simply needlefelt

20 easy and elegant designs

jayne emerson
contents
Introduction 6
Tools 8
Yarns 12
Basic needlefelt techniques 14
3-D forms 18
Applying fleece 20

fabric appliquÉ 24
Snowflake table runner; skirt edging; notebook

3-D FELT 36
Felt flowers; necklace; bracelet

WEAVES AND BRAIDS 48

Coasters; mat; plait-edged jacket

YARNS ON FABRIC 60
Cushion; book cover

FLEECE TO FABRIC 68
Laptop cover; spotted sweater; net flower top

REVERSE EFFECTS 80
Coffee pot; scarf

PLEATING & TUCKING 88

Flower appliqué bag; ruffled bag

NEEDLEFELTING KNITS 96
Felted knit scarf; picot-edged cardigan

Suppliers 111 Index 110

Acknowledgments 112
snowflake table runner
I have a lot of vintage sewing books

in my studio and while I was writing

this book I discovered I had one dating

from 1965, called Discovering Embroi-

dery by Winsome Douglas . . . what

a fantastic name! In it, she suggests

using paper templates for designs

that you make in the same way that

children create snowflakes and paper

chains. I loved the idea of incorporat-

ing this notion into a needlefelt proj-

ect, as it is a brilliant way to produce

great shapes without drawing skills.

This table runner was inspired by

retro coffee tables that have tiles

inlaid in the top. In the design I have

done I loved the way the bright orange

sings out from the subtle tweed. The

combination of fabric is great as the

felt fibers blend easily with the tweed,

giving the fabric the look of flocked

wallpaper.
You will need
• Length of felted wool tweed to
suit chosen table. Mine was 62in
by 16in (155 by 40cm)
• 6 squares of orange felt
(12in/30cm square)
• Piece of paper (8¼in/21cm
square)
Making the runner
1 Cut out your base fabric to the
appropriate size. If you want to copy
the appliqué pattern, use the same
width that I have. Hem the edges
by zigzag stitching the raw edges
all around and then folding under
a ¾in (1.5cm) hem all the way
around. Machine stitch to secure.
2 Make the snowflake template by
folding a square of paper in half,
then in half again, and finally diago-
nally across. Draw out your pattern
(see my template on page 00) and
then cut it out.
3 Cut out the paper pattern and
pin or lightly spray glue onto the
right side of chosen fabric such
as the felt used here. Cut out as
many as you need for your design.
I used six—three at each end of the
runner.
1 2
4 Place your felt patterns on your
3
tweed fabric (following the layout
shown in the main picture) and
lightly spray with adhesive. You can
use offcuts of felt to highlight the
design. Needlefelt lightly in place
with a hand tool.
5 When you are happy with your de-
sign, finish off the needlefelt (either
4 by hand or machine) until all the
shapes are firmly secured.
tip
When making a paper pattern,
remember that cuts in the folds
will produce a more intricately
detailed pattern. Cutting across
5 the central corner of all the
folds will make a central hole.
When cutting out the pattern
in the chosen fabric, keep any
small offcuts to highlight your
design.
woven-effect scarf
This scarf combines the colorful look of

fleece on fabric with the muted haze of

fibers that appears on the reverse. Cut-

ting the fabric in order to weave into does

not create problem as the needlefelting

process seals the cut edges. The weave

is then needlefelted on one side, but only

on the areas where the fleece shows, to

prevent any of the ground fabric fibers

being pushed into the final design. The

result is a reversible design that looks

like a woven mohair. I like to use a

checked or striped fabric so that the lines

provide a cutting guide, but you can just

as easily use plain fabric and mark the

areas to be cut with chalk. Designs can

be created that challenge the boundaries

of traditional weaving or felt making, so

experiment and be colorful!

You will need
2
• Check wool scarf
• Various contrasting colors
1
of wool fleece—yellow, pink,
orange, green, blue and purple in
this case
Making the scarf
1 Decide how you would like your
design to look and cut the fabric at
intervals accordingly. I made two
small cuts at the intersection of
each check. The easiest way to do
this is to fold the fabric and make
a small cut with a pair of sharp
3
embroidery scissors. tip
Be careful to needlefelt only
2 Weave the first row of one color the areas where the fleece
of fleece through the cuts, leaving is visible. Needlefelting
it quite loose to allow for shrink- over the areas of fleece on
age when needlefelting. The ends the underside will push
of the fleece can overlap the edges these fibers through the
of the scarf, as these can easily be scarf fabric, disrupting the
trimmed away after needlefelting. design.

3 Weave your other colors through

in the same way.
4 5
4 Needlefelt each fleece in place
either by hand (as here) or machine.
Needlefelt the exposed fleece on
one side only, then turn the fabric
over and needlefelt the exposed
fleece on the other.

5 Trim off any surplus fleece at the

edges.
discover the endless
possibilities of felt

Create beautiful felted items using basic techniques and

uncomplicated materials in Simply Needlefelt. Using a range of
fabrics and textiles, make twenty innovative projects including fiber
jewelry, flowers, coasters, cushion covers, scarves, sweaters,
blankets, bags, book covers, and more.

Inside, readers will learn:

• The tools, materials, and basic methods for machine, needle, and
handfelting
• An exciting range of projects through step-by-step photographs
and illustrations plus gorgeous project photography. Swatches
and samples display new techniques and ideas, followed by
projects and alternatives
• Tips and tricks to achieve professional quality design with ease

Beginning needlefelters and fiber artists, art quilters, and mixed-

media artists of all skill levels with an interest in needlefelt will delight
in Simply Needlefelt.

About the author:

Jayne Emerson is the author of The Impatient Embroiderer and
The Impatient Patchworker (both Pottercraft), New from Old (Firefly), as
well as being the coauthor of Interweave’s own successful
Simply Felt. She trained in fashion and textiles at St. Martins in London.
In addition to writing books and teaching, she sells her textile designs
to top fashion houses, such as Marc Jacobs and Calvin Klein.

Paperbound ISBN 978-1-59668-108-8

8½ x 9, 112 pages $24.95
200 photographs, 10 illustrations March 2009