How to Felt Wire....My Version.

I first got the idea for making headbands and hair ties for fund raising events during the felting camp at the Jondaryan Woolshed in Oct last year. Wendy Bailey had some very pretty hair ties with large felt flowers felted onto foam curlers. I had dismissed the idea as the ties appeared a little bulky for children's pony tails.

A few months later Abbie Vievers was visiting and over a cup of coffee I listened while she brain stormed ideas for an Open Day at the Serendipity Farm Animal Centre on October 22. I then remembered Wendy's pretty ties and thought they would be great for a felt demonstration and as a fund raiser. The bulkiness of the tie, and the time needed to make the flower, was a concern. I needed to simplify the process. Once again it was put on the back burner .....until I read an article in the 5th Issue of Felt Magazine by Anita Larkin "Felting around wire..Fungi Bracelet".  She used Corriedale wool which gave it a rustic look. I became excited when I found I had all the materials at hand .....recycled fly screen tubing from old screen doors, wire from repairing the fence and of course various types of wool.

I found Anita's process, while effective was awkward, and I needed to be simplify it if children were to felt wire on Open Day. I also needed to find a decoration that could be made quickly and still be as appealing as Wendy's flowers. I found the solution in Christine White's Uniquely Felt ..."Bodacious Bamboo" page 49.

So here is my version for felting around wire:

I decided that bracelets would be something quick and easy for the girls to make and snakes and lizards for the boys.  I wrapped the ridged fly screen tube (spline) around my wrist and let the ends overlap about an inch.  This should be a good length for the children's bracelets, hair ties and little snakes and lizards.
The tubing  can be found at hardware stores for about 60c metre or a little cheaper in packs of about 13 metres. I used galvanised wire from my tool box.  You can see the wire size in relation to the tube in the photo.

You will notice that the wire has a curve (a memory) which persists through out the process.  This can be used to advantage.  First the wire was bent back onto the topside of the curve to reduce the risk of scratching when worn.  The wire was stroked along the length when shaping to avoid kinks. However any shaping was avoided until finished.

Using a template: I used exactly the same process as I do when felting hats, bags etc.  I cut a piece of lino (floor vinyl) one and a half times the length of the tube and about inch wide, to use as a template. Fine Merino tops were laid across the template and a thin layer down the length.  It was then dampened down and felted with netting over the top till I was able to turn it over. 

The sides were folded in and tops were laid on the second side. At times I found very little wool was needed on the second side as the folded sides often cover the side quite well. I did need to do a full layer on the one in this photo though.  When it felted well and straining at the edges..... the ends were cut and the template pulled out. To pull template out the felt tube was pushed down like a sock part way and then grabbed at the bottom and pulled off. The tube is very fragile at this stage so go slow.

Covering the ends: Next some wool was hooked in the wire ends and pliers used to fix it firmly.  Here my method varies again from Anita's.  The wool is held between finger and thumb and the wire twirled so the wool winds around the tube and wire like a "cotton bud". This gives a good cover over the wire end.  When both ends were covered  the wire tube was pushed into in the felted tube. The ends of the felt tube were pulled over the first "cotton bud".  

To felt the tube: Wet the end thoroughly with soapy water and gently rub the felt ends together.  As it starts to felt together the end can be rolled on a wet towel or between the palms.  When the end has felted  onto the wool that was twirled around the wire ... push the felt tube up the wire and repeat the process on the second end.

Felt both ends well before felting the middle. To start the process roll the wire felt  between the palms as if washing you hands. Move the folds up and down as you felt to avoid them felting onto themselves.  The folds will shrink and disappear as you roll.



Last stages of rolling. Rolling on a wet towel helps in speed up the final process.  Putting it into hot water and then using a mallet as Anita suggests to shock the felt is also an option. 

The wire felt finished ready for decoration. I found this basic method quite quick and perfect for children on Open Day





Felting Frivolities Retreat

Catch up time!  Sorting through all the photos and activities over the last few weeks.  The first is the Felting Frivolities Retreat held in March and October each year at the Historic Jondaryan Woolshed, Qld....a time to just play with ideas,  or use the space to work on those BIG projects.  Alternatively one can just relax and watch and enjoy the down time.

Here is a  quick look at some of the felters in action.  More photos can be found here

 

 

Shades of Lavender - Silk and Merino Felted Cobweb Scarf.

  

Yet another cobweb scarf.  This time with blended merino and silk in lovely pastel shades of lavender, blue, pink ....and the shine of natural silk.   I made this one  a little smaller than the previous scarf......they just take sooooo long to make I decided to take a short cut and make a regular length.  This one measures 104 cms x 19cms  (7 1/2 inches x 41 inches) and weighs a tiny 13 grams. 

This one may end up going down to the Pittsworth Craft and fine Food Festival as well.

This time I didn't use the sander. In the first stages I covered the tops with an old lace curtain and partially felted with lots of soapy water checking the progress by lifting the curtain often.  I found that the very soapy water allowed me to float the fibres into a lacy position as I went.  I then covered the scarf with a clear plastic sheet and felted by hand.  I could see what was happening easily through the plastic and every now and then lifted the plastic and gently stretched the the scarf back into shape....helping the web to open.
  

Fully stretched - I repeated this felt
 and stretch process until the scarf was fully
 felted.
Notice how wide the scarf was stretched.



  

Right side is in the process of being  gently stretched to open up the web



Silk and Merino Felted Cobweb Scarf

I had a small amount of Silk and Merino blended tops left over from another project and decided make a cobweb scarf for the Pittsworth Craft and Fine Foods Festival being held the second weekend in Oct.

It took a lot longer to make than other scarves as I needed to check constantly to make the sure holes were forming ........and to scratch at the edges to stop them thickening.

I just love the result.  It is just as fine and soft as the previous scarf..weighing only 22 grams....and can be held in one hand like a handkerchief.

The weather is quite overcast and appears to be settling in for the rest of the week.  I didn't have the patience to wait for a clear day....... so the photos are not as bright as I would like.  They do show how the scarf will look in the evening though ...picking up the lovely shine of the silk.

Happy Felting
Cheers Joan

Down at the Woolshed - Helping Hands

Six little hands and two large hands rubbed and rubbed to create this blue nuno felted scarf.  I was hoping to receive a  photo showing the little Glennie Students' hands working hard on this creation at the Jondaryan Festival......... perhaps the photographer did not have a cropping tool on their computer that would hide the small faces appropriately.

The scarf was laid out in swirls for a change to see what effect it would have when it was felted.  The wool needed a little encouragement with a needle felting tooljust to get it started as the nylon weave was tighter than I had thought.

During the slow very wet days some of the volunteer children made this little basket of felted squares and felted soaps. The squares will be added to over time to create a childrens rug or mat, and the felted soaps will be passed on to my friend Yvette O'Brien in Toowoomba who ...with her group ...fill little bags they have made with toothbrushes, soap, shampoo etc. for the homeless and disadvantaged.

The squares were made using a resist to help keep the squares roughly the same size.  Two layers of coarse merino - 29 microns, were laid on each side.  Scraps of felt were cut into patterns and laid on the tops before wetting down.  Some of the scraps were already embellished and added to the effect.  A little glitz was sprinkled on the leaves in the square below.

When the resist started to buckle it was cut out and the two sides of the square were felted together to from a firm mat.

A gourd was also made during the Festival using the same coarse natural merino and a resist.  The cord was attached after the two layers on each side were wetted down and partially felted. The a third layer was added to each side and felted till the resist buckled and needed to be cut out.  It was then rolled, worked in hot water and thrown to shock the felt into shrinking further.

It was later dyed with food colouring...the kind one uses for cake icing.  Dyeing is a  new area for me.. so I experimented with a dye bath of water vinegar and a cap of green colouring.  Placed in an icecreanm container and microwaved for 6 minutes ...and then another 6 minutes after it had cooled a little.   The gourd was left hanging outside for some days. It did lose some of it's colour during the rain, but not much.

Many thanks to all the visitors and volunteers who helped make these felted pieces and the babies booties ...that I haven't shown here.  I hope they inspire to you to give felting ago.

Step Back in Time - One Step at a Time

A week has gone by and there is still much uploading to do. After the Jondaryan Festival I found myself down with a nasty bout Chronic Fatigue once again.  A condition that has been given many names in my case...over many, many years.... I take my pick on any given day...a Thyroid condition, Coeliac disease, post viral fatigue, post cancer fatigue, Iga deficiency (type of immune cells), low levels of B12, old age...and lately high blood pressure.  What ever the name....it is very annoying when I have so many interesting projects to indulge.   As much as I tried to hide it and push through during the Festival.....it eventually caught up with me and I was confined to bed for a day and a slower than usual crawl during the rest of the week.  A friend was there to lend a hand when I began to wilt. I doubt if she knew how little 'Puff" I had left and how much her presence was appreciated.   Thank you so much Vishnja.

Vishnja delighted everyone with her wonderful vintage costumes. ....always the Lady...sometimes with a maid in tow ...or accompanied by her gentleman husband, equally resplendent in his attire.  She tells me she frequents Op Shops most to the year collecting items for the the costumes she wears at the Festival ....many quite authentic like the lovely kid gloves we struggled to button up on the last day.  She makes her own dresses and hats with great attention to detail, using vintage patterns from Harpers.

Volunteers came in all ages from toddlers to Grannies.....all in period costume.  Here are some of  other volunteers who brightened up the Festival each year.

For those like me, wanting to make something similar, I have tracked down some patterns and books so we can give it ago..  This is a Simplicity Sewing Pattern 3725 Girl's Pioneer / Pilgrim / Colonial Dress & Bonnet, Sizes 3-6 for the youngest volunteers.

I think this may be the book containing the Harper patterns that Vishnja mentioned.
Reconstruction Era Fashions: 350 Sewing, Needlework, & Millinery Patterns 1867-1868 The customer reviews are good so I thought I would include it in my research together with the main review.
"Reconstruction Era Fashions contains a comprehensive selection of patterns from rare issues of the first 14 months of the Victorian fashion magazine Harper's Bazar. It provides sewing patterns with instructions for most garments in an 1860s woman's wardrobe, from corsets to wedding dresses to riding habits. Instructions for enlarging, fitting, and using the patterns are included. Needlework patterns for trimmings and accessories use a wide variety of techniques, including embroidery, crocheting, knitting, tatting, and ribbon work. Patterns are also given for every type of millinery. The patterns are illustrated by exquisite engraved plates. They are supplemented by fashion columns with practical advice on wardrobe planning, and by articles that focus on specific techniques, including dressmaking and corset making."

So! back to sorting through the many photos, activities and ideas that have accumulated.  I find myself bouncing back and forth between art projects, vintage dresses and a longing to be out at the Gum Tree Garden Studio looking for Koalas, collecting natural materials for outdoor sculptures.

But wait there is a yet another direction that is pressing......a scavenge hunt for the garden studio.....such as air conditioner for a wind turbines, solar pumps, lining for a farm pond, fencing materials,  tyres for erosion control, rain water tank, timber for a bush shower, pallets, landscaping materials, post hole auger, post rammer, netting, wire, gravel, bark chips, weed mat.......on and on.  Since there is so much to explore in the Garden Studio's development I'll post my progress on my other blog .

So peaceful in the shade of the big Gums