Project by Wendy Allen from San Francisco, Calif.Wendy makes her own felted projects. In this project, she makes a felt flower that can be worn as a pin or on a choker.
Materials:
three colors dyed, carded wool
electric kettle or old coffee urn
Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap
bamboo mat
towel
bar pin, bobby pin, bracelet, ribbon, etc.
scissors
needle
thread
2" strong ribbon
yarn
countertop or table covered with shower curtain
Steps:
1. Choose one basic wool color and two accent colors, as well as your yarn stamen color.
2. Pull off one piece of basic wool color approximately 7 inches long (torn edges rather than cut with scissors).
3. Spread out to uniform thickness approximately 10 inches wide (figure A).4. Cut (with scissors) a second layer of wool 10 inches long. Spread out and place on top of first layer (figure B).
5. Tear off two pieces of first accent color about 3 inches long. Spread out and place down center of second layer.
6. Tear off four pieces of second accent color and place above and below the center row (figure C).
7. Soap down (figure D) and sand only the center of your wool, leaving the fringy edges dry and unsanded (figure E). Sand both sides.
8. Cut a giant zigzag down the center of your wool to create two rows of five flower petals each (figure F).
9. Sand again, still avoiding the edges.
10. Cut your yarn stamens and place in middle of your row of petals.
11. Gather your dry fringy edges up in your fingers and arrange petals to look like a lily. Without letting go yet, put your flower face down on the bamboo mat. Twirl the fringe around to make a little button of fluff on the back of the flower. Quickly soap it down and sand it all one more time really, really well.
12. Roll your flower back and forth inside the mat until it has shrunk a little bit and hardened (figure G). This may take about 10 to 15 minutes.
13. Rinse and dry on a towel.
14. Cut a piece of strong ribbon about 2 inches long. Fold the ends under to make a 1/2-inch square.
15. Stitch down either side of the folded edges to the back of the flower to create a little sleeve, through which you can thread a bar pin, bobby pin (see the flower worn in her hair, at the top of this page), bracelet or ribbon.
Website: www.missfitt.com
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