     |
Free Pattern, How to make the basic figureNeedle Felting InstructionsTo make a human type creature that is roughly six inches tall, you will need two chenille stems (pipe cleaners we used to call them), these are available in most craft stores and are approx. 12 inches long. I like to use stems that are close to the color of the fibers I am using just in case I don't get total coverage, the chenille isn't as obvious.
Bend the stem in half and loosly wrap around your finger, give it a twist so it looks like the photo above. These are the arms and head of the figure.
Bend another stem in half (white in the photo) and drape it over the first loop you made. Wrap the second stem around and over the first stem on both sides of the loop as in the photo above. These are the shoulders, body and legs of the figure
Now grab the second stem about one inch down from the circle and give it a twist. You now have the basic human form, in chenille. Yes, the arms are way too long, don't cut them we will fix it later. Now you need to decide, if you haven't, what color the "skin" will be. You can use a basic inside color and cover that with a different color later. This is helpful if you have only a small bit of the skin color you wish to use. Take your chosen color and pull it into even, consistent strips: I like to keep them about 6 to 9 inches long as this is very easy to work with and doesn't tangle and catch on everything while I am working.
Starting with the whispy end of one piece of fiber, firmly start wrapping the fiber aroung the "neck" of your figure. Wrap in a crisscross manner around the head also. NOTE: When wrapping do not hold the fiber so that a "twist" is added, allow the fiber to slide through you fingers, this twist is almost impossible to eliminate from your work. As you run out of fiber continue to lightly feather the very ends of the fibers into the piece. To add more fiber lay a wispy end on the piece and lightly needle into the existing fibers, this holds the new fibers in place, be sure to avoid the wire stem inside the figure. Continure to wrap the head until it looks like, well, a head. If it is too big or too small that is ok. It is a fantasy creature, uneven proportions make it cuter and more far out. If it is waaaay too big you can unwrap some fiber or try to needle it down to size. If it is waaaay too small just add some more. The point is, don't try to be perfect, have fun and learn from what you are doing.
Make sure you put the needle all the way through the middle of the Head" so it is attached solidly to the stem figure. As you run out of each length of wool, blend the loose fibers into the underlying fibers.
With a length of fiber, wrap the shoulder of the figure. As you wrap, work the fiber out along the arm stem at an angle. Wrap all the way to the end of the arm wire with a thin layer of fiber. Decide how long you want this arm to be and bend the stem back on itself. Wrap the double stem with the fiber from the finger tips back up to the arm pit area. Be sure to keep an even tension. Be sure to needle any area that won't stay put or has a bulge. Also, you can re-wrap any part as you go, within reason, that is.
To make the second arm even with the first one, wrap to the end of the second wire and bend over so that it is next to the first and bend the "hand" up, wrap over the double area right below the bend. Wrap all the way up the arm and blend the fibers in with the body when you get there. Be sure to taper the thickness of the arm, thinner out by the hand, thicker by the body. Wrap both arms to look similar. Needle in the loose fibers and firm the whole structure by needling.
Wrap the legs in the same manner. Be careful to bend only a very short amount of wire up at the end of the leg as you will probably want a foot at the end of the leg. Needle all for connectivity and shape. You will get the hang of filling out the figure and how the limbs bend to make it look just right.
You can start to fill out the figure now, just be sure the keep the form consistent from side to side. Light layers added to the body area where the limbs join then needled can disguise the join and make a smooth transition point between the body and the limbs. You can do this same thing with clothing also.
If you plan to add color over the base color be sure to leave room for growth as the more fiber, the bigger the figure. Here is the finishd basic figure made of peachy, glesh tone fiber. Don't be afraid to use any color for skin tone. Wool takes dyes so beautifully you can have creatures any color you chose. Have fun with them. Remember you don't have to make humans or anything that exists in reality. This is a woderful starting point, you can now coninue to refine your figure or start adding "clothes".
|
