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Post by jufergu on Mar 30, 2012 22:34:24 GMT
As you know, I am gathering elements to use in a mixed media piece. My question is: I have some needlefelted sheets that I used organza as my base. I would like to cut some shapes to use, but would like the felt to be more sturdy. If I took these sheets and wet felt them, how would I do this? Hot water; what kind of soap; hand felt or wash machine?
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Post by lyn on Mar 30, 2012 22:59:34 GMT
Hello Judy, there may be lots of different ideas on this one, but here's my tuppence worth.
Firstly, any soap will do to make wet felt (including dishwash soap), but the favourite is olive oil soap because it's low sud and I've been told it's kinder to the wool. The soap makes it easier to get the wool to take the water.
The temperature of the water can determine the speed of felting - generally speaking very hot water will felt the wool fast but there is a danger of layers felting themselves but not to each other. Also if you have embellishments or are doing nuno felt, the wool fibres need time to migrate so tepid or cold water would be used.
As you have already needle felted the wool to the organza, then just a little hand wet felting should firm things up.
This is what I would do, but read other replies before you launch in!
I'd put a piece of small-bubble bubble-wrap onto a kitchen worktop, bubbles up, then put the needle felted sheet on it.
Lay a piece of tutu net over the top then sprinkle/spray very warm soapy water on to the wool, through the net. You are aiming for wet but not dripping. If you overwater, mop it up with a small sponge, using straight up and down movements onto the wool through the net.
Scrunch up a small piece of bubble-wrap in your hand and use it (as you would use a polishing rag) to agitate the wool - gently rub the bubble-wrap in small circles on the net.
It shouldn't take too much to firm things up - just keep checking it. You should peel the net off and replace it every couple of minutes to ensure that the net doesn't start felting in! When you're happy, rinse the soap away with cold water until it runs clear then give the piece a few minutes to soak in cold water that's had a dash of white vinegar added to it.
Don't wring the water out, lift the sheet onto a cake cooling rack on the draining board so that a lot of water drips out, then gently pat it semi-dry between two old towels, then put it in a warm place.
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Post by Shepherdess on Mar 31, 2012 1:17:57 GMT
Lyn's advice is good. I like to roll more than rub so here is what i would do. both ways will work. Put bubble wrap then the piece then some netting. add the soapy water then more bubble wrap. roll it up. tie it with something to keep it rolled up. roll it back and forth 20 time. rotate it a quarter turn and do 20 more. do that until you have turned 4 times. open it up, make sure the netting is not sticking. peal it off slowly in case it is sticking some. your piece over and rotate it 1/4 turn so when you roll up it again you will be rolling it across from what it was before. roll it the same amount again. If you want it to really shrink up you can toss it in the sink a few times. I scrunch it out without wringing it. Rolling it it up in a towel takes a lot of the water out as Lyn said. Its a good idea to use cake cooling rack so the air can circulate around it.
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Post by MTRuth on Mar 31, 2012 3:00:37 GMT
Sounds like Lyn and Ann have it all taken care of. You could combine the two techniques by starting with Lyn's and finishing with Ann's.
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Post by jufergu on Mar 31, 2012 3:07:08 GMT
Thanks for this information. I have only done wet felting once in a class. We did it with the bubble wrap, just as you described, but not the tulle net. It was a very small piece, but I was able to use it in a collage. Felting is pretty new to me.
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Post by lyn on Mar 31, 2012 7:59:10 GMT
Hello Judy - if you want a refresher on basic flat felt making, there's a free picture + text tutorial on our rosiepink blog 'how to make flat felt' (it's new and better than the old one we had).
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Post by zed on Mar 31, 2012 8:05:45 GMT
I'd do it very similar to Lyn, with a tiny bit of rolling after. One thing I'd add is, check it often because as the wool shrinks, the organza will start to 'scrunch' This is felted organza Nuno felted organza strips by zedster01, on Flickr organza as a base for felt (well felted) organza close up by zedster01, on Flickr
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Post by Shepherdess on Mar 31, 2012 11:38:40 GMT
the more you work it the more texture you will get on the silk side. The stiffer it will get too.
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Post by jufergu on Apr 2, 2012 14:05:09 GMT
Thanks for all this information. I bookmarked the rosiepink tutorial and will study it before I experiment. I just finished some paper dyeing. Thanks for all the pictures. Too bad I have to do housework and laundry today.
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Post by MTRuth on Apr 2, 2012 20:56:44 GMT
Where are your priorities? Housework, what's that???
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Post by Shepherdess on Apr 3, 2012 12:07:11 GMT
I am with you Ruth
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