KIM COOK, The Associated Press
Posted:
Saturday, December 22, 2012, 5:00 PM
It's that time of year when texture, character and warmth define the most successful decor. The perfect time for felt.
This season has seen a variety of creative, decorative felt items for
table and tree. You'll find it sewn, lasercut, appliqued or otherwise
manipulated to create eye-catching fashion accessories, charming toys
and sculptures, and chic items for the home.
Or you can try your hand at felt-making and crafting yourself. (More on that later.)
In Portland, Ore., designer Alison Comfort offers a woodsy wonderland
of little felt pumpkins, acorns, mushrooms, nests and forest animals —
small sculptures that might add charm to a holiday table — at her
Etsy.com shop,
www.etsy.com/shop/houseofmoss.
"There's something so dear and precious about starting with a natural
material in its raw state, using a simple tool and my own hands, and
transforming it," she says.
There are guides online for making felt candy canes, but if you
aren't crafty and still love the look, consider Land of Nod's
delicious-looking versions; here too, round ornaments in felt stripes or
gathered layers. All would look cute on a kids' tree.
www.landofnod.com
At Crate & Barrel, laser-cut felt placemats with seasonal motifs,
felt ball garlands, and a collection of tree ornaments including
gingerbread men, Swedish style birds and owls add homespun charm. A felt
pillow with appliquéd partridge in a pear tree might make a welcome
hostess gift.
www.crateandbarrel.com
The nature of felt — soft, pliable and able to take on a variety of
colors — makes it terrific for crafting, not only for designers but for
creative amateurs.
"Felt is one of my favorite materials. It's an extremely easy
material to work with because, unlike most fabrics, it's non-woven, so
it won't unravel and doesn't require hemming," says Jodi Levine,
designer-at-large for Martha Stewart Living.
April Tatom of Louisville, Ky., sells felting supplies on her website,
www.feltorama.com.
When she decided to try her hand at appliqued clothing for children and
experimented with various fabrics, "I found that nothing matched the
lush texture of felt. It just beckons to be touched and adds a cozy
dimension to any project. There's no 'right' or 'wrong' side to it. Felt
toys are wonderfully tactile for little fingers and visually
stimulating for kids of all ages."
For her own kids, Tatom recently completed a felt "picnic" set
complete with a lunchmeat-, cheese- and lettuce-filled baguette, and a
cookie for dessert. She also recreated one of her son's favorite book
characters, Lowly Worm, from Richard Scarry's "Busytown."
Food is a popular subject for felt crafters, often as soft children's
toys but sometimes so realistically rendered that it's elevated to
something more artful.
Roving, a washed and carded wool with a texture similar to cotton
candy, is the basis for many sculpted felt creatures and items. The
fiber is pulled into strands that can be formed and poked with fingers
or needles into shapes. Many of the animals on Etsy and in stores are
crafted this way; it's easy to manipulate roving and no sewing is
required. Check out
www.livingfelt.com for supplies and kits.
Alternatively, a method called wet felting uses hot, soapy water and
agitation to enmesh wool or other fibers so tightly that they cannot be
pulled apart.
Additional online sources for wool and wool-blend felt, Levine says, include:
www.purlsoho.com,
www.achildsdream.com and
www.commonwealthfelt.com .
Or you may not have to buy anything at all if a common laundry mishap occurs. "If you've ever shrunk a wool sweater, scarf or hat, you've created felt," Levine laughs.
Check the closet for sweater castoffs, then machine-wash and dry them
on hot settings and get crafting. Projects like pillow covers,
patchwork blankets and pouches are on
www.marthastewart.com.
In the felting community, that method, which uses yarn rather than roving, is called "fulling."
Martha Stewart's site also has instructions for making little felt
mitten clips, mini stockings and mice ornaments, tree skirts and gifts,
as well as some easy kids' projects.
Children also might enjoy making little felt animals with EK Success' penguin or snowman craft kits.
www.eksuccess.com
For first-time felt crafters, Tatom offers these tips:
— Invest in high-quality felt so it will hold up over time.
— Use a rotary cutter for larger cuts and small embroidery scissors
for details. Rotary cutters save time, give precise results, and are
also available in scallop and zigzag designs.
— Experiment with different types of felt. Each has benefits:
recycled eco-felt (created from recycled bottles), 100 percent wool felt
(rich texture), wool-blend felt (affordable, versatile), bamboo felt
(ultra-soft).
— Don't create a machine-washable project without first testing a swatch of the felt in the washer.
KIM COOK
The Associated Press
