Needle felting brush mat

[tracey]

I am wondering if anyone has any reviews on using a brush mat instead of foam for needle felting.  I have just replaced my foam due to a saggy middle, not a good look....! however my new foam is saggy already, even though it was quite dense to begin with, so I wondered if the brush mat would be better in the long run.

[lyn]

I've got a 'large' (not much bigger than a scrubbing brush) 'Clover' felting mat and it's lovely to use.

The felting needle goes in and out much more freely than it does on foam and it's easy to clean out with a 'claw and mat cleaner' that's also useful for brushing fibres.

BUT - it just ain't big enough! So I use a 45x45cm (18") square of upholstery foam to support my piece of felt whilst needling away.

I would love a brush mat the same size as my piece of foam.

I wonder if felting needles last longer when used on the brush mat?

[tracey]

That's great Lyn thanks. I know they are not huge, I am needling greeting card size pieces, so that would be ok.

I have a craft board for on my lap, and I use mainly the Clover multi needle tool with the guard, still manage to stab myself....

[Pandagirl]

Like Lyn I have a Clover brush mat but don’t use it since it’s too small. I use upsoltry foam also in different sizes. It’s not as firm as felting foam, but it works. Since it’s about two inches thick I rearely stab myself. ;-)

[tracey]

Thanks Marilyn, the brush mats do seem small, even the large! I don't stab myself in relation to how thick the foam is - I just get my fingers in the way!  My cards sell well though so maybe it is worth the pain, blood, profanities (gosh, heck, blast) etc.....

[lyn]

In front of the grand-daughter it's "Oh that jolly well hurt!" But when I'm on my own I could fill the swear box.

[Shepherdess]

I use the foam mats. the square ones that stick together like puzzle peises. sometimes you can find thicker ones that are for kneeling on. I just cut them to size and stack them if needed. you can get 4 packs that are about 12x12 inches at the dollar store here. The brushes always look too small to me. I haven't tried them.

[tracey]

Thanks Ann. I think you have persuaded me to stick with finding decent foam. Having said that, I noticed the foam on offer from Adelaide Walker at the wool show I went to recently seemed exactly the type I had just stabbed out of shape fairly quickly. Maybe I am either over productive or heavy handed! I will take a look at the denser upholstery foams.

One of my friends bought a brush mat a while ago, I could ask her to bring it for me to have a play next time she visits.

[lyn]

My foam hasn't collapsed...yet...and I've had it a while. A local upholstery shop sells the foam they use. My piece is 18" square and 2" deep and is just 'regular' density.

Just guessing - I don't know - but maybe the denser (firmer) foam might grip the needle end?

You'll love using the brush mat - the needle is much easier to use on one.

[lindsay]

I have a brush and don’t like it - I find the wool pushes into it too much. I bought some foam from World of Wool a few years ago and it lasted well but I bought another piece more recently & it was completely useless. It broke apart very quickly & I ended up having to pick lots of bits of foam out of things. So I bought some black specialist needle felting foam online and it is brilliant. I can try to find out who the supplier was if that’s helpful.

[tracey]

Thanks Lyn, I will definitely have a go with my pals brush mat I think.

Thanks Lindsay, I have never encountered foam actually breaking apart, only sagging, but I know what you mean. If you could track down this supplier that you used, I would like to take a look thank you.

[lindsay]

Hi Tracey. It was from Heidi Feathers - high density needle felting foam bought via Amazon. It looks like a single piece is about £6 but I think I went for the multi-buy 5 XL pieces for £16. It’s really good stuff. I bought them November last year when I was making lots of needle felted Christmas decorations. I wanted more than one as I sometimes work from home & sometimes from the studio. I occasionally use some tape to get rid of wool that’s stuck to the surface but so far I’ve been really impressed with the usability and resilience. I sound like an advert but it’s unusual for me to find a product where I think ‘wow, that’s so good’, compared with the foam I’d previously used.

[tracey]

Thanks Lindsay! I will check on that right now. Nothing wrong with enthusing over a product that you think is great.

[tracey]

Lindsay, my Heidi Feathers needle mat has just arrived. On first inspection - wow! very dense as you say. The one I was using was the same depth as the new one - 2", with my existing one I can squeeze my thumb and forefinger around it so they are touching, cannot do that with the new one. Thanks very much, will try it out later.

[lindsay]

Yay. Hope you get on well with it. I think they’re great (as you know!)