Get 10% OFF Nuno Felting Mini-Project Book Today Only!

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Get 10% off my new book today only (May 29):

Nuno Felting Mini-Projects Book (print):

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Offer expires at midnight.

Nuno Felting Mini-Projects Book NEW NEW NEW!



PRINT

 My NEW book is now available in PRINT, for your Kindle and for your Nook.



Print Edition (It has the Swirl Cover)
https://www.createspace.com/3881977

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Kindle:
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recommended for the Kindle Fire (lots of color photos) or you can download the free Kindle Reader for your pc or laptop.



NOOK:
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NOOK COVER

EPUB which you can read on the free Adobe Digital Reader on your pc or laptop
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INCLUDED:  Along with several projects that appeared in this Blog earlier, you get a bonus chapter at the end about HOW TO CREATE A SMALL NUNO FELTED BOWL - the secrets are revealed!!

NFT&T NEW Second Edition - just published!



NFT&T moved to a new publisher and has been REVISED & UPDATED!

SECOND EDITION

Nuno Felting Tips & Tricks - Second Edition

It's been revised and updated!

It's not significantly different from the first edition - some information has been moved into the NEW book so that the 2 books don't repeat themselves.  (If you need more info about what's different or you need help when you try to purchase either book from my new publisher*** - PLEASE CONTACT ME direct:  nunofelt@earthlink.net 

PRINT EDITION (lower price too!):
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KINDLE
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NOOK - JUST PUBLISHED FOR THE NOOK!
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(NFT&T will be available for the iPad in 2-3 weeks.)

Batts and Fishes

As promised I'm having a lot of fun making fiber art with DecadentFibers Gourmet Jelly Roll Batt which you can see in the photo here.  I was able to peel off very thin layers which range from dark purple and maroon to reds and bright oranges. 

I created two prefelt sheets, one with all darks and another with all lights approx. 20" x 20" which means I finished felting them 75%.

My original plan was to add silk fabric pieces a-la-the mosaic nuno felt technique, but I should have done that at the same time I created the prefelted sheets.

Learn mistakes by making them!

More about that later....because it often takes making mistakes to figure out what NOT to do the next time.

Fishes

This is a rare piece of finished art-felt (I just don't make these kinds of things!)  but the ease of working with the Jelly Roll Batt enticed me into giving it a go.  

Since you're nuno felters yourselves, you can see that I added silk fabric behind the fish on the left and right hand  sides. 



silk pieces behind fish shapes



Because I added the silk AFTER making the prefelts, the fibers no longer had enough "give" to migrate through fabric at this point - they just would not stick no matter how much I rubbed, rolled and sanded. 

My solution?  I needle felted them after I was done sanding while the whole piece was damp and then completed another round of sanding after wetting down the piece on top of a towel.  (I also zapped the piece for 2 minutes on high in the microwave before sanding.)

Someone else looking at the piece probably can't tell that I needle felted the silk pieces, but it doesn't look right to me and that's what matters most.  I'm already thinking about what do to the next time to "fix" it.

Next time:

Plan the motif with more detail from the start.  I need to decide where to place the silk pieces when I create the prefelt using the mosaic technique.  Once the silk is firmly attached it should be a lot easier to to maneuver my felt cut-outs to create the final design.

lots of other options when the colors are so fabulous!

TIP:  When you lay out your felt cut-outs (or whatever elements you add) on your background you can easily needle felt them into place so they don't shift while you finish the rest of the felting process (the other 25% to finish the felt).  You only need to anchor them in place with a few jabs -- not needle felt the whole shape.  It will really help them stick to the background as you continue felting.


such wonderful colors!



Wonderful Fibers & Batts from DecadentFibers.com!!!



Gourmet Jelly Roll decadantfibers.com

Decadent Fibers' site with all their enchanting and incredibly versatile fiber products will keep you busy for several hours because there's so much to choose from!

Pat Bull who co-owns the company with Chris Moran is an avid reader of this blog contacted me a few weeks ago with an offer to send me her fabulous Gourmet Jelly Roll to try out for myself and suggested I "pick a colorway" (Chambord)-----------which arrived in a huge box containing an ENTIRE Jelly Roll which will occupy me for a long time to come!

http://decadentfibers.com

I had expected a small sample, maybe an ounce or 2, but Pat knocked me over with her package which, on top of the Jelly Roll, included Spun Sugar Roving in light pinks and whites.....she's been reading about my "pink obsession", I know!

Decadent Fibers are made with US grown merino (not commercial fiber) and the most unique thing about the batts is that every Gourmet Jelly Roll is dyed-to-order based on either the colorways shown on the site OR by special request (you can create your own color palette).
Swapping lots of emails I learned that Pat herself is an accomplished nuno felter and creates romantic, feminine wraps which are just the kinds of designs I love --- lots of silky silk with a little bit of wool in floral motifs.

THIS POST is just the start of my adventure with Pat's generous and wonderful box full of tempting fibers and stunning colors.  The next several posts will take you through lots of new projects.

I'm going to talk about what it's like WORKING WITH BATTS which is just what the Gourmet Jelly Roll is all about.   I don't have a lot of experience with batts but here's the thing that will hit you right over the head when you start ---- no pulling tiny wisps of fibers in endless layers until the sheep come home......

You can use the Jelly Roll thickness just as it is or (THIS IS THE BEST PART) you can PEEL IT into several layers and make:

1.  quick and easy prefelts
2.  cobweb felt
3.  mosaic nuno felt - the batt is so easy to lay out over those bits of fabric!

COMING NEXT:  Felted Collage (with a little mosaic nuno felt thrown in) using prefelted sheets made with Decadent Fibers Gourmet Jelly Roll batt.

Use a Microwave during nuno felting?

Just a couple of years ago nuno felters used microwaves to add heat and move the felting process along through the last stages -- but I rarely use it anymore.  At least not for nuno felting.

I now use the All Cold Water Method (in NFT&T book) which gives me the same results (pretty much) --- that dramatic shrinking at the very end! 

Cold water also prevents fabric and/or fiber color loss and turns out to be less taxing on both. 

If I'm working on an all-white or with light colors, I sometimes heat up the design, roll in in solar pool cover for a few minutes and then proceed to throwing and agitation.  Or use hot water just before agitation and agitation only.

The problem with using the microwave is that you really need to fine-tune how much you zap your nuno fabric because there is always some risk of overheating.  "Going too hot" can actually cause your fibers to break and fray which leads to a less-than-smooth finished surface.  (I can tell immediately when my fabric has been overheated - it looks dull and "worn.")

But if it works for you, it's a great tool that's quick and effective. 

Always make sure your project is wet-through with soapy water (the microwave needs the moisture to work) and zap in 20-second increments on high;  check your results before deciding if you need to zap it again for another 20 seconds.

I DO use the microwave for:
Felting and nuno felting cords and beads
Felting any shape, vessel, vase or bowl
when making prefelts
when making felted purses and bags

Felt Rolling Machines - Update

Felt Rolling Machine



Updated May 2012
This is the most popular post on this blog!

This is a Rolling Machine for Wet Felting made by an American company Feltcrafts.com - please check out their site for all the details, sizes and prices. They've added lots of new info to the site and now offer videos on how to use their machines.

Up until a couple of years ago, these machines were only manufactured in Europe and Australia, so I am pleased to see that you can buy one made for small(er) studios in the US - if you have an extra $1,350 to $5,000 to spend!

It's advertised as the perfect machine for "production felt makers" and you can imagine why. You can make everything from prefelts in large sheets, nuno felted fabrics, rugs, wall hangings & artwork, and flat felt which you can treat just like any other fabric for garment construction in MINUTES. Not hours, minutes.

http://feltcrafts.com/

You'll benefit by doing additional research - do contact felters who already have one because every model requires some adaptation (including new tools & supplies) before you use it & get the most out of it - and the machine itself might need tweaking/fine-tuning to perform the way you want it to. 

Nuno Felting Tips & Tricks - the book + eBook

Nuno Felting Tips & Tricks - Second Edition
The book/eBook includes 2+ years of Nunofeltdesigns blog posts on nuno felting tricks, tips and insider secrets about how to nuno felt faster and better.  THIS IS THE NEW 2ND EDITION PUBLISHED MAY 25, 2012.

It's intended for nuno felters with a medium level of experience (not a basic how-to) that requires some familiarity with supplies, fibers, fabrics and the multiple steps required to complete any nuno felt project. Tricks & tips included in the book will definitely save you time and effort and help you spend wisely on tools & supplies you'll need for successful nuno felting.

It's a great intro to my NEW book/ebook NUNO FELTING MINI-PROJECTS BOOK which was just published (Print & Kindle versions now avail.)   It's not a prerequisite but all the tools and techniques I use for every project that is detailed in NFT&T is not repeated in the new book. 

Recent comment about the book:
Just writing to tell you what a great help your book has been to me. I got it as a christmas present and I now use it as a constant reference, I am relavitively new to felting but absolutely love it! I love your blog too...Thank you again!!

Comment about the $9.99 Kindle ebook version:
I have a library full of felting books, and this is one of the most informative I have read on nuno felting, and not only nuno, but felting in general. I so truly appreciate the down to earth approach she has taken in this book. It covers almost everything I feel I will need to know to be successful at nuno felting....The book is worth much more than the price I paid for it. It is just packed with tips and techniques that I have never heard before. I hope some day she comes out with a book on design, or really almost anything else. She's on my automatic buy list from now on.

Book/eBook Topics include:
Picking the best basic tools for nuno felting
Picking the best fibers and fabric
Dyeing your own silk with Rit and Dylon
Using a microwave
Using a portable electric sander - detailed directions
How (and when) to make holes and cut-outs
How to water your nuno felt
Soaps for nuno felting
Learn how to make great edges and ends
How to make roving "yarn"
What to look for when buying custom fibers online
Best throwing technique
Using the "all cold water" method
Nuno felting with Cotton Voile & Cotton Gauze
How to make nuno felted CORDS and BEADS
Fixing a "mistake" with needle felting
plus many, many more!

QUICK LINKS TO ALL EDITIONS:

PRINT:
https://createspace.com/3626501

Print if you have Amazon Prime free shipping:
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Kindle
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iPad/iPhone/iPod
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Nook:
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New Superfine Merino Roving Source!

it's like xmas at Nunofelt!

Opulent Fibers was complete news to me thanks to another great email from a regular blog reader Gisela McDonald who let me know a few weeks ago that's she'd seen them at a fiber event last summer and loved using their fibers for nuno felting

This is their product description:
Super-Fine Merino 19µ

Opulent Fibers offers 80 colors of this gorgeous Italin dyed Top for spinning or felting.
Sold by the ounce, $2.90, or available in bulk with discounts. 1/2lb for $18.56, 1lb for $32.48.
Shipping charges are $10 flat rate per order!
 
http://opulentfibers.com
 
If you've worked with Australian merino which is usually 18-19m you already know what a treat it is to use superfine fibers when they're fresh and new like my package of goodies that arrived in the mail a week after placing my first order.
 
Each color is clearly tagged in ziptop plastic bags that are perfect for storing and easy to see what's in them.  Beautifully packaged which makes it even more delightful to open the box and see what's in it!
 
The COLORS ARE INCREDIBLE...much to my delight Opulent Fibers has a great choice of pinks and roses and several other colors that are not available anywhere else, esp. from commercial roving suppliers (who stopped stocking anything pink 2 yrs ago).  I have been Pink-deprived for much too long!!!

"lipstick"

Prices:  At $2.90 an ounce, Opulent's superfine merino roving is definitely more expensive than Australian and commerical merino -- but quality and exceptional colors are worth the price. 
 
Even better, you can order in one ounce increments, so if you just want to try them out or buy several colors to use as accents in large projects, you'll love using these fibers. 
 
Opulent Fibers has an extensive craft/fiber show schedule and may be coming to your area over the next several months -- the schedule is posted on the site.
 
If you buy from Opulent Fibers please tell Kristy Kun who sent you!  I've asked her to let me know if you make your way to her online store.   (PS:  Their Wool Nepps - used for texture - are wonderful too!)



 PLEASE NOTE:  It's a rare thing for Nunofelt to review and recommend a specific product but I only do that once I have purchased and used the product myself!

Great Question from a blog reader - can you add fiber to completed nuno felt?

It's great to check where all of you blog readers are located when you read it, but what's even better is when I get emails from nuno felters all over the world who ask for specific tips & tricks to resolve their current nuno felting issues.

One nuno felter asked "Can you add fiber to your nuno felt project once it's completely nuno-felted?"

Yes, you can. 

As with all nuno felt projects - it depends on what you have and what you want to end up with!

Nuno felting is one of the most flexible of all the fiber arts and I've always said that if you don't like your results, there are plenty of ways to "rescue" it and be happy with your final design.

ADDING fibers after it's done.  You can:
1.  Needle felt dry or damp fibers and/or pre-felts after your nuno felt fabric is done, dried and pressed.
(a) make sure you needle felt both sides of the fabric
(b) if the fabric puckers or snags pull them out as you go along.  (If your fabric looks like it's worse for wear when you needle felt it, you can't use this trick.)
(c) once the new fibers/pre-felts are secure, you need to re-wet it (cold soapy water), and either roll it several times in solar pool cover or gently agitate it on a textured surface or glass washboard.  This is important because IT REMOVES THE FUZZ created by needle felting and smooths out your finished surface.  (Usually this will not result in additional shrinkage, just work slowly, use only cold water & keep checking your results.)

2.  Re-wet your finished nuno felt and ADD a layer using the 2-Layer Technique. 
You can try it but since you'll need to take the NEW fibers through the entire nuno felting process, your first layer will probably shrink beyond repair; the results may be un-usable.  Nuno felted fabric that's "overdone" will be scratchy and uncomfortable to wear if it's a wearable.  It will also look like it's over-felted.

If you aren't happy with your finished nuno felted fabric, there are plenty of other tricks you can use to alter & fix it, many of which are already covered in detail in Nuno Felting Tips & Tricks:
1.  cut holes and openings as a design element and re-wet & re-sand those areas to seal them
2.  re-shape your edges and ends with your scissors! and re-wet & re-sand to seal
3.  cut up the project and use it as a pre-felt or design element in another project

There's always SOMETHING you can do to make it better.  Once you've mastered the nuno felting technique (which is all about getting your fibers to migrate, stick & shrink 40%) you're already inclined to try any trick in the book to rescue a project that took SO MUCH effort to create!

EXTRA TIP:  If you're reluctant to pick up the scissors use freezer paper (it has wax on one side) to draw out your desired shape/design and dry-iron the waxed side to the underside of your nuno felted fabric.  Once you've made your cuts, pull off the freezer paper and toss.  It won't damage your fabric!  I use this tool all the time especially when I need to match up the ends of a scarf or copy an exact motif from one area to another.

WHERE do the old Blog posts go?




mosaic nuno felt technique

 If you've been reading this Blog for a while you already know that most posts appear for only a few weeks.

Posts on techniques and all mini-projects don't disappear -- they are all available in my 2 books.

Nuno Felting Tips & Tricks - Second Edition

Nuno Felting Mini-Projects Book

You'll also notice that I rotate the posts so that only 12-15 are available to read on any day you visit the Blog.

The reason?  Because I constantly update the posts so they (1) have the most up to date info for you and (2) include many of my readers questions and requests for help with their nuno felting projects.

I also add posts and info here based on the Keywords used to find my Blog when anyone googles Nunofelt and Nunofeltdesigns.  If questions pop up often enough I write a post about that subject.

Tencel - adds wonderful texture!

tencel & merino

UPDATE

Tencel:
Tencel is the registered trade name for Lyocell, which is a biodegradable fiber/fabric made from wood pulp cellulose.  It was developed in the 90's and mimics most of the same characteristics of Rayon without the wrinkling! 

Since Tencel is very difficult to dye, you'll find colored Tencel in custom fiber mixes from small producers on many of the marketplace sites that still offer these kinds of fibers. 

I started using Tencel in my nuno felt designs because I was intrigued by what it does when it's wet-felted.  It has a "crimp" and distinct squiggly effect that goes beyond Bamboo.   It also has a different hand when it's felted.

Most of the mixes I've used are 40-50% Tencel carded with merino wool, spiral-dyed. 

Like any other non-wool fiber, Tencel has the same characteristics.  It needs to be felted with wool and it shrinks along with the wool because it does not felt by itself.

It also produces a more translucent and "high loft" effect similar to Bamboo but more dramatic.  If you compare the 2 fibers next to each other Tencel looks "more dry" than Bamboo and tends to dominate the look of the felted surface.  It also has a glossy surface that sparkles in the light.

I love the look plus Tencel is perfectly suited for nuno felted designs intended for the warmer months of the year.  (You'll see what I mean when you try out a tencel/merino mix for yourself.)



center fiber is hand-dyed tencel/merino

NOTE:  Tencel can be as finicky as Bamboo when you add it to your wool for nuno felting.  As long as you spend at least 30% more time and effort from the start, you should be able to get it to migrate through and stick to your fabric base. 

My love affair with BAMBOO!



fiberlady.com



Many nuno felters use non-wool fibers to add interest to their designs - silk is the most popular choice - but for some reason silk fibers have never appealed to me or provided enough of a textural contrast.  I don't even like drum-carded merino/silk mixes because the final extra-glossy surface tends to dominate the whole look of the nuno felted fabric when it's done.

Since I like all things bamboo, I discovered unspun, hand-colored bamboo fibers years ago when I was looking for an alternative to silk and have been using bamboo for years.  It has a gloss and shine that is similar to silk fibers but has a much more interesting effect when it's wet-felted that silk can't imitate.

Bamboo produces a very distinct & lovely "squiggle" when it's wet-felted/nuno felted which can be made even more dramatic by placing the bamboo on the top of your dry fiber layout (anchored with wisps of wool, of course). 

When I mix bamboo and merino (or other 100% wool fibers) it produces an ultra-light, almost transparent effect depending on how much bamboo I incorporate.

I love to mix my own bamboo/merino but you can also buy it machine-carded (as well as handpainted) in 20/80 up to 40/60 bamboo/merino -------- that may be the best way to try out bamboo for the first time.  (I left silk fibers behind a long time ago and rarely use them at all.)

The very best source for white, black and dyed bamboo is:
http://fiberlady.com

You'll get primo quality, stunning colors and you can buy as little as 1 ounce!  Please add at least 1 ounce of black and white bamboo to your order - you will find all kinds of uses for these 2 as dramatic accents.

My customers (even after all these years) love it when I add bamboo to my designs and it's often the main reason they buy a Nunofeltdesigns original!   

UPDATED MAY 2012

PREFELTS - what they are & ideas for using them

Outback Fibers Prefelt Sheets

Prefelts are pieces of felt that are 75% done.   The fibers are wet felted and/or needle felted and meshed together enough that they can be picked up, shaped and cut-- but they must be felted another 25% to make them wearable and durable.

You can make your own prefelts by wet felting (fast with a portable sander!), needle felting, use a Felt Rolling Machine or buy them in various sizes.

Outback Fibers has a great selection (theirs are needle felted).  Several other felters and felting supply sites sell them in every size from 9"x9" squares to 80"x30" sheets.

They're expensive, no doubt about it.  Before you buy map out a project or 2 that will use the pre-felts and make them worth their price.

When buying Prefelts, make sure the product details specify that they are "partially felted" and contain mostly wool fibers.  This is important because only partially felted wool will still have enough flexibility in it for the fibers to migrate through your fabric base for nuno felting. 

Outback Fibers gives great tips and ideas about how to use their Prefelted Sheets with illustrations of fabulous felted jackets and coats.  The great advantage of Prefelted Sheets is that they are all one thickness - essential when making garments. 

If you like geometrics or love to make designs with distinct shapes and sharp color definition, prefelts are the way to go.

Using Prefelts to create wonderful nuno felt designs has really taken off in 2012 --- if you follow the (very few) most talented artisans, many are using prefelts on designs that are 80% fabric and 20% cut-out prefelt shapes (with incredible edging cut from prefelt sheets as well) that are absolutely stunning!

INSIDER TIP:  You can enhance the "stickability" of prefelted sheets by adding a thin layer of dry fibers in your layout between the sheet and your fabric.  If you've seen the new trend in nuno felting where the felt is lightly anchored to the base fabric in "waves" in a 3-dimensional effect, this is a clever way to use prefelted sheets in nuno felted designs.

Wool Fibers That Felt Faster - Polwarth and BFL

Two new wools hit the market last year that actually felt faster than merino wool.  These 2 wools produce a surface that's quite different from nuno felted merino so you may want to take that into consideration in your designs.

Polwarth and BFL (Blue Faced Leicester) are 2 wools that are better if you buy them hand-dyed by an experienced dyer.  They absorb dyes beautifully and produce lovely color effect.

I've used a lot of Polwardthand BFL this year but I'm not always happy with the look and feel of the final nuno felted surface. 
These are the details:
1.  Both Polwarth and BFL usually have some debris in the cleaned, carded and dyed rovings.  Be sure to pick out any bits once you've wetted down your fiber on fabric.
2.  Both felt faster but produce a surface that has more fuzz, and does not have any sheen at all (like merino) ---- both look distinctly different from merino when nuno felted.
3.  I think Polwarth and BFL produce a final look that is not as classy as merino -- however, for some designs it may actually be a better choice.

I would use both to making bags over making wearables --- but I've found that lots of my regular customers like the look of Polwarth and BFL.