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Finagling with Felt
Felt has always been one of my favorite fabrics. It is a cloth that has been made by matting and pressing fibers together, as opposed to the traditional weaving used in other fabrics. Because the fibers are pressed tightly while wet, felt is very compact and firm, making it the perfect fabric for crafts. Felt is sold in many different ways, such as single sheets at craft stores to yardage at fabric stores. It may be soft and pliable or stiff and compact. It also comes in ribbon, such as those used on sample 2. In addition, many scrapbook-product manufacturers are creating felt shapes and alphabets, as well as pre-made embellishments that use felt. Creating Shapes
It is easy to create your own shapes using felt, either by hand-cutting or by using a die-cutting machine. If you are not sure your machine will cut felt, please refer to your manual or contact the manufacturer. For sample 1, the purple flowers were cut using a Sizzix machine and a flower die. Simple shapes may also be drawn on to felt and cut by hand. If you aren't comfortable drawing and cutting your own shapes, try making a pattern with tissue paper. Pin the pattern to the felt, much like you would a paper-piecing pattern or a sewing project. Stitching
Because felt is a fabric, any type of stitching looks wonderful with it. Pull out your sewing machine and stitch it to your paper, or create patterns on it with your machine. On sample 1, I used some random stitches for a whimsical look. On sample 2, I used two common stitching methods: blanket stitching around the edge and French knots in the centers of the snowflakes. Stamping
Felt holds fabric or pigment ink very well, making it a fun surface upon which to stamp. Choose an ink color that has nice contrast to your felt, and a stamp without too much detail or too many fine lines. Allow the image to dry completely before adding stitching or any other embellishment. Embellishing
Many items may be used to embellish felt. Items such as buttons, rhinestones, charms, beads, and sequins all look nice with felt. Even many rub-ons will work on felt, so long as they are the kind that rub off smoothly and easily. Think outside the box and keep your eyes out for inspiration. For example, I decided to use a large piece of stiff felt as my background paper after I saw a pillow that had been blanket-stitched. Some places to find inspiration are craft blogs, felt craft books, and places like www.etsy.com. Sample 1 - Grandma and Grandpa's Garden - paper: BasicGrey
- stamps: Stampin Up!
- ink: Stampin' Up! and Ranger
- font: GeosansLight
- embroidery floss: DNC
- button
- felt
- thread
Sample 2 - Snow Day - stiff felt
- felt shapes: American Crafts
- ribbon: Michaels and Offray
- letters: Making Memories
- embroidery floss: DMC
- font: SF-Heather
Sample 3 - Cards
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