8.14.14--FELT GREAT!

At Applique' Bee. we have been working with felt.

Yesterday (at the time of this writing) we had a guest teacher. Carol shared all kinds of things she had made with needle felting.  She led us through making a book mark and invited us to make another small project.

We used "craft felt" as the base for our needle felting applique'. I was all set to make a white snowflake on blue and at the last minute switched to yellow chick on orange. I used a canape' cutter as a form. The yellow and his little green eye are wool roving, needled into shape and his wing was a little snippet of pink woven wool fabric.

Little Matryoshka, before and after embellishment

The special needle used for this has barbs on it, and you poke it into the wool all over the place until the fibers have married beneath the project. After bookmarks, we were invited to make a small, second project. I was fascinated by a pumpkin she made. She used a form inside it and I have enjoyed researching to see what kinds of things people use. I even needled up a respectable sphere from poly-fill. No wool gathering here! Not unless it is on the outside, where you can see it.

When I came home from class, I rummaged around and found my green and pink knitted, then felted purse. I had started needle felting "craft felt" flowers and didn't much like the effect, so I put aside for another day.

Knitted cording, chenille stem, darning needle. Save out enough for the loop! 

Yesterday afternoon, I finished it up with more flowers, leaves, and some vintage buttons. I didn't have a bunka brush to raise the nap on the acrylic flowers, so I used a toothbrush. I think next time, I will look to use a smaller gauge needle if I use acrylic felt again.

This morning, I made a dorset style button and applied the button loop. All done!

Loved the idea but this was the worst written
 pattern I ever knitted. I made up half of it 
and just took a chance.