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Felting instructions FELTED MITTENS by Elina
Felting instructions FELTED MITTENS by Elina FELTED MITTENS by Elina
| materials: dyed prefelts Please note that if you are using some other than this material, you have to make a sample piece in order to find out the shrinkage and other qualities! This instruction is not difficult. The more complicated designs/decorations – the more challenging the work will be. It is profitable to start with the basic mitten ja make the next pair of mittens with decorations. You will use the same material for the designs and decorations as the base, in other words dyed prefelts. Of course you can needle the designs also of fleece. Finnsheep wool however felts differently than merino wool (dyed prefelts). You might have to make changes to your pattern. A smart feltmaker cuts out the base first ja makes designs on them before she attaches the halves to each other by needling or sewing (the faster way). I always make the designs on ready sewn mittens. An important clue: Normally when making designs on mittens by needling, you put foam rubber inside the mittens to avoid the sides from sticking into each others. This is not necessary! The sides can get stuck on each others because you can easily tear them apart and have the designs remain on their places. If you move the foam rubber inside the mittens, it takes a lot of your time and your work is remarkably awkward. Check carefully before you start felting that your hands can easily fit inside the mittens and that you have not accidentally needled the mittens blocked. 1Cut the pattern pieces out of prefelt. They look like oven gloves! 2Make designs on pieces and the sew them together. When sewing, remember to have the decorated surfaces inside the mitten. 3Turn the mitten over, now the seams should be inside the mitten. 4Check the designs and add more decorations by needling, if needed. 5Start to felt: wet and add some soap on the mittens, set a thin see-through plastic on the mittens and pour some soapy water on the plastic felt the mitten on boths sides by rubbing them through the plastic place your hand covered with soap inside the mitten ja felt the surface carefully with the other hand over the mitten. Work over the seams and designs carefully. Felt the 3 dimentional designs by felting them between your hands roll the mitten inside a wet towel from every four directions. Between each rolling phase, you have to felt the mittens with your hand inside. At this stage the oven gloves are starting to resemble mittens. tighten and jerk the edge of the mittens; as also all the 3 dimentional decorations (fringes, triangles, flowers etc) also remember to pay attention that one glove is for the right hand and the other one is suitable for the left hand (when felting put the correct hand inside the glove) use plenty of water and soap; you may rinse the mittens in between under the falcet using hot and cold water If the wrist of the mitten requires narrowing, concentrate rolling the mitten only on the wrist. Likewise you can work on the parts which does not fit. 7 The ready made mittens have shrunk from the oven gloves about 30 % and they feel nice and fit. 8 Rinse the mittens and squeeze the extra water out 9 Shape the mittens to their proper form, check the size and strech and jerk the edges and 3 dimentional decorations and finally set to dry. There are many ways to work, almost as many as there are makers. It most likely is easiest to felt one mitten at the time. The felting stages prior to rolling, have to be done carefully but with speeed. These stages require no jerking, streching or beating. Do not be driven to despair even the oven gloves (when wet and even when felted) give no hint to the direction, that they are soon to change gorgeous mittens. Once you can start to roll; soon the gloves begin to resemble mittens and you can work harder on rolling and jerking and beating with a club etc All these extreme work methods only make the felting better and at teh end better felt. Use your imagination! If you make small changes into the pattern, you can turn these gorgeous mittens to hand puppets (elf, angel, dragon,bird) or nice interior decorations. If you want the mittens to be thicker, you can use prefelt double or use the new embroidery felt for the base. Happy Felting! |
READY MITTENS
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