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Judi Sep 3, 2005

Heather , your new avatar is really cute.  I love the avatar Shelli made for me but I think I may have to update it.  NCTB has a tutorial on how to do it........when I get some free time!

SHelli, I have suffered many wounds from my needle felted bears.  Not as many now , but in the beginning...OUCH!!! I think it is all in the learning process.  Once I got into a groove I automatically moved my fingers just enough to avoid the tips of those evil needles.

  When you first start needle felting any project you start with a loose ball/wad of wool.  It takes lots and lots of repetetive jabbing to reach a point where it is more firm ,and if you are wacthing TV and look away for a moment...look out!  I recently stabbed o needle through one side of my finger and out the other.  It hurt so darn badly( and I get enough finger jabs daily to test blood sugars, diabetic here), but I put a band-aide on and kept going.  It' very addicting and I can't stand to see my bears head looking unfinished...they look so strange until they are done.  Almost like they are deranged or in some kind of pain.

You also need to make sure you use a large enough foam block.  I use a cut up old foam/sponge pillow.  Foam breaks down over the repeated neeld pokes.   The foam block you can buy on line are only good for about two bears then they are so degraded that you can actually poke right through it an into you leg...done that too.

Oh the injuries we sustain for the love of our art.........

psichick78 Sep 3, 2005

Thanks Judi for the complement. I hated this bear at 1st, but he's really grown on me now.
I also agree about poking your fingers felting Those little barbs hurt!!! I find I'm okay if I keep my work on the foam, but often, I find myself hold a little piece by hand, now that's dangerous!!!
I'll have to try the old pillow foam. Great idea!!!
I also pin a piece of screen over my foam, I find it stops the wool from being felted right onto it, and it's great if you're felting anything flat.
Heather

Shelli Retired Help Advisor, Banner SponsorSep 3, 2005

I love the avatar Shelli made for me but I think I may have to update it.

By all means, do, and don't worry about forewarning me or hurt feelings.  I change my avatar every month or so!  Change is good.

I haven't seen Nancy's tutorial but if you need help with doing anything let me know.

Daphne Sep 3, 2005

Heather,
You don't end up poking the screen and dulling the needle?
I'd be hitting the screen every other jab and it would take me twice as long.
I hate it when it felts right into the foam though. Perhaps I should try this.
What size screening are you using? Like window screen?
Daphne

psichick78 Sep 3, 2005

Daphine, just regular old window screen. And I thought at 1st it would ruin the needle, but it seems to slide right into the screen holes. No trouble there. Give it a try it really works well for me.
Heather

Dilu Sep 4, 2005

I just finished my first golly-however he is naked and will not let me post his pics until I get him dressed!  He is very adamant and rather prickely!

You don't suppose it was from all the accupruncture, do you?  :lol:

dilu

Daphne Sep 4, 2005

Oh, Dilu.... a needle felted Golly!! Will yours be the very first anyonw has ever made??? I've never seen one!

Would he allow you to take a photo of his face until he's more appropriately attired for a photo shoot???

Delartful Bears Sep 4, 2005

Sorry Dilu and Daphne, I am sure I've seen a needle felted golly, I just can't find it again!

Danni

matilda Sep 4, 2005

Judi I can see we are going to get along.
Shelli, what can I say......... Fremantle in western australia is in the middle of the indian ocean.  Always wondered why I was so wet behind the ears. Must've sprung a leak. In my profile I'm actually pinned in the correct spot. I even change the location and became more specific & said western aust. But I am still left in the middle of the ocean. Go figure.
My foam block is quite large. I will only felt on my lap when I'm doing the final bits of scultping, otherwise I'm at the table. Because the block is so large, I can rest my arm on it. I have ' fibromyalgia '(winney know's what this is) and find having support for my arm allows me to needle felt with close to impunity.
I've spent the last 4 years twiddling with a certain design. Only now has it come to fruitation. It has armature which means I dont have to stuff  hard, which means no pain. So this means I have more ability for felting. Which I might add, I LOVE.  There have been alot of new innovations in the last six years with bear making, but nothing has caught my imagination like felting. ( I wish something had taken my attention, it would be less painful)   I think you would find there would be more neck problems than RSI. So take care all & get up and do your stretch's. matildie

Dilu Sep 4, 2005

Judi:

You have been missing a lot---pigmonkeybear ( was my first attempt at doing a face-  I have since removed the pigmonkeybears face and am trying again.)  Also I just finished my first boy needlefelted golly but I have to make his clothes now- he wont let me post a nekid picture of him. 

And I have done 3 bears-  mini mini bears.  And am working  on a new bear

I HAVE A QUESTION FOR ALL YOU PROS.....

Is it possible to joint a felted bear with mini discs and cotter pins,

I ask because I keep waking up in the middle of the night having been dreaming about it and trying to figure it out.  (I really would like to get this off my mind-and move on to something else, you know, a dream like PenPen would have)

Also, I don't involve the elbow at all ( for the lady over 50- who had elbow pain after felting for 3 hours....Why is she using her elbow?)

I find the the slightest hand movement is all it takes.   Hmmmm how to describe:
I move my hand less than a serious Parkinson's disease patient shakes

I like that it is something that can be done with either hand- no I'm not ambidexterous but the roughing in I do with my right hand and the fine tuning with the left.

Also I don't find the finger poking so terribly bad- but I am not going at this with a lot of strength behind the needle- I thought the needle was supposed to do the work, so I let it....I felt until it is hard enough that I can't move it, I guess thats hard enough?

I had mentioned to Daphne that I was using tweesers to hold a small piece while felting on it.  I have since abandoned that idea and use one of the bigger needles like 36T to hold it in place,  less likely to stab with the needle and hit something and break the tip.

One last thing: ( yeah yeah I know.....

Is there a good source for needles?  The best one I have been able to find so far is Mielke's Farm in Wisconsin- They sell packs of 5 one size for $5.00. 

OK....now off to Nancy's site to sign up for a class......

golly hugs to you guys

Dilu

Judi Sep 4, 2005

Oh Dilu, I must see your pictures .  You HAVE been a busy golly-girly!!  I , myself, cannot really see myself how a cotter pin joint would work on a felted teddy.  I think your best bet would be to string joint it.  You can cover the shoulder area of the arms with wool and felting after doing the string joint. 

hhhhhmmmmmm.......I suppose you could do quite a bit of fiddling around with a cotter pin joint.  You would have toonly partially make the body, one side at a time, attach the cotter pin through the arm, into one half of the body then turn the pin.  Then you would do the same for the other side and the legs.  Then I think you could felt the body side together adding more wool to attache th sides.  Then more wool to conceal the disc and joint.....yeah....now I think it could work....am I making any sense?  I am typing as I think.

Gina, your avatar teddy is really adorable.  I am very attracted to him.  Has he been adopted yet?  Maybe I should check out the bears for sale.

I knoe I have only been needle felting for just over a year but I can tell you what will make the woll stick into your foam block less is to wet your hand a bit (lick it....ssshhh don't tell anyone!)  no really if you wet your palm just a bit then rook the wool it will pack down more firmly.   Take a wad, felt it down with a 32 needle, then roll it in your hand, then back to needle felting only start using samller needles.  Keep repeating this.  It workd well.  I am like Dilu, I like my end result very firm.

Heather, I too, do a lot of poking just in my hand, while while applying pressure to the wool and it works great....but is risky on the fingers!

Shelli, I have been trying to play with doing an avatar but ran inot a few glitches.  I won't give up though.  I will try again later...wish me luck.

rufnut Sep 5, 2005

Hi Danni, I recently made a felted golly for the MTE comp in Melbourne, I have not had a chance to load it to my website.  You may have seen it on the Bearmakers of Aust Group poll.   This is Candy, I know it is a shocking name, if anyone else has any suggestions let me know.

Marie_ Sep 5, 2005

Hi  Karen,

Sorry I'm not Danni but I love your felted golly !!!
This is my first time saw the felted golly. :D
You made his face so charming! If I could vote you from
here I will !!!! can I ? (guess not...)
Thank you for posting.
Marie

rufnut Sep 5, 2005

Thanks Marie, the poll is now closed, you need to be a member of the group to vote sorry.   No I didn't win either, there were some lovely items there too. I was happy with the winner.     I have some better photo's of this golly  on a white background, which show off the wild golly hair, I will upload to my website soon.   Thanks again

rufnut Sep 5, 2005

Glad the repetition was mentioned, has anyone tried the needle knob's, are they worth purchasing?

Delartful Bears Sep 5, 2005

Hi Karen,

Your golly is adorable. I love him!!  Those long legs are exactly what I think of when I think of Gollies.

Nope, it wasn't the Bearmakers Australia list, it was months ago I saw the felted Golly.  So, I'm sorry to say Karen, but you aren't the first either LOL  :lol:

I do adore your golly though, and it makes me want to borrow Mum's supplies to give it a go.. Mmmm!
Danni

doodlebears Celebration AmbassadorSep 5, 2005

Wow all you needle felting people are so clever. I have not yet got the art of needle felting under my hat. The last time I tried the needle ended up in my thigh.:(:( Boy did that hurt! I saw some fantastic bears yesterday that had extensive needle sculping on them which made me definately want to try again, so I'm going to dig out my needle felting bits and bobs and get back into learning how to use them...properly this time.:)

Jane.

rufnut Sep 5, 2005

Arhhhh well I thought doing a needlefelted Golly was a unique thing, its hard to come up with something that hasn't been done before.  :|Thats another topic on its own coming up with somthing unique.

Here is my latest Polar

Dilu Sep 5, 2005

KAREN!  How cute your golly is adorable and makes me giggle.  (this is good)  Why is Candy a shocking name? 

Is this one of those idiom things that don't pass from country to country?

Kind of like "fanny" in England-  I still can't get over THAT one.  :lol::lol:

He really is too cute.  Thank you for showing him to us

Dilu

piegabaer Sep 5, 2005

What lovely bears and other animals :)
I´m impressed!

SueAnn Help Advisor, Banner SponsorSep 5, 2005

Wonderful golly and polar, Karen . . . I do admire all of you that are needlefelters!  I just can't imagine goofing and sticking the needles in my fingers, legs, arms, whatever!  I'm too much of a sissy!

Dilu Sep 5, 2005

Shantell- my beginer kit came with enough wool roving to make 3-4 critters, depending on what you are planning on making.

Also several places are having a sale on rovings, Cobweb cottage is one.  Nice stuff.  And even though she is in New Zealand it got to me in under 7 days. 

i wasn't sure how much to order. because it is sold by weight, like ounces so I ordered 3 of each color that I liked.  Ladies I am here to tell you I can be felting all the way to heaven ( I hope) as much rovings as I have!  Well....one does hate to run out.

I use a pillow cushion like Judy and it covers my whole lap- but works great....You can recline and poke in comfort :D

Shantell- Don't let the idea of poking your finger hold you back....you sew and you poke your finger occasionally, so this is no different!  Well, maybe a little different- the needles are longer but still not really a problem.

Golly kisses to your upcoming booboos  ;)

Dilu

Delartful Bears Sep 6, 2005

Oh Karen, your golly was unique, as is everyone else's creations!!!  I didn't mean it that way, and I certainly hope I didn't offend you!

Your polar is adorable! I love polars very much, and yours is just gorgeous!
Danni

rufnut Sep 6, 2005

Dilu, Candy, due to the colours mainly, definitely not a country idiom.

Thanks for the comments everyone.   No offence taken here Danni, I have thick skin from working in an office...   :lol:

Now Dilu, good luck, you can never have too much wool either, and the pillow is a good idea.   I use a piece of foam. ideal for shaping, arms and legs.   Good luck with your projects, and watch those fingers, make sure you post a pic for us.   Have lots of fun too. 

I encourage everyone to give it a go, its very addictive.

matilda Sep 6, 2005

Just curious !!!!! It seems that embroidered noses are still the norm  and being used on the felted creations.  I am actually surprised by this BECAUSE it never accured to me to embroider a nose......I just went ahead and felted one....the two, then three...you get the picture. I can not see my bears with any other type of nose. At the moment anyway. Maybe the different types of noses would make a good new topic, if anyone wantds to continue the conversation.  Am eager to hear your points of view.

Play nicely and be careful out there.....
Matilda