Needlefelting

I remember being at a SOAR several years ago, and seeing someone meticulously and carefully needle felting a strawberry. No, don't be silly - I mean making a 3D facsimile of a berry in fibre using a felting needle! Anything else would be messy.

In fact, I think that was the year that someone - maybe the same person - did an entire bowl of fruit for the Gallery. They looked mouth-watering.

Moving on a year or two, I did a class with someone here in the UK, when needle felting was still pretty new. And then did a three day workshop at SOAR with Sharon Costello. Now, that was fun, and the figure I made in class way better than I would ever have expected (and same is buried in the dining room following on our recent redecoration, so I can't take a photo of it, sorry.)

But I came home and made this little lot.


The DSM takes them in to his office every Christmas as part of his decorations.

So, in brushing up for Friday, I started with a basic egg shape from plain white, and then applied purple over the surface.



This saves money, and if you can actually lay your hands on the coarser stuff that felts quicker to use as your core, time as well. Never mind. I will also say at this point that in the US, seemingly it is much easier to get dyed wool carded batts, which work much, much better for this (and for regular wet-felting, too) than top. But we get by.

Then I started adding spots in a contrasting colour.



No, this isn't an alien. It is an Easter egg, going to be, when spottier, part of a colourful set for my Easter Day table. Or it would be, if we were not going to be gadding off somewhere........

So, having regained my confidence at needle felting, I set to making a head. As yet it looks like nothing on earth.



But I have started assembling the features, and what is more remembering how to do them - adding the little layers for chin, nose and cheeks, rolling wisps for eye brows and lips. Starting out with the coarser needle, moving on to the finer ones.

The trouble is, having decided that this was one fibre craft that I could excise from my life, I am finding myself really enjoying doing it. Maybe I should rethink?

After all, just how much room do a few felting needles take?