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Posts: 8,574
OK I finished her...what fun, I will def. be doing more.....this afternoon!
what I did wrong: somehow I made the body concave but found if you slap wool on the area you can just felt it in.
I was pleased with the way you felt the ears in place, if only all ears were so easy.
I had the most trouble with the appendages......I don't really know why, I think I wasn't getting how to round the ends. I ended up holding them with tweezers so I wouldnt stab myself anymore than I really needed to. :D
Which was only about 20,0000 times, in the 5-6 hours it took.
She is 3" tall but is much more delicate than one of my regular mini bears. I see she found my secret stash of M&Ms, but I let have at, cuz I figured it gave an idea of size.
So...how big do professionals make felted bears?
Any way she was fun, she has dimples and is kind of whimsicle. (Why can't Diane ever do things in a normal nice manner?) Who know's?
Dilu 
Wisdom BearsWell Done Dilu,
What a little character he is too. I have never had a go at it, but my friend has and says its very addictive,just like all beary things.
Pat on the back for you . Big Hugs Rita xxxx
Terries BearsHe is very cute. I love his big huge smile! I bought a kit and instructions to try some needle felting but I haven't even opened it yet.
Delartful BearsOh how adorable. I would love to try to needle felt a golly wog, it's on my "to do" list.
Danni
Past Time BearsVery cute, Dilu, and I admire you for attempting needle felting. Think I will probably by-pass that addiction!
Back Road BearsOh, she's a cutie!!! And M&M's... a bear after my own heart!
Can't wait to see the next one!
Oh she is a little sweetie Dilu and I love her big smile.
Well done for mastering the needle felting.
Bear hugs
Carolyn
Posts: 8,574Ahhh Carolyn, hardly mastering but not a bad first attmept and very relaxing after a hard day running after the gollies! :lol:
Marie has challanged me, so to speak, to make a golly- so I ordered some black and white rovings, well ok pink and lilac and blue too....as well as all the needles...., however I have to do a golly....as soon as the rovings come I will get on it.
My biggest problem is knowing how big of a chunk of the fluff to use when I start a body part, like a head or legs or whatever....I imagine that comes with practise.
thanks guys-
Dilu
Apple Dumpling DesignsI feel like an incredible moron...but what exactly is felting. I see the finished product...I looked it up and saw the needles and the wool but what...what do you do to make the little critter...I don't get it 
Perhaps it could be because I'm having one of those weeks...you know that kind where you wish you had just stayed in bed...
And Dilu, your bear is darling. I can hardly wait to see your Gollies...they will be spectacular!!!
bears by beesley TMHow adorable Dilu! You are so talented Girl! Way to go!
Many Hugs Louise
Back Road BearsShantell - I thought the same thing. So I bought the book and starter kit and just DID IT!!! Now I know! No matter how much someone explained about the burs on the needles fusing the wool fibers together as you needled it I just couldn't understand!! Try it!!!
Oh, Dilu - wish I'd thought of tweezers to hold the little pieces! I bet forceps would work well too! Hmmmmm....
Posts: 8,574Shantell- yu literly take a wad of wool and use special needles and just start poking~ and turning and poking and turning. Think of it as sculting with wool and a needle. Because thar truly is what you are doing....you take a wad of roving (wool not yet spun) and start poking it with special felting needles. These needles have teeny tiny grooves cut into them that are angeled so that they pul the fiber in but when you pull the needle out the tread lets go. so each time you stab the wad of wool it gets more matted.....kind of like naturally curly hair can get when not using conditioner. the more you stab the more matted or felted the wool becomes.
as you are doing this you are turning the wad so that it takes on the shaping that you want. In one picture you can see a cylinder that has been matted down but you also see the fluffy wool- I am lieaving this until I have the cylinder where I want it, it then becomes the leg and the fluff at the end will become the foot.
It is really relaxing to do and it doesn't take the concentration that other aspects of our obessions take. But you poke and turn and eventually you create a leg or a head or a body.
Not quite the same caliber as Michelangelo, but hey its fun and easy and relaxing!
Hope this helps!
Dilu
Posts: 8,574
picture one the needles
Picute 2 the biginings of the leg-partly felted and partly unfelted
Hope this helps a little
but get one of the biginner kits with the Barbara Allen book and you can't go wrong!
Dilu
Kiprie BearsDilu,
Thank you for posting the picture!!!
Wow Wow Wow He is soooooo adorable :D
I love his eye-rush and toes!!
Did you sew the eye-rushs too!? and 20.000 times punching !? for 5-6hours !? but He is soooo cute,
well done Dilu :lol::lol:
I will make one too soon so
wait for me ! he he
Hugs/Marie
Matilda Huggington-beareOne important thing to be said, do not let the fact that it hurts like billy O when harpooned by the needle when felting. Just kiss your booboo and carry on. This horrid craze is quite addictive. I needle felt my muzzles and noses and toes on my mohair bears now. Also eyelids. It just never stops. All I do now is poke poke poke. Aaaahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!help help aahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nova Scotia,CanadaCan I ask a question...... when you needle felt extra parts like toes,noses and eyelids,do you needle felt into the mohair or attach it another way?Thanks in advance for any info
Hugs,Shari.
MerBear OriginalsI've been felting it right onto the mohair. Cut the mohair back somewhat and then sort of pre-felt your roving into a small ball and then felt it on. If it's not right you can add more to it. It makes great noses.
Now I cd be all wet cause I haven't taken Judi's course yet but that is what I'm doing now.
Marion
Apple Dumpling DesignsThanks Dilu...so in otherwords you are just creating one big or tiny dreadlock!! It really just sounds like one more thing to cause myself some sort of bodily harm...not to mention financial 
:) I have to poke myself on purpose enough...not sure I should even consider something else I might accidently poke myself with...those needles look kinda big.
Now I'm off to find this book and kit...
Posts: 8,574Yeah Shantell, thats about the size of it. And if you don't like it it can pick it apart and re-use the wool!
I have poked myself, a couple times, a couple dozen, :lol:
but I don't think it is any worse than a regular sewing needle or a glucometer....so since I'm used to both it doesnt bother me.
The needles look big but the only part thats dangerous is the same little pinpoint at the end, just like any needle. :D
Shantell; I got my kit at Beary Cheap but I understand that the same kit is available at Edinburgh too.
Hugs
Dilu
