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How to Needle-Felt with Felt Cutouts, Roving, and Yarn

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Tools and Materials

Needles, multineedle tool; colonialneedle.com
Felting-needle mat, clover-usa.com
Merino roving, theyarntree.com

Current as of 07-27-2009

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Introduction

Here are some techniques for needle-felting fabric with felt cutouts, roving, and yarn (100 percent wool materials work best).
Place a felting-needle mat under the fabric, and punch up and down using a single felting needle or a multineedle tool. A larger mat minimizes repositioning.
Clean out wool fibers as they collect. Both sides of felted fabric are attractive, so test on a swatch to see which you like best. The design on the punched side is sharp; the reverse is blurred. Take your time, and be careful as you work.

Next: Learn How to Needle-Felt with Felt Cutouts
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Step 1

Learn How to Needle-Felt with Felt Cutouts

For large projects (such as a blanket), it helps to place paper shapes on the fabric to determine the arrangement and how much felt you'll need. Then swap in felt cutouts. With a felting-needle mat underneath, use a single felting needle to tack down the center and border of cutout.

Next: Felt Cutouts Continued
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Step 2

Felt Cutouts Continued

Use a multineedle tool to punch until the fibers transfer evenly to the reverse side. Use the single needle to adjust any uneven areas. (With practice, a dot will take about a minute.)

Next: Felt Cutouts Continued
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Step 3

Felt Cutouts Continued

Finish both sides by spritzing with water and pressing with an iron on the wool setting. You're done!

Next: Learn How to Needle-Felt with Roving
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Step 4

Learn How to Needle-Felt with Roving

To create a shape (such as a circle), outline the area on the fabric with a disappearing-ink pen. With a felting-needle mat underneath, lay a few tufts of roving side by side on the fabric.

Next: Roving Continued
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Step 5

Roving Continued

Using a multineedle tool, punch until fibers transfer evenly to the reverse side. Add roving for a thicker layer, or shift felting-needle mat and lay roving on a new section of fabric. Remove stray fibers by pressing felted area with one hand and teasing out strands with the other.

Next: Roving Continued
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Step 6

Roving Continued

Finish both sides by spritzing with water and pressing with an iron on the wool setting.

Next: Learn How to Needle-Felt with Yarn
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Step 7

Learn How to Needle-Felt with Yarn

For precise designs, mark your pattern on the fabric with a disappearing-ink pen. With a felting-needle mat underneath, align the end of yarn (on skein) at the fabric's edge, and use a single needle to punch the yarn end's fibers to secure.

Next: Felting with Yarn Continued
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Step 8

Felting with Yarn Continued

Continue along the length of yarn, punching until fibers transfer evenly to the reverse side. Snip yarn at scarf's other edge, and punch the yarn end. Repeat with remaining stripes.

Next: Felting with Yarn Continued
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Step 9

Felting with Yarn Continued

Finish both sides by spritzing with water and pressing with an iron on the wool setting.

Easy	Challenging
Good for kids	One of my favorites

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How to Needle-Felt with Felt Cutouts, Roving, and Yarn

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Tools and Materials

Learn How to Needle-Felt with Felt Cutouts

Felt Cutouts Continued

Felt Cutouts Continued

Learn How to Needle-Felt with Roving

Roving Continued

Roving Continued

Learn How to Needle-Felt with Yarn

Felting with Yarn Continued

Felting with Yarn Continued

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