Since I started following FunnyToysCraft on instagram, the design has already gone through several changes. Hopefully there will be some newcomers on the scene in other countries as well, like the US, to help with shipping costs. I will definitely add them here as well if I hear of any! For 2D felting, there are also a number of options - basically things that look like sewing machines but are actually felting machines. There are two popular brands, the Janome FM and the Simplicity Deluxe Update - it would appear as though these might be discontinued, but you might want to call a dealer to be sure.
I am not aware of any others at this time, but leaving this up in case someone gets one second-hand. I'm still trying to figure out what the price difference is between the two, though there are more complaints about the needles breaking on the Simplicity, the replacement needles are hard to find and there is a question of quality or longevity.
If I had the Simplicity, I would consider removing some of those needles. You don't need to use all of them I hope , and that way there would be a few spares while looking for replacements. The quality of the needles does come into question. Felting needles are definitely a case of paying for quality, as I have used some cheaper quality needles that are far more brittle than the ones I use now.
If you have an extra sewing machine collecting dust, you can also get an adapter to convert that into a sewing machine.
The only issue with that is once you convert, you can't change it back into a sewing machine - so definitely don't do this on one you're using on a regular basis.
Do felting needles need to be replaced? Do they dull? Short answer is yes, but they last quite a bit longer than sewing machine needles which should probably be replaced between every few projects or after one major one. There is no easy way to tell, however if you find it's taking a bit longer to felt than it did when you first got it, try a brand new needle and see if it works better. If it does, it's probably time to toss the dull one or set it aside just in case you break your last good needle and can't wait a few days to have some new ones shipped.
I find that, for me, they last at least half a year if not longer. What are felting needles made from? From what I can tell and after a bit of searching , they are high-carbon steel. And magnetic so you could use those ornamental magnetic needle holders often used by cross stitching and embroidery enthusiasts. They are not, however, rust proof. If you enjoy needle felting "en plein air" - do not leave them out to the elements which I have accidentally done.
In fact, even if it's humid where you live, they are likely to rust sooner than they will dull. To prevent that, you could make a felting needle "pin cushion" filled with rice, or even just a nice jar or container filled with rice. There are so many different kinds, and I'm just starting out. I really don't want to invest all this money in just felting needles. Do I really need one of each type?
Not really. If you're just starting out and not sure if it's something you'll enjoy doing on a regular basis, my personal recommendation would be to get some 38 and 40 gauge spiral needles. Or get a 38 gauge needle in each type. However, if you DO enjoy needle felting which I think you will and want to continue improving your skills and your craft, I do recommend buying a sampler so you know what you like. Update I still use just the 38 and sometimes the I keep breaking my needles!
What am I doing wrong? And if it breaks off inside a sculpture, do I need to dig it out? When needle felting, make sure you're poking in and out at the same angle.
It takes some practice to make sure you're not bending the needle while stabbing. You do not need to stab the needle in deep. Stabbing any deeper than that is a waste of energy. Update I am now realizing I need to add a needle felting safety post. Stop buying cheap needles. You get what you pay for. As far as digging it out - if the object is going to be handled at all, absolutely dig it out.
From here you can make it as easy or as hard as you want. You can make money from needle felting. You can sell your felted items in various places as mentioned below. Rather than creating lots of things you can get commissioned work. This way you will know you are going to sell the item and not spend time on things you may not sell or may not sell for a while.
Instead, I tried using Cotton Balls!! It helped me to insert the needle at a slight angle to avoid directly poking into the cotton, until I got a couple layers of roving down. Skip to content. Search for:. I felt with fine-medium wool batting and typically use use only a few different sizes of needles. For general felting. If I had to pick just one gauge of needle use, the 40t would be it. It pierces into my felting projects easily and seems to grab the perfect amount of fiber with each jab.
It also gives me fine control when sculpting the wool. For finish and surface felting — works especially well for finishing the surface of coarse, hairy wool.
This is a star shaped blade rather than the typical triangle shaped blade. There are more barbs and the barbs start closer to the tip than most other needles. This makes it a good choice for surface details like eyes and for finishing the piece and taming down the fuzzies. For deep, fast felting and attaching parts. This is a coarse needle and more durable than the others. What kind of wool do I need for needle felting?
There are many, many choices out there. Roving, Tops, Batting…from so many varieties of sheep…and you can even needle felt with other animal fibers like Alpaca.
You can needle felt with nearly any type of fiber but for creating lifelike needle felted sculptures, I have found just a select few that work well for me. My Felt Alive dolls bend, move and flex without the use of wire armatures. To achieve that, I need wool that offers special qualities to my finished dolls are well-felted, flexible and durable. As much as I love needle felting, I love seeing progress fairly quickly.
Wool that felts fast is a quality that is essential for this impatient girl. Here is the basic lingo that I had to learn once I started needle felting. Scoured Fleece — Once the dirtiest sections of the fleece have been discarded, raw fleece is scoured to remove lanolin oil and dirt but with the lock structure intact.
The more and more you stab, the more fibres matt together slowly turning the wool into solid felt. Felting needles are quite delicate and can break easily if used incorrectly. Make sure you are stabbing in and out at the same angle, not twisting or bending the needle. Either change to a finer needle, or if the piece is very hard you probably want to stop felting it to avoid over felting. If pieces are taking longer to felt you probably need to change your needle.
Felting needles come in different gauges. The gauge number refers to the diameter of the needle.
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