Felt Bowls and Pots (pics and links to downloadable tutorial)

[ElaineJ]

I make felt bowls and pots using the 3D seamless technique, there's a download tutorial for these


here it's an 11Mb zip file of pdf pages (read intro first if you've not made felt before) which I put together for Support Workers working with adults with learning disabilities.

The above pots are approx 10cm diameter and based on a circle template.

With the same technique and a larger circle a dish like the one below can be made and stretched into shape over a fruitbowl/casserole etc.



I can't give a formula as I was lucky enough to get the size right by guesswork. Theres a rough spiral in the base - this was applied last with a "cobweb" of fibres over and when cut open the dish was turned inside out - the outer spirals were applied by needle-felting.

Vessels like these can be made by cutting an irregular curved template.

[Lilylola]

I love those, I've never been that successful with wet felting but every time I see an item it inspires me to try again

[PeggyCrafts]

wow those are really cool! Great work!

I love felt and fabric (as you may guess) but I've never made anything like that before.

Thanks for sharing with us!

[autumn rose]

These look great!

[Jo Lovejoy]

Wow! Those are great. I've never had a go at felting, but I'm doing a craft course at the local college and one of the things we will be making is felt, I can't wait.

Jo x

[ElaineJ]

Thanks people.

One thing I like about felting is that there's no Right Way (other than layering fibres in different directions) so as long as the finished fabric suits your needs it doesn't matter how you arrive at it.

I often enclose a poly bag stuffed pot in a piece of tights, firmly knotted at each end, and bung it in with a load in the tumble drier.

These pots were the first attempt of a local MIND group using the method in the tutorial I mentioned above (the dark green one in the middle is the sample I showed them before we started).

They're still damp and stuffed with bin bags - the blue one shows the size of the piece cut out to make the aperture and the difference in the size once the fibres have shrunk together.

[Fluffy Squirrel]

Those look great!!!

[Alpaca mad]

Wow they are fantastic. The swirl bowl is the prettiest thing I have ever seen made of felt. Having a herd of alpacas I would love to felt & make use of the fleece which cannot be sent to the mill, I have carrier bags full of it in all different colours. I sold a bag of rovings to a lady who felts at an event we attended on Saturday & she was explaining to me how to start felting. Will have to go and read your tutorial now.

Clare

[ElaineJ]

I did buy some alpaca at Wonderwool Wales last year - but I still haven't made up my mind whether to spin or felt it! (there were two alpacas there - I bet the little ones are lovely).

I'd love some of yours if you have different colours - will send PM.

[cpb]

The bowls are fab! nicely photographed too! :-)

[Steffi]

I have always wanted to have a go at felting, they look gorgeous, maybe I will now.

[ElaineJ]

Thanks again people.

There are clear instructions for a flat piece of felt on this site.

There are sites which sell beginners' packs - I'll have to look them up as I don't have them bookmarked.

[ElaineJ]

Found the one I was thinking of - there's a beginners' kit here which includes a good sized bamboo mat for rolling.

[sarahjane35]

WOW i love these, might have to look into this, would elderly people be able to give this a go? Gonna down load the tutorails to find out and thanks for the links too
Sarah

[ElaineJ]

Depends on the "elderly" those who make their own way to a club/centre should be fine; frailer elderly people could have problems unless there are plenty of helpers.

With some elderly people helpers would be definitely needed to layout the fibres.

If they need to sit then make sure the table isn't too high (some dining type tables are definitely too high).

Make sure they have washing up gloves or similar as the water does need to be hot, especially in the later stages.

Small groups with a bowl of water (can be topped up from kettle periodically) and soap in the centre of the tables works fine - because they'll work at different speeds there shouldn't be a rush for the kettle (may need to be operated by helper) when the hot water rinses are needed.

Collect some old towels - handy on tabletop and for rolling felt in to wring out.