Sunday 12 November 2017

A little piece of wet felting.

Hello. I've been playing around with a bit of wet felting today. I have an idea for a piece of wood and want to add wool to it. I think I will call it Wood and Wool, ha ha.
First I laid out layers of shades of green on a piece of bubble wrap. Crisscrossing them, first one way then the other. I didn't want many layers because I don't want it too thick. It's a small piece. To do this you need to have a hot soapy water mix and wet it thoroughly. Massage it till all the fibres are wet.
Fold over the bubble wrap, wet it on top, and proceed to rub it all over for a long time, pressing down hard on it. Most people use their fingers and a scrunched up plastic bag, I found it easier with a sponge and a spoon. Do this over and over again. Open it up and turn the felt over, and turn it the other way round, and keep rubbing.

Then roll it up like a sausage and keep rolling it a lot. Opening it up and turning it around. Add more soapy water if needed.

Then roll it in the towel, and do the same again. More rolling. The more agitation you can give it the better.

When it's just about the right texture and felted nicely, rinse it under the cold tap. Let it dry.

I have pulled a bit off from around the edges because it was too big, I want rough edges, and added needle felting to it. I could have added the colours before I started it, so it would have all been wet felted, but I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it. Now there will be lots of stitching added.

If you are making a bigger thicker piece it needs a lot more bashing around. Scrunch it up and throw it down on the worktop. There are plenty of videos on yoootoooob if you want to have a go.

Looks like a sunny day again. I'm about to have lunch, then I'll go out for a couple of hours. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

8 comments:

  1. Hello Ilona, sometimes you tell us that you have been to Hull, to a gallery or whatever. But are you interested in theater, I think you are because I noticed you love a good story. Today I read in a newspaper {The Guardian] about a play being on the stage in Hull about local history making it to Westminster namely The Last Testament of Lillian Bilocca written by Maxime Peake it is a very interesting story, although sold out at the moment maybe it is possible to be on a waiting list or the play will be prolonged and you get a chance to see it. I just thought I let you know, it is something I wish I could see. But alas I live in the Netherlands and Dutch theater is not very good. They can not act. But I am looking forward to see Howard's End tonight on the BBC. Very off topic I know I am sorry. From Greetje, greeting from the Netherlands.

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    1. I went to see this play on Friday and it was great but very heart breaking. Our Lil was a strong woman but the trawler men, some wives and unions didn't take kindly to her interfering in "men's business". She got death threats and ridiculed and lost her job but she got some health and safety rules enforced. Powerful play and well acted.

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  2. Love seeing what craft products you have made Ilona x

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  3. I did some wet felting once. It's ever so energetic. I was knackered! xx

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  4. I did wet felting as a Christmas crafts afternoon in the village hall a few years ago. You’ve reminded me how it is done. Natalie

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  5. Is it going to be Santa Claus with a lot of berries I wonder? x

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  6. You certainly keep us wondering what your projects will turn into Ilona. I do have a question though. Do other people always/sometimes stitch over the wet felting, or is that just your personal creative spin on this particular art form? Jean.

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    1. You can stitch onto something that has been wet felted, when it has dried out. Lots of people do it.

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