Finished this today. Have a couple of other projects going and my sister-in-law wants a fiber painted pod to coordinate with the sweaters she knitted herself this year. 
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I adore all the crosses in variegated thread. I only have a few little floss skeins, and none in green/yellow. So clearly that’s on my wish list.
How do you get the felted base? I believe you said before it’s wet felted? I’ve used the googlie, and not getting much back. So I figured I’m using the wrong words?
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It’s a wet felted cord that I made from fiber.
There are different ways to make cord. The methods I know of are:
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I’ve seen it made from just wet felting a long piece of top. That was, years ago, the first way I made a cord and I still think it results in a cord more likely to show kinks when curved than other methods.
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Another method is to pull off lengths of top and lay them in a diagonal, overlapping manner. Wetting the fibers with a slightly soapy solution and using the reed mat to felt the fibers together.
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Using prefelt cut into strips and using the reed mat to felt it into cord.
For this and the similar foundation for another necklace, I used method 2 laying out multiple layers of fiber to produce a thicker cord. I create a section, roll it into cord shape but not completely fulled. Move it most of it off the reed mat and create another section overlapping the end of the previous section.
A necklace of this length requires 3 sections. Last bit of fiber is added to bind the ends together and then the cord is more rigorously fulled.
I then dry the piece and examine for uniformity. when areas are thinner than others, I needle felt corrections and then wet felt the cord again.
My consistency is improving, but still not where I would like it to be!
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Thank you so much for all of these details as well as using good words where I can search for more! I’ve never seen a reed mat used (only shipping poppers), so this must be a more appropriate tool.
How long have you been felting?
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Another simple beauty! I love the color and the name is very fitting for the times.
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I use bubblewrap for some types of felting, but not for making cord.
I’ve been felting for 15 years or so. It started out as something to do while I was waiting for my oil paintings to set up sufficiently for me to do additional layers.
That’s so interesting how you arrived at felting. Do you still paint? Or is this your current love?
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My studio burnt to the ground in December 2017. I have no proper space in which to paint. I painted in oil on a rather large scale:
I miss it, but I doubt that I will ever have the opportunity again.
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Oh Harlan. I’m so sorry. I knew about the fire, but didn’t know it meant you’re entire creative life spun in a different direction. You are inspiring.
Also, the hydrangea is lovely. It’s incredibly realistic.
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Thank you. It’s a lilac, one the grows in my back yard! The painting was 3’ x 4’ which was my favorite size canvas.
I got into doing fiber more seriously when my husband got very ill. I stumbled into the opportunity of teaching fiber online with CraftArtEDU (sadly no longer in existence). I did a couple of oil painting classes for them as well. Ended up training new teachers and editing classes as well as creating my own.
We can never know what life is going to throw at us. Being able to adapt and continue is necessary.
My mis-identification is zero reflection if you, but instead of me noticing my peegees that are just starting to bloom. (So they’ve been on my mind). I feel so foolish! The little cupped blooms? Dead giveaway. Ugh. Sorry.
3x4 is TINY!!! your brushes must have been little more than a mouse bundle!
Yes, you mentioned CraftArtEDU. I feel like the whole picture is coming together. Well, I feel super lucky you are willing to share all you work on here. I have recently started needle felting, but anything I try to make 3D falls flat. But I’m still poking away!!
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No problem!
3 feet by 4 feet, not inches!
Share a photo of two of your needle felting!!
Geeze. Would you believe my day job is dealing with small, minute details? Plant misidentification, inches vs feet. Ugh.
I don’t want to hijack your thread any more. I will PM you the only finished piece I am satisfied with (right after I finish work).