Introducing: Hello Felt Tips & Tricks!





Everybody loves a good bit of free advice, right?! Especially when it has to do with something we feel passionate about, and really enjoy doing. I know I certainly do :o)

So, I am going to offer a hopefully somewhat regular series of Tips and Tricks for you needle felters out there! I posted a great tip a few weeks ago... did you see it? If not, you can take a look here.  It was all about how to NOT regularly break your needle felting needles during your crafting sessions. I got some feedback that people liked what I had to say, so I am going to keep it up.

Todays Tip & Tricks topic is:
What fabrics can I needle felt onto?
What a great question! This is one I am often asked when teaching classes on FLAT needle felting.

What is "Flat" needle felting? Flat needle felting is what you see in the image above. It is when an image is needle felted onto a backing fabric. I also refer to this type of needle felting as "painting with fiber", because that is basically what we are doing. We are using loose wool roving (the paint) and with sharp barbed needles (the "paint brush") we are creating an art image on a backing "substrate", which will be suitable for hanging on the wall, or on clothing, or on home decor items.

What fabrics can I needle felt onto? The basic rule of thumb is this: Any natural fiber fabric will work. So, a 100% wool, 100% silk or 100% cotton fiber backing should take the action of needle felting with little resistance. Please note: silk and some delicate fibers will pull as you needle felt, so it's best to try your project first on a scrap piece of fabric to make sure you are not bothered by the result.

Why is it so hard to needle felt onto a fabric I found at the thrift store? I thought it was 100% natural. Generally, if the fabric you are needle felting onto provides you great resistance, it is most likely a mixed fiber fabric, with synthetics in the mix. The needle felting needles will not felt into synthetics, also that is probably the root of your trouble. Best to give up on this fabric for needle felting - hey, you can paint on it instead! And keep looking for a 100% natural fabric. Read those clothing labels to double check.

More soon on felting your own wool to use as a fabric base. So, stay tuned and check back regularly!

xx
Val

PS. Don't forget that my Hello Felt online classes will be ready very soon in my Etsy shop. Click here to check the current offerings, or click here to be added to a mailing list so you can be among the first to know when the classes are ready to go live (scroll to the bottom of the page). Also, newsletter subscribers will be given specials and discount codes... hint hint!


Hello Felt Launch Update


So, June 1st has come and gone, and I bet you are all ready to sign up for the Hello Felt online e-course. But, guess what? I have a big ol' CHANGE UP in store for you.... It is a good thing, I promise!

Rather than a 4 week intensive course, I have decided to offer the class as individual modules you can take in your own time, at your own pace, and where you can purchase only the lessons you want to learn
Also, there will be an option for a private 1-on-1 session with me, should you feel you need it. I think this is a super cool idea, and I hope you agree!

How has this come about? you may be wondering. You see, I always do a bit of soul searching as each calendar year comes to an end, and try to do some vision planning for the upcoming year. Mixed in with this is a bit of intuitive knowing, where I just open myself up to the pushes and pulls of the universe. I simply ask... and patiently wait for the answer.... Well, last December as I was practicing this, the vision that came to me was that 2015 would be a year of "Quiet Waiting". And the word that came to me was .... Trust.... (big breath in, big breath out...)

When I put out my Hello Felt newsletter a couple of weeks ago, I was very excited, but I was also terrified because I've never done anything like this e-course before. Was I doing it the right way? Would people really sign up? Remember, I am practicing "Trust" and I knew my intuitive guides would lead me where I need to go... 


Wow, I know this might be a case of "TMI" (too much information) or, might be a little too much "woo hoo"-ee for you. I get that, because I am a pretty practical sort of person. But when the intuitive guides speak to me, I do sit up and take notice. It's the kind of thing like when you are listening to your gut, or your heart. Do you do this too?


In the past couple of weeks, a sort of crazy wind whipped through my life, and believe me, it was enough of a physical and spiritual message to make me sit up and take notice. Yes-sirr-ee, it did. Was I listening? Wait... Was I practicing the notion of Quiet Waiting? Humm... apparently I was not. 


Is it fair to step back in life when we are pressing forward on a course of action? Yes, I believe it is absolutely fair, and sometimes extremely necessary. For what is at stake if we do not listen to our intuitive guides? In my humble opinion,  I believe our very soul and peace of mind are at stake. 


So, it has come to me out of a place of Trust and Quiet Waiting to not hold a 4 week intensive online e-course. But, so as not to rob YOU of the experience to learn about needle felting that you may be looking forward to, I am going to make ALL my course material available to you

Classes will be loaded into my Etsy shop between now and mid July. In mid July, there will be an announcement when the classes are ready to "go live", meaning if you buy a class between now and mid-July, you will automatically get an email that tells you the class is all ready for you to access. Or, you may wish to join my Hello Felt newsletter here (scroll to the bottom of the page) so you can be notified as soon as the class links are live and ready to access. Then you can go and shop for only the class(es) you wish to take. I LOVE this idea, and know that this is the way I prefer to take online classes, and I hope you'll agree with me. 

As ever, please leave me a message if you have questions or any comments, and I promise, I will get right back to you.

Happy in Felt...always :o)
xx
Val



#KindnessProject




Watercolor by Val Hebert, www.ValsArtStudio.com

There's a big story behind this sentiment, but I am fairly certain if I told you, you would freak out. Because, basically, I have freaked out pretty much every day for the past two weeks.... plus three years. But, I am hoping that the overall freak out is going to maybe (please) just maybe settle down. 

My big fat dream is coming true... and we are finally moving back into our beloved house. This doesn't come lightly. When we move next Monday, it will mean 3 moves within a 6 week timeframe. These aren't little moves, these are whole house moves. Costing like around $1000/move. Not to be taken lightly, we have been moving not because we want to, but more because we have had to. Yes, I've been praying this prayer for quite some time now... the moving back to our house prayer. It is super crazy the way my prayer has been answered, the way it's finally come about. 

Oh well, it's only money, and it's life... It is life, and I'm just glad to be living it. Especially if I get to live a bit more of it in my be.love.d house :o)

There's lots of courage going on around here. When things get rough and tough, you can fold up and die, or you can stop, look the mountain in the eye, and summon up all your courage, and dang it, press on! I'm getting really good at the having courage thing. If you ever visit me over in the Arena, you'll know that about me by now. 

But this Kindness thing... that adds an interesting twist. Being courageous has been a way of surviving for me. It's looking at my fear eye-to-eye, and acting anyway. It's not pretty, in fact it can be downright ugly. It is often frightening. Most of the time, it is generally a case of survival for me. I don't like it and I don't like the way I do it. So I need a new way.

I have decided I'm going to do courage with kindness. Sitting side by side on two chairs right next to me. Courage + Me + Kindness. We three. Me in the middle. And, I think it is going to go better. Smoother, and with a little less crazy. At least that's my intention.

Moving day is next Monday. I can't wait. 

See you,
xx
Val