Over the past year I have had great fun reviewing some of my stash of needle felting equipment and supplies - so you dont have to
So what did I find the winners in 2017? What would I recommend needle felters (and other crafters) should consider in their craft box (or room :) )
The needle felting holder.
I reviewed it here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRsAl...
This amazing tool hold your needle felting needle and I have found over the months it actually reduces felting pain in my wrist - I was really amazed as I didnt think I would like using one at all but I use it all the time and I am going to buy a few more. Mine is from world of wool but you can get them affordably all over
Long term review of holder https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUrgs...
The Cutting Wheel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwyQw...
For quickly cutting fabric this guy is amazing - along with a cutting mat and a ruler you can cut perfect lines - or go freehand for easy curves. I use this for cutting felt for bookmarks or clothing and wings for felties - but I can see it would also be amazing for dressmaking or anything that needs lots of fabric cut
The Sulkie Iron Transfer pen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-J7V...
This one really is a game changer if you want to do 2d felted paintings
Take any image you want (If you want to sell the paintings make sure the image isnt copyright - for example the Sally was a gift for a friend, I couldnt make it commercially as I dont have the rights to use the image) Then using tracing paper (or baking paper :) ) you trace the image and then with a hot iron you iron it onto the fabric you want to felt on and you have a a perfect image to felt with
Here is the image transferred onto felt - and then felted
Amazon Glass eyes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_pd6...
These are such a surprise - 100 pairs of eyes in a handy wee box posted out usually the next day, I seriously cannot knock these. Occasionally the metal pin at the back isnt attached and I dont really use the smallest size in the box but to be honest at this price that is not problem at all, they stick on firmly with the paverpol and really bring life to my little felted dogs
And the glass eyes online eyes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuKGi...
World of Wool Pre felt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTUDu...
These come in an amazing range of colours that match with their carded batt colours so fantastic for needle felting projects where you need something thin like wings or clothes - being pre-felt they are softer than finished felt so you can still felt them into shapes
Paverpol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_YvH...
This fabric stiffener is something I saw as an art supply many years ago and I had tried to use to make some of the lovely flowing sculptures I had seen
And I just got in a total mess
Then I tried it with my felted pieces
It is AMAZING for attaching the above eyes into wee dogs, a wee drop of glue onto the end of the stem of the eye and then pushed into a ready made hole in the head this sets rock solid into the head without and external signs
And I loved this when felting my dragon talons. Felt the talon then dip it in the paverpol, scrape off excess and leave it for an hour - then it is set enough you can touch it without getting in a mess, you can sculpt it to the precise shape you want and then leave to set fully - then I was able to paint and glaze
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v64QM...
It is hard to tell what colour something is from a computer screen and I have spent SO much buying colours to find out they are just not quite right, most companies sell colour cards that have tiny samples of each colour of fibre so you get and idea of what you are getting before you get it. This saves me so so much time and money, I would say, whatever company you are thinking of using get a hold of their colour cards right away, invaluable.
The works kit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_edcY...
My Honourable mention
The works shop is a discount book and craft type shop in the UK, they tend to sell disappointing kits so I did not hold out much hope when I purchased this kit
and I was so surprised
Firstly the foam packing IS a felting cushion :) it is not something I have seen before but I was since informed that was what this was for and it does do the job pretty well (although I dont like the noise)
There is a good selection of actual nice quality fibres - I had assumed they would be merino but they are actually a nice fibre
There is enough for the two projects they give you (an apple and pair) and the felting needles are actually good and work well with the fibres they give you
The book is good with lots of information and inspiration for other projects
If you can find it and want to get started felting then you could do worse than this kit (I cannot find it for sale at this time - hence why it is just a mention)
Where I can on this post there are links to where you can buy these items at good prices, some of these are affiliate links which do not cost you extra but just help me out a little bit
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