My Introduction to Nuno Felting

As promised, I have started Nuno Felting. Not my first attempt at wet felting, but my first ever attempt at Nuno Felting. What's the difference, you ask?! (For those wondering: Yes! I did ask myself that question! It's the hair!) With wet felting, you hand work wool roving (a squishy pile of wool fibers) into themselves with hot water and soap. With nuno felting, you work the wool fibers into silk (100% silk).

I have not explored all the ways wool fibers can be felted into silk - or what kinds of silk - but judging by today's self-taught class - I'M LOVIN' IT!!!

I started with the ribbon strips that will be felted onto my silk shawl. The ribbons are a gorgeous chartreuse silk with wool of the same color. I took a photo of the items all rolled up. Once all the materials are wet down, I roll them into a "jelly roll." I then will roll this jelly roll back and forth 300 times. I stop between every 100 rolls, realign pieces, roll it all back up and keep rolling.

My next photo is the ribbons completed and soggy. After rolling, which takes about 1/2 an hour, you unroll it all and "full" it. Fulling is the process that realigns the wool fibers and completes the felting process. Fulling is fun! It's my new "aggression" therapy because you get to whack and throw this wet soggy mess all over the place! Yeah baby! For those of you who need to play it safe (and you know who you are), you can put the soggy material into a gallon zip lock baggy. But, it's more fun the other way. Then, I hung them in a dryer to dry.

When I get back to town, I will finish felting the ribbons onto my silk shawl. Taking photos along the way. (So those are yet to come.)

Something else I started that same day, were the felted flowers for the shawl closure. These were easy. I used a much smaller jelly roll set up, but I think I could have done these by hand (without bubble wrap, etc.). But I've got a picture here of them felted and in the dryer.

My next photo is my beading mat set up.


And, finally, a photo of the finished flower. They are gorgeous - about 2 1/2 to 3 inches across. I beaded the edges, sewed a pin back on, covered that with a piece of spare felt, and beaded the centers with Swarovski crystal. Gorgeous.

Yes, the flower will be a class. The shawl will be a workshop. I have ordered the wool tops and they are on there way as we speak. I have also ordered embellishment fibers like silk tops, silk throwster's waste, craft sequins, and much more!

Stay tuned for more creative crafting, instructions for all, class and workshop offerings and new store items.

My Beading Isn't Always Great Either!

I've been working on a project recently myself! A peyote stitched flat bracelet. It's a project from the recent issue of Bead & Button. Of course, things don't always go as planned, and my plan has gone astray!

I've done everything per the letter of the article, and still it sucks! And, no, it's not the project instructions or the Article. It's me. I've done this bracelet 3 times. Because of the bugle beads I chose (a frosted multi-colored mauve bugle), I've had to restitch this project .... going on the 4th time now! I get close to the end, and then it all breaks!

But why!? I think I've finally figured it out. I think the bugles are cutting my "uncut-able" weaving line. Okay, so some things apparently cut this line.... I've just never seen it happen until now. So here's a picture of my 3rd attempt! Gorgeous, right? I thought so. Until, I was sewing on my clasp closure (the final step in my bracelet) then it breaks! Ack.

So, stay tuned. I've got many other projects coming up that I know will be more successful. Nuno Felted Shall, Needle Felted Door Hangers, Recycled Couture, and, of course, some beading too!