Felting around inflatable objects

[orlaosborne]

Hi all,
I was wondering if anyone out there has tried felting around inflatable objects? I've done quite a bit around inflatable rubber balls (that can be inflated and deflated with a ball pump and pin) and now I'm looking for a different shape. I haven't tried a rugby ball or american football type shape but that is next on the list. If anyone has any tried or untried suggestions I would love to hear about them. 

[Shepherdess]

I haven't started out around inflatables but start out flat and then when it's close to the right size, blow it up inside or at the end to get the perfect shape.

[MTRuth]

Haven't tried much but like Ann, I have used for shaping rather than trying to layout wool over 3D object. That has never worked well for me.

[orlaosborne]

Ann, would you be using ballons to do that? Putting a balloon inside a vessel then blowing  it up? Would it work if the vessel wasn't the shame shape as the balloon I wonder.

[lindsay]

Hi Orla

Like you I’ve done quite a lot of felting around inflatable balls of different sizes - either fully covering the ball or resting it on a small bowl and bringing the wool down over the ball and onto the table (so there’s an opening at the bottom). I have tried a ball with soft spikes which worked in a similar way though the spike holes were less pronounced than I’d hoped.

I haven’t tried balls that aren’t round but I see no reason why they shouldn’t work in the same way so long as there’s a valve to let out air gradually as the felt shrinks. I find it helpful to mark the place of the valve with a small piece of prefelt or different coloured wool so I don’t spend ages searching for it when I need to let air out.

I hope you experiment and show is what you come up with.

[Shepherdess]

If I wanted a non-round shape I would stuff it with plastic bags. I might still blow up a balloon or ball in the middle of it. That way it would apply outward pressure. What shape are you thinking of?