Pod vessels

[tracey]

I have only made a handful of pods, and the method I use is to place multiple layers,  flip it and do the same again the other side.  Lyn, I am intrigued as to the thinking behind your method of doing a single layer and flipping in between. Does it make the pod stronger at all?, some other reason, or is it just your preferred method? Also if you were to make a bag using a resist, would you layer in the same way?, again, I do one side then the other. Thanks. 

[wolgelukkig]

I always lay 2 layers, the second crosswise to the first with great care and very precise, wet the layers, push the air out, check for thin spots and then flip over and do the other side.If you like you could even use the sander for a short while. Than I flip back to the first side to lay another 2 layers for the design. This way I create a good base and I can lay the design in any direction I want. I learned this from Russian felters. This way the layers below already start to felt a bit which is easier later on. When felting thick layers all in one you see that the upper layers start felting, but the lower layers seem to be untouched, so helping it a bit before is a good thing to do. I always have a transparent thin sheet of plastic below my work so when I wet the wool, I cover it with another transparant sheet, push the air out and flip over the piece sandwiched between the 2 layers of plastic.

[tracey]

Nov 28, 2016 17:31:11 GMT wolgelukkig said:

I always lay 2 layers, the second crosswise to the first with great care and very precise, wet the layers, push the air out, check for thin spots and then flip over and do the other side.If you like you could even use the sander for a short while. Than I flip back to the first side to lay another 2 layers for the design. This way I create a good base and I can lay the design in any direction I want. I learned this from Russian felters. This way the layers below already start to felt a bit which is easier later on. When felting thick layers all in one you see that the upper layers start felting, but the lower layers seem to be untouched, so helping it a bit before is a good thing to do. I always have a transparent thin sheet of plastic below my work so when I wet the wool, I cover it with another transparant sheet, push the air out and flip over the piece sandwiched between the 2 layers of plastic.

It had never occurred to me that the layers in a thick pile of wool would felt at different rates, it makes sense to deal with them individually,  thanks for that!

[jwugg]

If you do 1 layer at a time, turning in between, you'll get less thick & thin, uneven edges. You'll also make stronger felt as each layer is overlapping then crossed with the next layer being laid in the other direction. & I think it helps avoid the ridges you can get when the fibres are not tight up against the resist. Personally I don't felt each layer, just wet it down, aiming to keep the edges dry, unless perhaps I'm making something very thick when I might do a brief gentle rub.

[MTRuth]

It can be done either way, some people just prefer one method over the other. I would caution on felting "too much" between layers especially if using different types of wool. You might have develop issues of the various layers not wanting to felt together.

[tracey]

Nov 28, 2016 18:38:48 GMT MTRuth said:

It can be done either way, some people just prefer one method over the other. I would caution on felting "too much" between layers especially if using different types of wool. You might have develop issues of the various layers not wanting to felt together.

Thanks Ruth, I understand what you are saying. 

[tracey]

Nov 28, 2016 18:29:12 GMT jwugg said:

If you do 1 layer at a time, turning in between, you'll get less thick & thin, uneven edges. You'll also make stronger felt as each layer is overlapping then crossed with the next layer being laid in the other direction. & I think it helps avoid the ridges you can get when the fibres are not tight up against the resist. Personally I don't felt each layer, just wet it down, aiming to keep the edges dry, unless perhaps I'm making something very thick when I might do a brief gentle rub.

Thanks Jill, I think next time I'll try wetting down between layers, but no felting.

[lyn]

Nov 28, 2016 14:37:21 GMT tracey said:

I have only made a handful of pods, and the method I use is to place multiple layers,  flip it and do the same again the other side.  Lyn, I am intrigued as to the thinking behind your method of doing a single layer and flipping in between. Does it make the pod stronger at all?, some other reason, or is it just your preferred method? Also if you were to make a bag using a resist, would you layer in the same way?, again, I do one side then the other. Thanks. 

Hello Tracey, the simple pod has four layers either side of the resist, but they are put down two at a time (in opposing directions), not singly. We used to make pods one layer at a time but decided that life was too short so we doubled up and did two layers at a time.

Yes, we would now do the same for a bag - doing two layers at once seems to work ok for us.

[tracey]

Thanks for that Lyn, yes I think with a six layers a side bag, two at a time is the preferred option!

[Shepherdess]

I do all the layers on one side, then dry felt it, then put it aside dry. then do the other side. I flip the second side over wet it down add the resist and use it to push the air out and water around. Then add the second layer, and then flip. There are lots of different way to do it. try them all. the only time I wet different layers is if I and doing different colour layers.

[wolgelukkig]

So much fun to read all the different methods we use and that they all work! I agree with Ann to try them all. I will try her method too, never thought of dry felt it first but seems very handy to me.