my top ten tips for the technique.  However, most of the tips applicable for lattice/lace felting have been covered in my previous ‘tips’ posts and as lattice/lace felting is such an interesting technique I thought I would share my top ten felting tips for designing with lattice/lace felt instead.

1)  Lattice felting is as the name suggests - it is placing the fibres in straight or diagonal lines which are either spaced at an equal distant apart or placed abstractly. 

2)  Lace felting is where the fibre is placed is circles so that the fibres touch and resemble lace when felted.

3)  A whole range of fibres can be used in lattice/lace felting and is limited only by the felter’s imagination.  Tops divided into various widths, wool yarns and prefelt can all be used effectively and even non feltable fibres such as sheer fabric and lace can be used if woven carefully between the feltable fibres.

4)  When creating lattice felting it is important to ensure that the holes remain open.  To do this after each initial rolling in bubblewrap gently pull the holes ’square’ using your fingers. 

5)  One of the most difficult parts of lattice felting is splitting the roving evenly.  This can be done by carefully following the split that appears in the centre of the roving but if you find this too difficult it is possible to buy pencil roving  which is about 1cm thick and which is ideal for lattice felting. 

6)  It is possible to create beautiful nuno felt using lattice felting techniques.  The fibre is placed onto the fabric in exactly the same way as with ordinary lattice felting but as the fibre hardens it shrinks and puckers the fabric beautifully.

7)  Nuno felt can also be created using the lace technique.  Again the fibre is placed on the fabric as with ordinary lace felting and can also be extended beyond the fabric to create a lace edging which looks particularly lovely as a cuff etc.

8)  It is possible to create a lattice/lace garment using a peice of bubblewrap as a resist.  The fibre is placed on the bubblewrap and is extended over the seams ie shoulders.  Wet the fibre keeping the extended fibre dry.  Place another piece of bubblewrap on top and carefully turn it all over.  Fold back the extended pieces of fibre and continue to lay more fibre on top.  Continue as with ordinary resist felting.  It is not necessary to cut the resist out as it is removeable through one of the edges that has been left open ie neck.

9)  Lace felt is also possible by cutting holes in a piece of prefelt.   Cut the holes about the size of a coin in the prefelt and continue rolling and throwing until the felt has hardened.  Ensure the holes do not close during this process by gently pushing your finger in the holes. 

10) When the piece of lattice/lace felt has been hardened you might find some pieces of ’spiderweb’, thin pieces of fibre, which has travelled across holes.  These can easily be removed by cutting them away with a sharp pair of scissors.

I hope these lattice/lace felting tips have been useful.  We welcome any tips and ideas you may have on this felting blog.

In July I held a workshop on resist felting and these are my top tips for successful resist felting:

1)   After many failed attempts at resist felting I have discovered that resist felting is more successful if made from several thin layers rather than two thick ones.  This is because it is easier for thin layers to felt to each other.

2)   Resist felting can be ’stabilised’ by using nuno felting techniques and it isn’t anymore difficult if you use a fabric which felts easily such as silk chiffon.  Use the silk chiffon in exactly the same way as the fleece. ie one piece slightly larger than the resist which is folded over another piece of fabric the same size as the resist. 

3)   I find bubblewrap is the best material to use as a resist.  It is strong enough to hold its shape but is flexible enough to bend once the wool has started to felt.  Bubblewrap which is ‘flat’ on both sides is available from garden centres and in my opinion the best bubblewrap to use.

4)   It might seem obvious but always divide your fibre into the number of layers you will be felting.  For example if you are going to build four layers, you will need to divide your fibre into eight pieces (four pieces for each side).  This not only produces even felting but if you are called away to the phone you will know how many layers you still need to do.

5)  I always start resist felting in the same direction.  My first layer is always vertical followed by a horizontal layer.  This means if I am distracted I know by looking at my fibre if I have layed one or two layers.

6)  Use the correct fibre for your finished item.  For example merino fibre is perfect for bags and hats etc but use a coarser and more hard wearing fibre if you want to felt boots etc.

7)  I like to use bubblewrap to prefelt my item.  For merino I find that 100 rolls in each direction is usually sufficient (ie 400 rolls in total).

8)  I like to harden my resist felting by throwing.  Unlike most books which suggest wetting the fibre with hot water, I find gentle throwing without adding any extra water successful.  This is because water adds weight to the fibre and makes it heavy which increases the risk of the fibre pulling apart at the seam.

9)  Stabilise the cut made when the resist is removed by gently rubbing the cut with bubblewrap before proceeding to the hardening stage.

10) Resist felting shrinks by about 40% so your resist will have to be 40% bigger than the finished size you want.

I hope you find the above tips useful and welcome any comments or tips you may have on this felting blog.

In May I will be running a course on Cobweb felting and again whilst I was thinking about the course and the best way to describe how to do Cobweb felting several ‘tips’ came to me.  So here are my top ten Cobweb felting tips:

1)   The beauty of Cobweb felt is its fineness.  A beautiful, strong piece of felt can be created with wonderful draping qualities.  It is, therefore, pointless using masses of fibre to make a thick piece of felt - you might as well have just done normal felting.  So when Cobweb felting pull the fibres out finely.

2)   Cobweb felt can be ’stabilised’ by using fibres such as mohair.  Using mohair is particularly useful when learning the technique as although fine ‘holes’ are desirable, the ‘old dishcloth’ look is not.

3)   Although there is not a wrong way or a right way to do felting and every book has a different method, I find using bubblewrap the best way to create cobweb felt.  Because the fabric generally used for cobweb felting is very fine and delicate bubblewrap reduces the risk of snagging which could be caused through using matting.  Although usually any type of bubblewrap will do, as cobweb felting is so fine I find the bubblewrap which is ‘flat’ on both sides doesn’t leave wavey lines as conventional bubblewrap sometimes does.

4)   When making cobweb felt the fibre has to be pulled out as fine as possible.  Using short pieces of roving that have been split lengthways into ‘quarters’ will make laying out much easier.  The layers should be so fine that you can see the bubblewrap through it. 

5)   Because the layers are so fine it is sometimes difficult to see the fibre.  By placing something, ie paper or a towel, under the bubblewrap which is opposite to the fibre you are using, for example white paper under black fibre, will enable you to see the fibre more easily.

6)   Only wool fibre will felt.  It is possible to use many other fibres such as silk, soy silk and synthetic yarns to decorate your piece of Cobweb felt but these will have to be ‘trapped’ with small amounts of wool fibre.  The amount needed is minimal (you don’t want to plaster on top and conceal the decoration) but you do need enough to ensure the non feltable fibre will ’stick’.

7)   Use warm, soapy water when Cobweb felting.  It is not necessary to use a lot of water as the fibre content is very fine but soap is very important.

8)   Cobweb felting shrinks about 20% and you need to, therefore, remember this when laying out your fibre.  If you are making a scarf it is very difficult (unless you are lucky enough to have a long table) to roll the felt lengthways, therefore, your scarf will shrink more lengthways.

9)   Please take care when you unwrap your felt after the initial rolling.  The felt can stick to the bubblewrap ‘roll’.  I have ‘lost’ samples unrolling too quickly only to find my sample under the bubblewrap.

10) Cobweb felt will usually be hardened by rolling.  Rolling the felt 6 x 100 times is usually sufficient.

We hope you find these tips useful - if you have any favourite Cobweb felting tips we would love to publish them on this blog - happy Cobweb felting.

Following on from my last set of dyeing tips and following some very relaxed dyeing sessions I have thought of some more natural dyeing tips which I hope you will find useful.

1)  Temperature (1) - even with very basic, easy, relaxed natural dyeing sessions you must not exceed certain temperatures with certain fibres.  With wool the temperature can go to approximately 80 to 95 degrees celsius (185 - 200 degrees farenheit) but silk and mohair must be kept 10 degrees lower.

2)  Due to the above reason never mix fibres, yarns or fleece in the same dye bath.

3)  Temperature (2) - some dye stuffs do not like to exceed a certain temperature as in the case of madder which will loose much of its colour if the dyebath exceeds 70 degrees celsius (158 degrees farenheit). 

4)  Always remember to strain your dyebath before adding your fibre - it is really frustrating trying to pick tea leaves or weld seeds out of beautifully dyed fibre!

5)  If using the bain marie method of dyeing it is really useful to write on a peg what dyestuff/mordant you are using and peg it to the edge of the jar.  When the fibre is drying you can then peg the peg to the fibre to help identify it.  (believe me this really is a top tip!)

6)  Do not assume that you will get the same colour on wool as silk etc. - different fibres will generally dye differently.

7)  Always ensure your fibre is completely dry before using/storing.  One of the best ways of drying fibre is outside on a hedge (just ignore the strange looks your neighbours will give you).

8)  One way to identify a good dyeing plant is if it has tinctoria in its latin in name. 

9)  If you are very interested in natural dyeing and would like to develop it further, you must be very accurate in your measurements.  One of the delights/frustrations of natural dyeing is that it is very difficult to reproduce a colour.  Keeping accurate notes and a sample of the colour achieved will help but seasonal conditions, water hardness/softness, temperature etc will all affect the final colour.

10) Always dye more than you think you will need.

I know you would be forgiven for thinking this felting blog had turned into an animal blog over the past few days and now natural dyeing, but being able to dye your own fibre is an absolute boon for a felter.  Although dyeing ‘tops’ can be a bit problematic as it always seems to felt ever so slightly (for me anyway) dyeing embellishing fibres such as silk can lift your felting to new dizzy heights in colours that you would be unable to buy elswhere.  So in readiness for a post I am going to write about really easy natural dyeing recipes I thought I would give you my top ten natural dyeing for felting tips.

1)  Although the plants and mordants are ‘natural’ some of them are incredibly poisonous and need to be treated with extreme care.  Never use a plant unless you know it is ’safe’ to use.

2)  Always use a well ventilated area when dyeing.  If possible set up a designated dyeing area in the garage or shed, or you could use an extension lead with a single electric ring in the garden if the weather is good.  If, however, this is not possible you can use your cooker hob but please don’t be tempted to ‘dye’ while you are cooking the dinner.

3)  Always use gloves when handling the dye stuff and the dyed fibre.  Your skin is just as porous and absorbant as your lungs.

4)  Always use designated utensils for dyeing and never be tempted to use them again for cooking.  Most of the items you need for dyeing are readily available such as an old saucepan with a lid, an old colander and a wooden spoon, but you would need to invest in a thermometer.

5)  It is possible to dye several different colours at the same time using a large pan such as an old preserving pan and some large coffee/pickle jars as a ‘bain marie’.  Put a different dye stuff into each of the jars and pour water into the pan to the level of the dye stuff.  It is only possible to dye small amounts this way but it is great for sampling or achieving different colours from one dye stuff but using different mordants.

6)  Always ‘wet’ out your fibre before dyeing.  Adding a drop of washing up liquid will help the fibre (especially silk) absorb the water.

7)  If you live in a hard water area you will achieve better colours using filtered water or rain water.  This is true in most cases except for madder which prefers hard water.

8)  Always treat your dyeing fibre with great care especially wool.  Stirring and poking it in the hot pan will cause it to felt, which is not what we want (yet)!  When you rinse the fibre after dyeing use water at the same temperature as the fibre or again it will felt.

9)  Always have more fibre available than you think you will need.  Unlike chemical dyeing which uses all the dye in one ‘hit’ there is usually dye left over after the first dyeing session which you can then ‘exhaust’ using more fibre.  It is possible to produce some very pretty shades using the exhaust.

10) Invest in a good dyeing book - one of the best availabe is A Dyeing Manual by Jill Goodwin.

We hope you find these useful and would love to publish your favourite dyeing and felting tips on this blog.

On Saturday I will be running a course on Nuno felting and whilst I was thinking about the course and the best way to describe how to do Nuno felting several ‘tips’ came to me.  So here are my top ten nuno felting tips:

1)   Any fabric can technically be Nuno felted.  However, the more ‘open’ the weave the easier it is to felt.  Many fabrics can be used but silk chiffon and muslin are the most popluar.  Other fabrics which felt extremely well are lace (including net curtain type), netting and silk pongee.

2)   The fabric will be easier to control and use if it is wetted out first.  Adding a drop of washing up liquid to the water will help the fabric (especially silk) ‘wet out’.

3)   Although there is not a wrong way or a right way to do felting and every book has a different method, I find using bubblewrap the best way to create Nuno felt.  Because the fabric generally used for Nuno felting is very fine and delicate bubblewrap reduces the risk of snagging which could be caused through using matting.  Also as there is very little heat in Nuno felting (see item 7) the bubblewrap acts as insulation.

4)   The beauty of Nuno felt is its fineness.  A beautiful, strong piece of felt can be created with wonderful draping qualities.  It is, therefore, pointless using masses of fibre to make a thick piece of felt - you might as well have just done normal felting.  So when Nuno felting pull the fibres out finely.

5)   Many wonderful results can be achieved in Nuno felting depending on how the fibre is laid out.  So lay the fibre in the direction you want the felt to shrink.

6)   Only wool fibre will felt.  It is possible to use many other fibres such as silk, soy silk and synthetic yarns to decorate your piece of Nuno felt but these will have to be ‘trapped’ with small amounts of wool fibre.  The amount needed is minimal (you don’t want to plaster on top and conceal the decoration) but you do need enough to ensure the non feltable fibre will ’stick’.

7)  Use warm water when Nuno felting.  If the water is too hot the wool fibres will felt to itself and not too the piece of fabric.

8)  One of the beautiful effects created in Nuno felting is the ‘puckering’ of the fabric below caused by leaving empty spaces.  As the wool felts and shrinks the fabric ‘puckers’ like seersucker.  Many interesting results can be achieved depending on how the wool is laid out - lattice effects, circles etc.

9)   If your fabric has raw edges, these can be ’sealed’ by placing a layer of wool fibre along the edges.

10) Nuno felt can be hardened by rubbing on a felting or draining board.  A more wrinkled and structured effect can be achieved by gently ‘throwing’ the felt.

We hope you find these tips useful - if you have any favourite Nuno felting tips we would love to publish them on this blog - happy Nuno felting.

Although felting can’t be described as a dangerous hobby, there are elements in felting that can be damaging to your health.  Here are some more tips which I hope will help you safely produce beautiful felt.

1)  Felting is very damaging to your back.  To minimise back strain try to raise the work surface you are using.  This can be achieved by placing something under the table legs or even better use your kitchen work surface.  Kitchen designers have spent millions ergonomically designing your kitchen to be at the best working height.

2) Try to minimise rolling.  Rolling is also very bad for your back and other felting methods should be used if possible.  Charlotte Buch has written a book called How to Make Felt for Clothing which gives alternative methods for felting.  If you do have to roll, try holding in your stomach and buttock muscles (I don’t know if this helps your back but it is good for your tummy and butt muscles!) and ease your back by straightening after each set of rolls.

3)  Use loads of hand cream - Hands get quite a raw deal when felting due to being immersed in water so much.  I don’t know if there is a definite hand cream to use just apply loads of your favourite.

4)  Be careful when using hot water.  It is very easy to burn or scald yourself when using hot water.  It should never be necessary to use boiling water.  As mentioned previously water that is too hot can actually be detrimental.

5)  Dry your hands carefully - I know this sounds obvious but it is very easy to get carried away and forget to properly dry your hands.  This can result in chapped and cracked hands which can be very painful.

6)  If using greasey fleece remember to wash your hands after handling the fleece.  Unwashed fleece is full of germs and bacteria.  It is also a good idea to check your tetanus status.

7)  If you intend to dye your fleece or fibres you will need to adopt stringent health and safety proceedures.  All chemical dyes are dangerous if inhaled and even ‘natural’ dyeing can use potentially poisonous plants and mordants.  Please consult a good dyeing book such as A Dyer’s Manual by Jill Goodwin.

8)  If needle felting be very careful - the felting needles are extremely sharp.  If you do hurt yourself with a felting needle apply first aid straight away as even clean fleece carries germs and never share felting needles.

9)  Always write everything you do down (and not on a scrappy piece of paper!).  However much you think you will be able to remember what technique you have used etc., six months down the line when you want to reproduce it you will probably have forgotton.  Minimise your stress levels by recording your felting as you do it.

10) Put the kettle on (not to use for felting see item 4) - If your felting hasn’t turned out as planned make yourself a nice brew and put your feet up.  Nothing is ever ‘wrong’ in felting.  The ‘bag’ you were making might make a beautiful mobile phone case etc. etc…

As mentioned in previous posts these tips are ideas and techniques that I have found useful (especially item 9) which I have discovered more by trial and error and which I hope will find useful.  If you have any felting tips you would like to share I would love to publish them on this blog.