I finished another heart ...

But, I'm keeping this one as a memento! I don't consider it done yet anyway ... but by popular demand, I'll show you a little about how I do my needle felting. I want to do more needle pouncing on this one and maybe even add one more thing and perhaps do a little more detail. So for now ... it's a work in progress.



First I collected some books and supplies like felting needles for example to start out with. Here are a few books and of course, roving.

Note: These are very sharp needles and not meant for children. Be very careful ... or you'll need a first aid kit on hand as well.




Another source of fibers that we all have as knitters is yarn pieces. I save all my clippings from any project I used wool or any other animal fiber on. These can be added to felted pieces. I just put the clipped pieces in a sandwich bag ... when the bag is full, I put them with my felting supplies.



As you see, this is not a neat little work area! Not when the Stitchingnut is working on something anyways. I just spread it out and get to work.



If you're interested in where I got some of my supplies, a couple of nice places to purchase anything you could possibly need are Halcyon Yarn and Weirs Dolls & Crafts. Both have good prices and just about anything you need to get started.













I've got my books and magazine pictures I've saved.













As well as the pictures I've drawn. Or rather more like doodled. When I get an idea or see something in a magazine I like, I doodle it out on paper. Just pencil scratching.





Some books are there only for inspiration ... mainly because I'm not as advanced at this as the author of Pixie Felt. What a gorgeous book for my coffee table if nothing else. Same with it's companion, New Felt! Both books are hard to come by so I was lucky to acquire them when I did.





Okay ... let's get started ...




I've already knitted & felted my piece that I'll use for my "canvas" and now I just give it a brushing before I start. A stiff bristle brush will do. Mine is an old finger nail natural bristle brush. Your canvas can also be a flat piece of ready made felt ... or a woven piece of fabric or even blue jean material or canvas. Or use nothing at all and just felt your roving on the sponge surface for a 3 dimensional piece or to be applied to something else by sewing or glue or applied needle felting using the special needles. Oh, did I forget to tell you to have a nice thick sponge surface to work on? It'll save your needles AND your table. I recommend using one made for needle felting like mine. This one is 3 inches thick.


Let's get down to the real work now.


I lay out thin layers of roving first for the background of the picture I want to create. Just as I'm doing here. When I get it the way I like I pounce the needle to attached the fibers of the roving. Remember to see the whole picture ... the details will come later.



Pounce with the needle until you feel it's ready for the next step ...



Adding a little more detail to the background.












And then
add some roving for some placement to where the foreground figures will go.


The outline is put in and then I start building the colors from the back to the front. Until I get something like this ....




But I think it could use a little more work. What do you think?