WRAPPING A WIRE FRAME FELTING NEEDLE TECHNIQUE
The basic body of a character is made using the easy felting needle technique of wrapping a wire frame with alpaca fleece. A wire frame gives strength to your 3D dolls. A wire frame, also, gives you the ability to put your needle felted doll into different poses.
The dark brown wire in the photo are two chenille wires wrapped together. The chenille helps grab the alpaca fiber so it will wrap onto the frame tighter. Chenille is not very strong and will give you minimal posing ability. The fairy below was made using a chenille frame.
The green frame pictured above, is made frome one 18 gauge cloth covered floral wire cut in half and twisted together. Much sturdier than the chenille wire if you need a strong frame. The cloth cover makes it less slippery to wrap alpaca fleece. Grab a section of carded fleece and start wrapping where the wire is twisted in the center of the frame. Be sure to NOT twist the fiber. Keep wrapping until you have tightly wrapped the section of fiber around the frame.
Needle this piece of fiber in place.
Pull another section of your fleece and attach it by needling the fiber to the already wrapped fleece.
Wrap this section tightly around the previously wrapped fleece. For this felting needle technique you keep adding fiber until you have the thickness you want and needle the fleece in place.
Start wrapping an arm.
When the arm is the thickness you want, cross over the middle and start wrapping the other arm. Wrap until that arm is similar in thickness to the other arm.
Attach a section of fleece to the body where the leg joins. Wrap that leg to the thickness desired.
Repeat on the other leg keeping the fleece from twisting.
Wrap and needle to secure the fleece.
You will end up with a pose-able body to start building your character with using this wire frame wrapping felting needle technique.
Remember to wrap tightly to cut down on needling time. Breaking needles on a wire frame has not been a problem for us. We advise caution when needling onto the wire frame, though. Now you have the basic body using this felting needle technique and a solid foundation to make a unique 3D art doll. So, go for it and have fun!
Return from felting needle technique to alpaca fiber.
|
