This website and its content are copyright of Karen Felt Fantastic © Karen Felt Fantastic 2021. All rights reserved. Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited other than the following: · You may print or download to a local hard disk extracts for yourpersonal and non-commercial use only. · You may copy the content to individual third parties or theirpersonal use, but only if you acknowledge the website as the source ofthe material. · You may not, except with our express written permission, distributeor commercially exploit the content. Nor may you transmit it or store itin any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system.

This is the kind of wool I would generally use. It is Merino wool and I use a wide selection of colours and I also hand blend the wool to get as near a perfect match as I can.

There are many varieties of needle depending on what you use them for. Here is a close up of a needle felt needle showing the barbs that catch the wool.

Process of Needle Felting a Portrait Felt is the oldest textile fabric dating as far back as 6300 BC. Felt is the oldest textile fabric dating as far back as 6300 BC. It is created from wool or other animal fibres that are densely matted together. Felting pre-dates spinning, weaving or knitting and for centuries, this non-woven fabric has been used for yurts, blankets, rugs, hats, boots and clothing. To emulate what people created with wet felting, industry created the felting needle. Thousands of these needles were used together to "needle punch" wool into a fabric and allow the creation of felt without soap or water. The felting needles have small, downward barbs that entangle the wool fibres together. Needle felting" is a term for using one or more felting needles by hand to create flat felt or felt sculpture. The first use of felting needles in this manner that we know of was in the early 1980's by artisans David & Eleanor Stanwood who took a tool from the woollen mill industry to use on a small scale and began needle felting by hand. I have been felting for a few years. I am mostly self-taught, but I have been on some courses with some exceptionally talented artists where I have learnt and developed my own style. I make 3D models but now I am mostly concentrating on portraits. I have been lucky enough to win several competitions with my portraits and my 3D works. My process starts with conversation with the client about what they would like. We decide between us a suitable photo that would work well with the medium of wool. And then we decide on a background material and framing options. Once we have decided this. I will take the photo and transfer it to the chosen material. I then choose all the wools that I need, and I hand blend the wool for any extra colours that I need. Then comes the painstaking process of attaching the wool to the material. This consists of many different techniques and takes many hours to complete. I will email you a high-quality watermarked photo of your portrait when it is nearing completion for your approval and for any changes you might require. I will then email you when the portrait is finished but not yet off the mat for any final changes. If you are happy, I will then remove from the mat and mount the portrait. At this point no more changes can be made. I will then post your portrait to you for you to enjoy forever.

This website and its content are copyright of Karen Felt Fantastic © Karen Felt Fantastic 2021. All rights reserved. Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited other than the following: You may print or download to a local hard disk extracts for your personal and non-commercial use only. You may copy the content to individual third parties or their personal use, but only if you acknowledge the website as the source of the material. You may not, except with our express written permission, distribute or commercially exploit the content. Nor may you transmit it or store it in any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system.

Process of Needle

Felting a Portrait

Felt is the oldest textile fabric dating as

far back as 6300 BC.

Felt is the oldest textile fabric dating as far back as 6300 BC. It is created from wool or other animal fibres that are densely matted together. Felting pre-dates spinning, weaving or knitting and for centuries, this non-woven fabric has been used for yurts, blankets, rugs, hats, boots and clothing. To emulate what people created with wet felting, industry created the felting needle. Thousands of these needles were used together to "needle punch" wool into a fabric and allow the creation of felt without soap or water. The felting needles have small, downward barbs that entangle the wool fibres together. Needle felting" is a term for using one or more felting needles by hand to create flat felt or felt sculpture. The first use of felting needles in this manner that we know of was in the early 1980's by artisans David & Eleanor Stanwood who took a tool from the woollen mill industry to use on a small scale and began needle felting by hand. I have been felting for a few years. I am mostly self-taught, but I have been on some courses with some exceptionally talented artists where I have learnt and developed my own style. I make 3D models but now I am mostly concentrating on portraits. I have been lucky enough to win several competitions with my portraits and my 3D works. My process starts with conversation with the client about what they would like. We decide between us a suitable photo that would work well with the medium of wool. And then we decide on a background material and framing options. Once we have decided this. I will take the photo and transfer it to the chosen material. I then choose all the wools that I need, and I hand blend the wool for any extra colours that I need. Then comes the painstaking process of attaching the wool to the material. This consists of many different techniques and takes many hours to complete. I will email you a high-quality watermarked photo of your portrait when it is nearing completion for your approval and for any changes you might require. I will then email you when the portrait is finished but not yet off the mat for any final changes. If you are happy, I will then remove from the mat and mount the portrait. At this point no more changes can be made. I will then post your portrait to you for you to enjoy forever.