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Post by caterina on Apr 3, 2021 10:41:45 GMT
Hello! I have not seen a thread on cobweb felting on the forum, and I am wondering about this.
I have come across a tutorial on that and I have loved the lightweight airy look of it, but it seems that most experienced felters are not keen on it, and I was thinking maybe it is because there are major faults in what results from that technique. I have also read somewhere a felter saying that it is not like proper felt, and I can see that it can feel like a prefelt in a sense. Please, may someone go through the "good and bad" of this technique for me?
I have tried to do some, and I have found that the finished object tends to stick to itself when folded, so that it is a constant re-opening activity to get it to proper shape: is it because the fibers are not felted enough?
Thank you for your thoughts.
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Post by lyn on Apr 3, 2021 11:52:06 GMT
Cobweb felt is delicate. Here is a piece made by my daughter and if it were hung or mounted it would make wall art but not a pair of slippers! We have made cobweb scarves and although they are delicate they do work. Here's one made by Galina (Felicity) Here's one thread that contains some info for you:click hereI hope members will chip in with some words of wisdom.
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Post by caterina on Apr 3, 2021 12:10:56 GMT
Cobweb felt is delicate. Here is a piece made by my daughter and if it were hung or mounted it would make wall art but not a pair of slippers! We have made cobweb scarves and although they are delicate they do work. Here's one made by Galina (Felicity) Here's one thread that contains some info for you:click hereI hope members will chip in with some words of wisdom. Thank you, Lyn! I have found the thread that you posted very useful, I am reading through it. As soon as I understand how to post photos, I will make sure to post my attempts at scarves! :-)
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Post by caterina on Apr 3, 2021 12:31:42 GMT
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Post by caterina on Apr 3, 2021 12:34:27 GMT
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Post by MTRuth on Apr 3, 2021 14:16:54 GMT
Hi Caterina, I answered this question in your welcome post. I think you are laying out too thickly and not fulling enough. Cobweb felt is delicate but if completely fulled it won't fall apart.
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Post by Shepherdess on Apr 3, 2021 14:18:38 GMT
The trick is to get a very thin even layout and the holes will come as you work. Some people put down a strip of combed top and just tease it apart to make the cob webbing. I prefer to lay it out as normal but very thin. I wouldn't roll it on itself until it's nearly done. I like to use think painter's plastic instead of sheer material to cover it. I don't like my felt to stick to the sheer.
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Post by MTRuth on Apr 3, 2021 14:24:13 GMT
Another way people get thin felt is with Nuno felting over very light weight silk. The silk holds everything together and you can use less wool.
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Post by caterina on Apr 3, 2021 16:35:00 GMT
The trick is to get a very thin even layout and the holes will come as you work. Some people put down a strip of combed top and just tease it apart to make the cob webbing. I prefer to lay it out as normal but very thin. I wouldn't roll it on itself until it's nearly done. I like to use think painter's plastic instead of sheer material to cover it. I don't like my felt to stick to the sheer. At the moment I am making a sandwich with two bubblewrap sheets and the scarf inside them. I have seen some recommending the use of bubblewrap with bubbles not facing the wool, but I have been using it with bubbles facing the wool, and it seems ok to me. Reading the other posts, I realised that I do very little rubbing, most of it not with my fingers but gently tapping with a dryer egg, and mostly I roll the bubblewrapped sandwich around a boomwacking tube. I like throwing the scarf afterwards, but the hot-cold water routine is an interesting thing that I learned from this forum. I am always afraid of too much shrinkage and stiffness in the finished scarf, so I am maybe not fulling enough, as pointed out.
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Post by caterina on Apr 3, 2021 16:37:17 GMT
Another way people get thin felt is with Nuno felting over very light weight silk. The silk holds everything together and you can use less wool. This technique is definitely something that I would like to try. I need to read the nuno felting tutorials and posts, first! :-)
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Post by Shepherdess on Apr 3, 2021 19:15:57 GMT
The trick is to get a very thin even layout and the holes will come as you work. Some people put down a strip of combed top and just tease it apart to make the cob webbing. I prefer to lay it out as normal but very thin. I wouldn't roll it on itself until it's nearly done. I like to use think painter's plastic instead of sheer material to cover it. I don't like my felt to stick to the sheer. At the moment I am making a sandwich with two bubblewrap sheets and the scarf inside them. I have seen some recommending the use of bubblewrap with bubbles not facing the wool, but I have been using it with bubbles facing the wool, and it seems ok to me. Reading the other posts, I realised that I do very little rubbing, most of it not with my fingers but gently tapping with a dryer egg, and mostly I roll the bubblewrapped sandwich around a boomwacking tube. I like throwing the scarf afterwards, but the hot-cold water routine is an interesting thing that I learned from this forum. I am always afraid of too much shrinkage and stiffness in the finished scarf, so I am maybe not fulling enough, as pointed out. Usually you put either a shear or plastic on top of the bubble wrap and then shear/plastic on top of your layout. How much rubbing compared to rolling is a personal preference. I prefer rolling so do not to much rubbing. Ruth doesn't like rolling so does all rubbing. with cobweb felt you shouldn't throw it to hard, more dropping. some people like to shock the wool doing hot and cold rinsing but I never do it. There are lots of ways to make felt and you try them all and see what you like. and even that will evolve over time.
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Post by caterina on Apr 3, 2021 19:50:34 GMT
[/quote] Usually you put either a shear or plastic on top of the bubble wrap and then shear/plastic on top of your layout. How much rubbing compared to rolling is a personal preference. I prefer rolling so do not to much rubbing. Ruth doesn't like rolling so does all rubbing. with cobweb felt you shouldn't throw it to hard, more dropping. some people like to shock the wool doing hot and cold rinsing but I never do it. There are lots of ways to make felt and you try them all and see what you like. and even that will evolve over time. [/quote] I should have said, first I place a towel, then a bubblewrap (bubbles up), then the wool, then a netting: I wet and rub/pat a bit with fingers, then with the dryer egg until I can pinch the wool and it is stuck. Then I remove the netting and place the second bubblewrap over the wool (bubbles down), roll everything around the boomwhacker tube and start rolling. After the rolling, a bit of throwing, then I wash it gently in warm water and dry it on the heater. I have found that the netting gets felted in if I leave it in place too much or if I roll it: I think that a painters' plastic could be interesting to try in place of netting. I am not sure where I could find it of the right thickness, I need to search around a bit. Thanks for the idea. Yes, I love the fact that there are so many ways to felt, and there seems to be no right and wrong, only different experiences and trials. It also encourages a very positive attitude to failed attempts! LOL!
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Post by Ann @ frabjous fabrica on Apr 3, 2021 20:05:00 GMT
Hi Caterina, Not sure where you are based. If in the UK you can find the plastic at B&Q or other Decorators or DIY store, usually called dust sheets. B&Q sell several large sheets in a pack and it is very cheap because they only expect you to use it once. I always rinse it out and dry it on the washing line, or my indoor drying rack and it gets used and used until it's got too many holes in it! Ann
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Post by caterina on Apr 3, 2021 20:09:48 GMT
Hi Caterina, Not sure where you are based. If in the UK you can find the plastic at B&Q or other Decorators or DIY store, usually called dust sheets. B&Q sell several large sheets in a pack and it is very cheap because they only expect you to use it once. I always rinse it out and dry it on the washing line, or my indoor drying rack and it gets used and used until it's got too many holes in it! Ann Thank you, Ann, yes, I live in London! Ah, it is dust sheets, then: sure, I believe I have seen them in B&Q or somewhere. Thanks a lot for the tip.
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Post by Shepherdess on Apr 3, 2021 22:21:20 GMT
Here in Canada, the dollar store sells it in packs.
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