Banner Sponsors

Bumpkin Bears Nov 16, 2005

Hi all, I'd love to try needle felting some toes for a bear, I'd love for them to be really puffy.  Would I need to needle felt a sort of ball shape first and then needle felt into the mohair?  Does this work on synthetic fur or only mohair?  Thanks for any tips from all you clever needle felters :)

Hugs
Catherine

kbonsall Nov 16, 2005

I would have a basic shape and then needle felt it onto the bear... but you dont want the ball to be too firm before you start felting it on the bear or it wont "stick"  I would assume that synthetic would work... I would think that becuase you are actually felting into the stuffing (which I use polyester fluff) it would "adhere" to that....

I just use whatever needle...

Amanda Nov 16, 2005

Synthetic is hit and miss, it depends on the backing. I have just managed to felt eye accents onto a mini bear that used Sassys smokey fabric. I tried it on a different fabric and the backing was too close. Try it you can always pull it off or do a mock head.
As to the toes again, you can always add to if they are'nt puffy enough.

matilda Nov 16, 2005

HI Catherine.

I hope this will help. the top pic in yellow, has been attached to ultra suede. I cut a piece of felt to the size of the toe area. I pre felted the toes and then sewed on to felt cutout. I sewed all this onto the suede foot. I used extra felt and needled it in to the mohair to camoflage the attachment. Then I continued needle felting the toes.
The toe markations have been needled and then detailed with copic marker.

The black and white pic has been done differently. I still pre felted the toes. but then felted straight onto the mohair. The same for the heels. The foot pad is all mohair. Again the toe markation was needled and then detailed with paint.

The idea is to work out what you want before the design is even drawn.
Each detail gets worked differently.
I dont think there is a wrong way to do this....... but maybe just better ways.....
What ever works for you , is good.Ocky Docky Does this help? :P

                                              Matilda

Judi Nov 16, 2005

Matilda you made some gorgeous toes.  I want to do some like that sometime.

Here's a picture of the type of toes  normally do.

What I do is felt all the toes inot ball shapes.  Fairly firm.  Then sew them in place with abotu two to three stitches.  This will keep them from coming off.  Then I needle them into the foot adding wool if necessary.  The stitches never show and I get very round toes.

As far as felting onto synthetic, I have not doen that but I don't see why it wouldn't work.  One thing you coud do if you are not sure is to add a lining of muslin on the inside of the area you want to felt onto...OR  maybe better yet, sew a lining of maunfactured felt to the inside of the foot.  Then when you needle felt to the synthetic you will also be felting onto the felt.  DO you follow?  Wool felts beautifully to felt.

rufnut Nov 17, 2005

Ditto I agree with Judi, Wool felts best to felt.    My last project was felting the balls first or large sections of felt first to a medium texture, before attaching and felting directly to felt.

Here are the paw pads.

Dilu Nov 17, 2005

Matilda and Judy

both have great feet, love your little toes, ladies.

Hmmmm......you know some of our posts, taken out of context are really weird sounding.....

good thing I'm not running for office.....obviously I have a foot and toe fetish sure to get me in trouble.....\

When in reality I am trying to figure out how small I can go on a mini

:lol:

Bumpkin Bears Nov 17, 2005

You've all been a great help - can't wait to try it out.  I loved 'your' toes Melissa, I like how you added shading with the markers and love those puffy toes of Judi    Sounds funny when I put it like that!  Great tip about adding felt to the backing of the footpad - THANKS everyone.

Hugs
Catherine

rufnut Nov 17, 2005

Catherine, good luck with your experimenting, also love your new Avatar. 

Bumpkin Bears Nov 17, 2005

Thanks Karen - I had fun designing Snuggles, the mini hedgehog in my avatar - you can see him in the bears for sale section - he's causing havoc on Ebay at the minute with snowball fights  :P

Hugs,
Catherine