A Felting finish for Christmas

 one of those mad ideas that insist on being completed . Turning a cross stitch I modified from a Durene Jones design into a 3D felt sculpture.

Click here to see the cross stitch.

It was a plan for a long time. First I ordered felting wool in red and blue and greens ext. Then I wondered about how to do clothing on a character. I had only done a Bunny and a Cat before.

I even ordered a kit with the character wearing clothes thinking the instructions might help. Sadly it was a cheaper kit and the instructions were simply make as per picture. I have yet to make it!

I finally made a start during a BFF RAL.

I shared those initial pictures but once the image might have been more identifiable I stopped sharing. Including how I tacked the waistcoat.

Mind the first stage it looked more like the farmer from Shaun the Sheep.

That changed when I added the hair.

I had some fights with the right hand, it kept getting bigger and looser rather than tighter, the hand shown here ended up not being used I cut it off and started again.

Then I added the hat, including a tassel (a bought one this time)

The sizes of the cats perhaps not quite reflective of the cross stitch. And the smaller cat got bigger and erm bigger.

I am not great at cat features.

They are stitched onto orange felt.

I had bought a dome a long time ago, it was just say big enough (that tall hat and bigger cat).

After what was many months of thinking about and intention I finished it the day before it was gifted.

That works well as it stops me messing with it.

Gifted to my brother, he recognised The Hat that lead to the cross stitch that lead to this. My sister in law said we should get you a brown waistcoat and agreed the cats looked like specific cats  amongst those they have.

I was pleased at that. My sister in law has taken up felting since I made the Bunny, but her animals have progressed to realistic whilst mine have not. 

However, that does mean if I fall out of love with felting now this project is completed, if the kits from various sources once I try them do not equal the  joy of Bunny I will have a recipient for any left over stuff. 

I have a tendency to accumulate stuff in relation to a new hobby attempt.

BFF RAL once more

 so for me this time that equalled felting.

Stabby stabby 

Through a template this time, something I saw on a Facebook video.

I think it is working, but I don't expect to be sharing the result for awhile. (update CLICK HERE to see how this piece becomes a waistcoat and to see the finished item)

I rather enjoyed seeing the progress Roni was making on her RAL this evening. 

Pop on over to my BFF's  blog to see her pretty pretty progress once she posts it that is.

A question of size.

 I know that most people have one hand slightly larger then the other.  Sometimes it is the dominant hand, which is the case for me,

But this needle felting is taking it to extremes, I don't know why the right hand is just not compressing down. This is my second try,

I will work on it some more and hope there is some reduction. Its going to be the one used either way, I have added the sleeve colour now so  whatever stage it gets to , it is getting used!

(update, ha that's what I thought, not what happened later CLICK HERE for the final finish)

Hands

 are never easy.

Felt hands certainly are not. I had the two hands done with the core wool, then I started adding the skin tone on the right hand (which is the one on the left in the picture of course) and it went wrong.

the reasonable hand shape went all mitten on me and then it just kept getting bigger. Which is odd. I had not added more wool to it but instead of getting tighter and smaller it just felt looser. I am going to have to start that hand /arm again and be more careful with the left hand when I get that far!

No BFF anything

this evening as the lurgy has found its way to my BFF's home.

So out with the mini harpoons once more (there has been a bit of work since last I shared this. However there is still quite a long way to go.

 

Much more shading and stabby stabby with little harpoons.

I know one thing this is not a mobile hobby.

BFF RAL after all

prewarned that Roni's ta da stitching finish needed more time for a fully finish so we might RAL not SAL. I hunted out my wire, plyers and a long waiting project.

And little harpoon and stabby stabby needle felting commenced.

and there was chatting and laughing and the very odd but satisfying sound of the needle felting.

As I was in full on stabby mode when Roni finished her "TaDA" we did not switch to the SAL, which had been the original intention, I kept on with the stabby stabby, thank goodness for leather finger protectors, and Roni picked up a "something different" project of her own.

Not sure when she will post an update, she is busy busy but here is a link to her blog for when she does.

Click HERE

 

The Cat's Whiskers

 I was not sure what to use for whiskers on my cat, and he needed whiskers.  Then my mother said what's that on the floor? I expected it to be a bit of thread, its often an escaping bit of thread  however it was a bristle (new carpet brush, think it fell out when I was unwrapping it) and it was just what I needed. 

So cat has whiskers, and a collar and tag.

I think I am through meddling with him and can move on to my next felting project. Which I hope to be a progression in my learning and in developing my style, maybe.

Felted cat

 I did decide to add the other shade of grey to the cat, and the eyes which were creepy.

I added the ball of wool and then went back to the eyes, and well tweaked things here and there a bit.

It looks a bit less creepy I think

Bit sad but the best view is this one from the back.

Been interesting.

I started..a Cat

 Another felting kit and I have gone to start it and then not several times. This afternoon I made a start and got further than I had anticipated.

Not finished yet, needs eyes and whiskers and 

a little character in that tail., and the paws need work and whatever else I feel like when I come back to it.

It is supposed to have a darker grey stripe  but not sure if that it going to be added or not.

This the kit picture

This was still fun getting this far even if it has not produced the exclamation marks of joy the bunny did. But then this was a little less magical just because I had tried it before.

I made a BUNNY!

 Do I sound a bit excited there, well I was, I still am.

I was gifted a kit for my birthday, a needle felt kit. Something new I have never tried before although Kirsty Allsopp certainly made it look and sound like fun.

This is a picture of the kit. 

and what came in the kit

Core wool (on the right) the coloured wool on the left, needles and the needle pad in the middle.

First step separate the core wool into sections for the body, head and ears.

Then cover them with the coloured wool and stabby stabby with the needles, there are two sizes and it does make a difference.

I got a bit carried away with the doing and quite forgot to take any further pictures till I had the elements joined.

Then need to add the eyes, nose and mouth and as the instructions said "add some character" to the make.

 

Now there are often meme type jokes about cross stitching being evidence that the Stitcher had the patience to stab something many many times so beware, but it has nothing on this craft given the needles are more like mini harpoons, barbs and all.

You will notice that my bunny..."I MADE A BUNNY!" Is not exactly the same as the picture on the kit. That is fine I like mine better and it was fun, and cute and its mine.

So is this both the beginning and the end of the needle felting journey?

It might have been if online buying had been the only option but as the local shop this original kit came from, Home Bargains (and compared to the kit price one line it certainly was) had some others well there may be further posts related to this new craft.

The Bunny might be beginners luck, the other kits might not be as much fun or turn out as well.

Oh dear this might be more than one single patch in my patchwork of crafts!