Making Monday: Needle felting

This weekend I got to try something I have been itching to try for a long time now - needle felting.

Our family attended a sustainability festival in town and one of the areas was for local businesses. It turns out there is a couple who is passionate about wool, felting, and their sheep, and they live close enough for us to visit the farm.

I spent some time speaking to Tim Fisher about his sheep and his passion for wool. He explained that much of our wool in Canada is sent to China to be processed into felt. He wants to keep his wool local and inspire people in the area to try felting for themselves.

They had everything I needed to get started, which is really not much at all for needle felting (wool, needles and some foam so you don't poke yourself!)



Rainbow starter kit from all sorts acre

I bought myself a little kit with 10 small bags of wool in different colours. It included three differently gauged needles, instructions, and a foam block for working on. If you are making small toys like I am, this is really not at all expensive. $10 dollars will get you needles and enough wool to make a number of felted critters.

I have watched a couple people needle felt before - and it turns out to be very simple and gratifying. My first sit down I made Zo a little Hen for Easter. Last night after the little ones were sleeping I made another smaller hen and a nest. Our kids are getting a playsilk each for Easter - one blue and one green. I'm inspired to make some little animals to play on these new landscapes.



Needle felting is very fast, simple, and something I can do while my children play. It can be easily put down and picked back up. There are no stitches to count. It is simple and gratifying! A quick read through the instructions gives you the idea and off you go. It is really very easy.

Tim and Jennifer are local to us here in Ontario - they have open houses to come visit the sheep, and are very lovely folks. You can check out their website at allsortsacre.ca . You never know, perhaps there is a local passionate business near you! We are planning to go visit the sheep at their next open house.

As for me, I'm going to make this nest a little larger, felt some eggs - and then who knows!

Making Monday: T-Shirt Applique

 

 Applique is really easy. It makes a sweet, homemade gift for a new babe or birthday. I make my girls birthday shirts with their new age on them. Applique is also great for covering up still great hand-me-downs that have some stains.

 

 

Here is how I made Sage`s 1st birthday shirt:

 

 

1. Gather materials: shirt, fabric you want to use, and double-sided fusible web. You can find the web at your local craft or fabric store. I got a very large roll for $10. It will last me a long, long time.

 



 

2. Cut out your design. Play around until you have the shirt you want :)

 

 

3. Place your cut out fabric, facing up, onto the fusible web. It will stick to it a bit. Cut out the web to match your fabric. Peel off the backing and place your design back on the shirt. You can layer fabrics if you like.



 

 

 

4. Iron the fabric to the shirt. Use your iron`s cotton setting. 30-60 seconds is generally good timing. I use 60 seconds when I have layers of fabric. Your design will be fused to the shirt.

 

 

 

4. Using a zig-zag stitch, stick around your fabric edges. Use complimentary colours, shiny thread, rainbow changing thread if you wish. This steps prevents freying.

 



 

 

That`s it! There is so much you can do. I love applique :)

 

 



 

A birthday crown for Sage

This week I made Sage's felt birthday crown. It was a sweet little project to do. This was my first crown. Zo got really into the project and asked for one for her 4th birthday as well.

 

I first cut two identical crowns in the blue felt. One one piece I appliqued my decorations. The second piece was the backing to hide all the stitching from the applique. I used elastic to connect the crown in the back so that it would stretch to fit a growing head. I made the grown just the right size without stretching the elastic this year. Zo tried it on and it fit her at almost 4 - so it can be used for awhile :)

I decided to put things on the crown that remind me of Sage's birth:

* the Sun - Sage was born at sunrise.  I remember listening to the circadas through the patio door while I laboured in the birth pool. I loved labouring in the night. It was quiet, still. As Sage was born, the sky was just starting to lighten. I nursed her on the couch watching the sunrise.

* Crocus - We have crocus in our yard that bloomed in the days before and after Sage's birth. I love that every year they will come up around her birthday. She was born on the first day of spring, which is kinda lovely, so this will remind us of that.

* Waves of water -  Sage was born in a birth pool. That water got me through labour. It felt so incredible each time I got back in. Col was in the water supporting me through the last of labour. She was there when Sage was born and scooped up into our arms out of the water.

Sage's birthday is this week, but she tried on her crown for a while today anyways. She loved it. It is great to have this tangible way to tell Sage a bit about her birthday as she grows.