Learn to Combine Textiles and Felting Techniques
I produced this e-book (it's also available on CD) during 2008 when I didn't have access to a decent sewing machine.
Explore the scrumptious possibilities of felt with me as I create hats, boots, wall hangings, figurines, 3D structures and a sketchbook.
The aim of this book is to experiment with a new process and see how it can be combined and layered with sewn textiles, threads and yarns.
I called this book "Melting and Felting", not because there are a great deal of my melting techniques in this book but because the spirit of my work is still the same. It's still about "melting together" different textures into one piece.
The image opposite is a detail of a felt and textiles sketchbook I produced for this book. I ended up using this image as the front cover for my CD book (see below).
Contents at a Glance
The Book
Melting and Felting
A "How- To" Textiles Book on CDFull of Delicious Felt Eye Candy!
Over 230 Full Colour Images
Over 230 pages of textiles
In Acrobat PDF Format
Melting and Felting includes:
Rachel's really basic and lazy felt technique
Adding felt to textiles
Adding textiles to felt- using up those odds and ends and off-cuts
Adding threads, yarn, string and even moss to felt!
Felting beads
Needle-felting flat pictures and figurines
Hand-stitching into felt with yarn
Felted shapes
Felt pictures
Experimental felted shawls, scarves, hats and boots
Felt vessels, sculptures, structures and cocoons
Making a mess!
Felt sketchbook- using up all those felt experiments
Crammed full of work in progress photos
Felted Beads
These are some of the felted beads I made to decorate my felt projects.
Making felt balls is possibly one of my favourite things about felting.
Included in my e-book, Melting and Felting, is a step-by-step guide to making your own felt balls.
They're so fun to make because once you have your ball base you can add lots of interesting fibres to the surface. I even explore adding bits to the centre of the balls and using natural materials like moss and seed casings.
Excerpts and Thumbnails
Take a sneaky peek at Melting and Felting.
Thumbnails from Melting and Felting.
My Felt Sketchbook
This lens is dedicated to one of the projects featured in Melting and Felting.
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Felt Sketchbook
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I made this sketchbook to "discover" a character in my novel. I wanted to know more about who she was, where she'd been and what she was interested in. I'd just got into felting and was intrigued by the way you could use wool and felting to bind fab...
Learn to Needle Felt...
...with this starter kit!
Felting Needle Starter Kit
Amazon Price: $12.71 (as of 01/01/2010)
Needle felting is loads of fun- a good option for those of you who are irritated by soap. Just watch out for your fingers when you're using that needle!
Felt Cocoon
Soft-Coloured Felt Cocoon.
These felt cocoons were based on a short story I wrote about a child who could manipulate fabrics.
No, they are not weird slippers!
Full work in progress photos are included in Melting and Felting.
This is my favourite cocoon. I love the felt balls I made for this piece- they have all sorts of yummy decoration like locks of Wensleydale fibre and silk threads
Felt Cocoon
Cappucino Maltesers Felt Cocoon!
I used a white scarf as the base fabric for this piece- I love the way the fringing flows around the "face".
Felt Cocoon
Nature Cocoon
This cocoon was made using all sorts of bits and bobs- like felt with moss inside- felt balls with moss, seedpods, melted and knitted tights, handmade yarn etc.
My Other Textiles Books
Including some new books to look out for!
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Recycling for textiles
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It seems that in this culture we're given so many "things"- our houses are full of "stuff". Before we are born we're given gifts and this carries on throughout our lives. We throw things away, we break things, we send them to charity shops. Of cour...
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Textile Wraps
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I love all the Knitted and Crocheted wraps and shawls on Ravelry but my yarn stash is sadly lacking so I decided to cheer myself up by making a textile wrap. Wraps are a great way to show off your beautiful textiles skills and you also get the great...
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Foundling- A Textiles Sketchbook
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Foundling is a Textiles Sketchbook available from Rachel's Melted Fabrics. I wanted to make this lens to explore some of the ideas in this e-sketchbook a little further and to explain some of the research behind my craftwork. The first little seed...
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Melted Fabrics Creative Journal
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I love writing textiles e-books- you may already have come across some of my other books either on my website or here, on Squidoo. Whilst brainstorming the idea of new e-books to write I came upon the idea of keeping a creative journal- something tha...
Melting and Felting is Avalable from Lulu.com
The Melted Fabrics Lulu.com Store.
Felt Shawl
Felt Shawl featured in Melting and Felting.
This shawl (or wrap) is one of the projects documented in Melting and Felting with a series of work in progress photos and instructions.
This shawl is made from layers of corriedale sliver, merino, pink and silver net, patches of offcuts from textiles pieces and novelty yarns.
Find Melting and Felting...
...on Etsy.
You need to select some items to show.
Felt Cave Painting
Blame it on reading "The Clan of the Cave Bear"!
This is a work in progress image of a "Cave painting" piece I produced for Melting and Felting.
The simplicity of cave paintings lend themselves to the loose look of felt images.
You can see this project progress in Melting and Felting.
Felt to Stitch
By Sheila Smith
Felt to Stitch: Creative Felting for Textile Artists
Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 01/01/2010)
This is one of the books on my wishlist.
Love Fibre Arts?
Try these other lenses.
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Four Fleeces
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My Mum's friend, Kathy, has 4 pet sheep. When they're sheared the fleeces just get chucked so I asked if I could have them. I don't know anything about fleece beyond the bits and pieces of wool I've bought for felting and spinning so this lens is ab...
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Sweater of Love
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For Christmas 2008 I hardly had any money to spend on gifts but I wanted to make something special for my partner. I did however, have sheep's wool and a drop spindle I'd bought for my birthday. I decided that not only would I knit my partner a chun...
Index
Quick links.
Questions? Comments? Share Them Here
Reader Feedback.
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Reply
- MeltedRachel MeltedRachel Apr 14, 2009 @ 3:10 pm | in reply to Sarunas
- Thanks :D
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Reply
- Sarunas Sarunas Apr 8, 2009 @ 3:30 am
- Awesome lens.
5 stars from. Well Done and Keep it up. : )
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Reply
- MeltedRachel MeltedRachel Apr 3, 2009 @ 1:02 pm | in reply to alteredkat
- Thank you :)
Yes, I don't know how they do it without stabbing their fingers! I've needlefelted quite a big doll before (with old bits of wadding in the core so I didn't use too much wool) but I've never tried making anything very small.
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Reply
- alteredkat alteredkat Apr 3, 2009 @ 12:50 pm
- I am in awe of those needle felters who create the iphone or little animals...amazing as are those cocoons! 5*
Here's my favorite link:
About Melted Rachel
Textiles Artist.
Lensmaster MeltedRachel has been a member since March 18 2009, has rated 813 lenses, favorited 465, and has created 122 lenses from scratch. This member's top-ranked page is "Silence vs Sound: Which is better for drowning out Noisy Neighbours?". See all my lenses
My Bio
I'm Rachel, a textiles artist from the southwest of England.
I love using recycled materials to create one-of-a-kind:
textiles art pieces,
handbags,
and figurines
which I embroider, layer, melt, and bead.
I also love felting, knitting, and spinning and I'm just getting into freeform crochet.
Check out these great lenses...
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- Rachel's Melted Fabrics
My name's Rachel. I'm a textiles artist from the UK. I make wall hangings, bags, purses and figurines from layered, embroidered and melted textiles. Rachel's Melted Fabrics is a website I started in 2003 for all my crafty exploits. Find out more a... view lens -
- The Garden of the Empress
The Garden of the Empress is a textiles sketchbook based on the third card of the Major Arcana called "The Empress" which features a motherly goddess. This textiles sketchbook is completely made out of fabrics and different recycled materials and ac... view lens -
- Felt Sketchbook
I made this sketchbook to "discover" a character in my novel. I wanted to know more about who she was, where she'd been and what she was interested in. I'd just got into felting and was intrigued by the way you could use wool and felting to bind fab... view lens -
- Foundling- A Textiles Sketchbook
Foundling is a Textiles Sketchbook available from Rachel's Melted Fabrics. I wanted to make this lens to explore some of the ideas in this e-sketchbook a little further and to explain some of the research behind my craftwork. The first little seed... view lens -
- All About Melted Rachel
The simple answer, as to why I call myself Melted Rachel, is that when I started making textiles pieces I loved to melt through layers of fabric to create interesting chaotic texture. A friend suggested I named my website Melted Fabrics and the rest,... view lens
Melted Fabrics Merchandise...
...on CafePress.
Father and Child Mini Poster Print
Poster print featuring the work of textile artist Rachel Cox
Price: 5.99
Foundling Baby 2.25" Button
Button featuring original textiles artwork by Rachel Cox
Price: 3.99
Red Rabbit Greeting Card
Greeting card featuring an original textiles piece by artist Rachel Cox entitled "Red Rabbit".
Price: 3.99
Bluebirds and Baby Whimsical Mug
Whimsical mug featuring the work of textiles artist Rachel Cox
Price: 12.99
Bluebirds and Baby Small Framed Print
A framed print featuring the work of textiles artist Rachel Cox
Price: 34.99
by MeltedRachel
I love using recycled materials to create one-of-a-kind:
textiles art pieces,
handbags,... (more)
