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Pasadena, CAHi everyone!
I realized I had not introduced myself before posting. My name is Stacey living in Pasadena, CA. I have always just barely dabbled in art usually charcoal or acrylic paints. I always felt my sister was the "true" artist. I would now and then get the itch to be artistic and I would either draw or paint, it always felt awkward and I never really felt fulfilled, just exhausted once a piece was finished.
This last Christmas, my sister gave me a set of polymer clays and supplies. LOVE IT! Of course doing research lead me to other 3D arts and now I'm felting my first mini-bear. I now realize I need to be able to touch, feel and move my art around. I've come home!!
Here is a pic of my second sculpt ever. I gave him as a gift to my 80 year old "hip" father. They look a bit alike! I know he may look a bit creepy to some, bu thus my ID name Grin and Grimace. Looking at my work, you'll do one or the other! :crackup:
So... my questions:
I have read all of the felting threads here and have learned quite a lot. But I'm hoping a can get some clarification.
The bear that I am working on now is just about finished. He is felted fairly firm, I have gone over him with a 40 needle at about a 45 degree angle to get all the fuzzy down and in place. It looks great until I move him a bit. Then the fuzzies pop up again! I used dyed alpaca rove (rove=long strands in one direction?) for his body and natural white "superfine" alpaca for his belly. I'm guessing that these two are too fine or soft for mini work?
I'm about to purchase more supplies and would like to make the best purchase for more minis 3-4 inch sculpts.
I'm a bit confused as to what would be best:
Carded wool roving from Wilde Yarns. They also advertise carded Romney, but I'm not sure what that is.
Bobbie mentions Merino X Rambuillet mix, but I do not see that on the site she mentioned, only in yarn form. I am also considering Corno, but not sure if that can be used for the entire sculpt or just for the added fine details.
Thanks!
Stacey
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Hi Stacey - Welcome to our crazy, wonderful, free-form Fiber art! And as you've already got the basics of sculpting, you're half way there! What a wonderful (wacky) sense of humor you have - I can hardly wait to see your work!
Thx for reading my past inputs so diligently. Let me explain these fibers as they work for me (and my students).
Romney is available from Wilde Yarns; may I assume you've looked at their color range? Romney is a medium grade (micron size/amount of crimp/length of staple) fiber, neither soft nor coarse. Their carded Romney is excellent for your proposed size of projects. Just be sure to re-card all fibers from everywhere just before using as processes & processors do vary and most of it packs down in shipping anyway.
Under the Free Instructions (LadyBug and Sheep!!) on my website I go into that a little.
Rambouillet x Merino cross is a great 'fine' fiber - it created the 2.25" long polar bear - Stalking - over there on the left. Just write to Barbara Marr and she'll point you in the right direction on the Marr Haven site; they & their product are lovely to work with. I couldn't have created it with a fiber like Romney, Romanov or Rambouillet as they are not short or crimpy enough.
In fine-gauged fibers I also have sources for Polworth & Polypay and a few other breeds. All equally wonderful. I'll look up the addresses/contacts of my favorite suppliers early this week and send them to you or post them.
But Cormo is by far my favorite fiber to 'skin over' with. It rivals the finest of any fibers generally available. It actually can be over-handled and felt in your fingers with too much handling. When I skin-over with it (or any of the other fine ones) I pull off thin tufts, spread them evenly out so that you can see an even amount of wispiness through them and needle them on with #40 or 42. If you attempt to card them they will just ball up, aka Neps.
Cormo contains and controls ALL wispy bits that stick up out of any coarser fiber. Apple Rose Farm/Elizabeth Ferraro's Cormo batt & roving is wonderful and she has great blended/heathered shades. NAYY with any of these small flock owners/processors...
When you plan out a NFing project there are a couple of considerations as to which fiber(s) you'll use.
First - what size will it be when finished? If it's less than 2" tall, you're going to have to work a whole lot harder incorporating a breed/sheep's fiber that's more than 4" long than one that's 3" at the most.
The down-side of using a shorter, softer fiber is that it will never be as solidly firm inside as one that was NFed with a Corriedale, Perendale or Romney no matter how long you needle it. It will always have some give to it, even to the point of being very firm but still able to fold a 4" piece over on itself, in half.
Using a firmer fiber inside (I'm not referring to what ppl call Core Wool yet) and skinning it over is a prime example of using both to best advantage. Though length of fiber should still be considered.
When I NF a polar bear that's less than 2" I have made them completely out of Cormo or the other finer fibers. I just adjust some of my needling to account for the fact that they will be very firm but not rock hard.
And I should state here that there is absolutely nothing wrong with softly needling something. In my mind, Mikki Klug (who I will be profiling in Wool Gathering in the Bears & Buds webzine later this year) is the first and only NFer that I've come across who proudly calls her work Softly Needled. It all depends on what the project is being designed for: will you use it seasonally and keep it in storage for all but 6 weeks every year? then softly needled is great.
Will it become an ornament/lapel pin/window- or lamp-shadepull? Then you'll need it quite firmly needled so that it doesn't change shape or begin to shift with handling. Most bears would fall into this category!
Anything between barely tacked together and rock hard from inside out is fine - as long as the degree of firmness matches the raison d'être for creating it.
The needles are actually chosen after the fiber is. You'll have much difficulty getting a #36 and sometimes 38 (of any style) to penetrate the finer fibers and if you start with a 40 of a medium fiber, you'll work forever before having any real impact on it.
The larger/thicker the needle, the larger its barbs (fiber-holding capacity) no matter how many barbs there are or where they're placed. The smaller/thinner needle will pick up more fine fibers in its barbs: thrust into medium to coarse fibers it may pick up only a few due to their smaller depth/size, so you can see why you'd choose your fiber to fit the project first and then the needle range to fit the fiber.
Alpaca fiber (originally roving or batt wouldn't make any difference here) id very fine as are most of the camelids. They're in a separate category than the sheep = wool. You'll probably always have some lifting of the ends of the fibers with handling. You can keep needling but there's always a point-of-diminishing returns: at what point is it not going to matter how much longer you needle as you've gotten them as firmly embedded as they'll go.
This is just the tip of the iceberg of NFing. Please don't hesitate to give a holler - there are plenty of us out here willing to jump in with suggestions, as you've already seen!
Wouldn't it be wonderful to recreate the same Pops in fiber!!??!!
Pasadena, CAWOW! Thank you for all the great info! I now feel I'm more able to make some educated purchases now!
If I were to felt a bear, then wanted to add color in say... distinctive swirl patterns. What would be the best material for that? I'm guessing the Cormo. ??
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)You can do that with any fiber.
I guess my question would be - do you want it to sit as a distinct color on top of the surface, as if you are needling on a logo or an image (though you can either needle it flush with the surface or allow it to remain a bit higher, depending on how much fiber you add) or be blended in with it?
In the case of slightly blending into the background colors, you could lightly hand-card a little of the background color with a lot of the contrast shade and use that to layer on as your final top coat.
I was going to add 2 other points last night: I'd identified 2 sorts of formulas (©) to help online students to gauge where on the scale of soft-firm their needling was:
First, if any fiber(s) on the surface (as you cannot see what's underneath but you'll know how much needling was done there as well) that travels farther than half an inch without changing direction can be considered some degree of softly sculpted.
Second, manual compression.
Placing the piece betwen thumb & fingers and giving a good firm squeeze,
if it compresses to less than 50% of its total length/width/depth finished size, it's softly needled.
Less compression than 25% and it's firm.
Less compression than 5 - 10% and it's extremely firm, to the point of rock hard solid.
Bending or folding aren't as accurate a guide, as some breeds' fibers can become very firmly needled but because of their inherent springiness/crimpiness, they will always be 'bendable. Those would be good choices for an item that you'd like to have a firm, hard, smooth surface but retain its structure when being bent with a centered armature, like an animal's legs, neck or tail.
These are just my definitions, which is why I attach the Copyright symbol for writing and quoting, which anyone is free to use with the proper attribution.
With a fiber like Romney, when it reaches its maximum firmness and you continue to needle, it suddenly has a very light balsa-wood-like feeling and weight for its size and will give off a little thunk thunk thunk sound with each thrust. Prior to that you'll still hear and feel the fibers drawing inward.
It's almost a creepy feeling in the beginning, when the piece is firm enough to hold in your hand, to feel individual fibers moving against your skin as the needle draws them in and downward.
Pasadena, CABobbie, will you be my mentor? :crackup:
You have so much information and willing to share! Thank you!
I guess my answer would be, to lay on top as a distinct color and pattern as well as blend in (more of a painting type of look).
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Of course I'll answer any questions!! I'm saving 'the good stuff' for my book .... I just need to step back from my Life for about 9 months to give birth to it! It's been in-progress for almost 3 years now; mounds of material and fiber samples to collate...
I guess my answer would be, to lay on top as a distinct color and pattern as well as blend in (more of a painting type of look).
Then do some of each: with your final layering put some of the carded blended colors on top and as a final embellishment create your design with only the contrast color.
Pasadena, CAThanks Bobbie!
I'm off to order supplies!
Pasadena, CAHey there Bobbie!
I received my Cormo today! Elizabeth is a great person to work with... she said she likes to treat her customers you send her way well. Thank you! I also ordered Romney from Wilde but have not received it just yet.
As for the Cormo, WOW what a difference! I have only started on the eye lid of my current mini bear, but the abliltiy for details with the Cormo compared to what I was using is a huge difference!
Wondering if you have any tips for using the Cormo, or do I pretty much use it the same as others? Also, I did notice some VM in the Cormo which I have not run across before. Is this normal? If I weren't working on a mini perhaps I wouldn't worry about picking it out.
Ok, back to work on my little guy!
Stacey
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Elizabeth is a great person to work with... she said she likes to treat her customers you send her way well.
Isn't that nice to hear! I know that she's a very hard-working small flock owner. Frankly I don't see how they can be profitable; the prices for fiber directly from the owner/processor is so low, considering the expenses of housing & feeding animals. as well as the mega amount of work involved in harvesting the fiber. I ♡ working with people like Elizabeth Ferraro. I have a small list of my resources for not-as-easily-found fibers if anyone would like it.
Elizabeth has offered to custom dye some shades for me - how great is that!!??
I have only started on the eye lid of my current mini bear, but the abliltiy for details with the Cormo compared to what I was using is a huge difference
You've absolutely found out what I've been expounding for several years - using the correct (breed) fiber for each project is half the battle won. THX! It sounds like a 'plant' but you're new and have stated your own experience with no prompting from me.
Trying to create a miniscule eyelid out of a Romney/Churro/Corriedale is like Cinderella's sisters trying to fit into that tiny glass slipper. In using an appropriate fiber - well the job is just easier.
you have any tips for using the Cormo, or do I pretty much use it the same as others
Using Cormo: first, it's as fine as a Merino that so many ppl use (because Merino's better known and most distributors don't take the time to search out other fibers and then experiment to see what each breed is capable of) but unlike Merino, which takes much more time to needle together, Cormo is so crimpy that it practically felts itself. In fact, over-handling will make it bind together and you won't be able to spread it as a wispy final layer.
I'm very much opposed to retailers that're selling fiber and/or needles as the lastest 'fad' or 'craze' (detest those words!) because NFing has a staying power along with every other Fine Fiber Art form and it's being done a disservice by those just selling needles and fiber because it's become popular as a 'new' craft. PLEASE experiment with the needles & fibers and know what you're selling! If you sell it, the least you can do for a customer is to be able to answer the most basic questions like "What breed is this?" "What needle sizes should I use?" "How far/large will 4 ounces needle for me?"
You'll also probably not be able to create a rock-hard object with Cormo, though it would definitely be considered very firmly felted if needled long enough. It doesn't matter if I make something 2" or 6", if it's all Cormo and similar breeds, I'll be able to fold it in half.
Now, it will spring back up again, (unlike some other fibers) but if I want the look and ease of Cormo but to still be very firmly needled, I usually build at least half of my sculpture with a medium fiber breed (a core, but not to be confused with the fibers being sold as 'Core' fibers - a whole other subject!), like Corriedale, Perendale, Rambouillet, Romney, etc. That combines the best qualities of both grades of fiber.
Needle size: In that these are thinner fibers, they are closer to each other within a mass, both at the beginning & ending stages of needling. Thinner-shafted needles will slide between this type of fibers more easily. I start with a #38 T or S and switch to a 40 sooner than with other fiber grades. Then do all of my finishing with 42. It's just impractical to try to push a 36 into this grade of fiber.
VM: Elizabeth is one of the more conscientious breeders that I deal with. Yes, there is a small amount of VM in her Cormo (as in the California Red) but much much less that in others' fine fibers.
In the larger diameter fibers, it tends to fall out more easily in the processing.
I just leave it in place. Only in the final layer do I carefully pick it out. Heaven knows that it's all been sterilized by heat/steam and dye in the scouring and coloring processes.
Anything else? And when will we see this little one??
Pasadena, CAIt sounds like a 'plant' but you're new and have stated your own experience with no prompting from me.
Ha! No "plant" really! When I try something new, I do as much research as possible and try to learn from good advice. So far the Cormo has been great! I received the Romney from Wilde. Can't wait to use it. The colors are gorgeous. The dying is much different than the other materials I have hoarded (and not used yet). Not sure how to explain the difference. I guess the colors, even teal etc., seem more natural. If that makes sense.
I usually build at least half of my sculpture with a medium fiber breed (a core, but not to be confused with the fibers being sold as 'Core' fibers - a whole other subject!), like Corriedale, Perendale, Rambouillet, Romney, etc.
So, from what you are saying, I would guess the Romney from Wild will be a good core? From your work, you seem to use mainly white for your Polar Bears. If you were to do say... a green bear, would you start with a core green then skin with a green Cormo? If that's the case, I would guess the colors would need to match almost perfectly?
Needle size: In that these are thinner fibers, they are closer to each other within a mass, both at the beginning & ending stages of needling. Thinner-shafted needles will slide between this type of fibers more easily. I start with a #38 T or S and switch to a 40 sooner than with other fiber grades. Then do all of my finishing with 42. It's just impractical to try to push a 36 into this grade of fiber.
I read a past post from you regarding overfelting and you mentioned needles that have cut barbs and needle with formed barbs. Do you recommend one or the other? I'm about ready to stock up on needles and would like to make the best choice.
And when will we see this little one??
Well he is a little camera shy and not quite finished yet. I attempted last night to add some depth via coloring him using cretacolor pencils. I may have overdone him a bit and now want to go back and correct it. Boy, wish I weren't so picky!
Does the whole needle felting process go faster once techniques and indiviual peferences are discovered?
Again, thanks so much for invaluable information Bobbie!
