Felting!

This is my bamboo blind, err, I mean rolling mat and a few different colours of wool tops (positioned on the kitchen top which turned out to be a wise move).

Per the instructions of someone who knows what they're doing - you have to pull off wispy thin layers from the wool and lay them in alternating directions onto your mat...

..and slowly build up your pattern or image in very loose freeform shapes (just as well!)

I didn't take pics of the next stages as it was very wet and very soapy and a lil' bit sweary and I was very wet and very soapy and a lil' bit sweary but in a nutshell you lay your net curtain, err, I mean piece of netting, over the top of your design and wet it with soapy water, then rub a bar of soap over the surface. After this you need to rub the whole surface with your hands for a good ten minutes until the fibres are holding together. After this, rinse out as much soap as possible and then roll your piece in your blind and roll that back and forth for England.

It was at this rolling back and forth for England point that Simon came downstairs. After his initial reactions he made the comment that at least it looked like good exercise (cheeky sod) and I added that I probably wouldn't be able to move my arms the next day.

He replied in his inimitable dead-pan stylee, "at least you'll have a piece of felt".

I really don't know whether he was joking or not....I actually think not....but my god I laughed so hard for about three hours! I think you had to be there. Anyhoo, yesterday morning my dried out little piece of felt looked like this:

I do confess, it wasn't quite what I had pictured in my head but you know, it's a start ;)

Shortly afterwards it looked like this:

..because I wanted to know how it cut and I wanted to use it as a drinks coaster and (mainly) I can't stop fiddling with things.

Anyhoo, yesterday evening I thought I would have a go at needle felting which is water-free and therefore an awful lot less messy. It is however an awful lot more dangerous as it requires the use of a giant super-sharp needle with tiny little *shudders* barbs on the point!

Needle felting can be suited to 3d shapes so I made a little heart as a beginners project. I'm not really sure what I'm going to do with it but I took a piccy of it on a daisy to make it a little bit more interesting!

I then moved it onto the garden table for a more rustic setting but this happened before I could get a photo....

Heart last seen hurtling across the garden followed by a very excited 21 month old. Maybe I have found a use for it after all ;)

If you want to know how to do all this properly then I would recommend this book by Gillian Harris, it has some really pretty projects in it and she makes it look dead easy...

Anyhoo, off to find my heart,

Laters taters,
Charlotte x