HOW DO YOU ATTACH LONG FUR?
There are TWO important things required to attach long fur to your feltie sculpture..
1) Your core has to be FIRMLY felted to hold the fur in
2) your fur has to be brushed out BEFORE felting on
By firmly felted I mean it should take you about 2 hours to felt the core. Yes, I know it is boring, but it is the most important thing. When you press on the core or squeeze it, it should not move in much and there should be NO finger mark left where you squeezed it. Then It’s firm enough to hold the long fur in without the fur coming out. Nothing worse than a shedding feltie!
***Please see my “TIP OF THE WEEK” POST on felting the core for more info!
You have to brush all the snarls out BEFORE you felt your fur on. Hold one end tight and brush it out with a wire brush. FLIP it over and do the other side. I use a file card which is made for cleaning files, but works perfectly to brush fiber! I get it at the hardware store. About $8!! Of course you could spend 4 times the $$ and buy them made for wool!! You can also use a pet slicker wire brush. The wires need to be fine and it is really best to have TWO brushes. That way, you can blend your own colors to customize your fur.
Lay the brushed fluffy fur across the back. Felt up the middle with a #36 coarse needle . Felt it in until you can’t pull it out easily. DO NOT brush or comb the fur once it is felted in. The fur is felted in, not glued, so it will come out if you brush or comb it. Trim off the extra. Lift up the fur on one side and add another layer of fur. Do this ALL over the feltie. You can use a large sewing needle to “comb” the fur to arrange it. Groom the fur in the appropriate style for the breed that you are making.
My favorite fiber to use for fur is alpaca….hands down. Any fiber can be used that is long enough. You can use wool, alpaca, mohair, silk, bamboo, soysilk, anything that will felt into the core. This is the best core wool that I’ve found!
http://www.gfelted.etsy.com click on NEEDLE FELTING WOOL in the sections on the left
ANY QUESTIONS?
Good Morning,
I have a question please, I see that you have felted in the middle, so the next step, it to lift up one side and felt under that first part of fur? do you again, needle felt in the middle of the next layer, so you will have a piece that is somewhat long, them needle felt in the middle so that this next piece folds down and is secured in the middle like the first piece?
Debra
Thank you
By: Debra on September 29, 2008
at 2:17 pm
Hi Debra. Yes that is correct. Each layer folds down over itself and that hides the seam. You could also just felt in the end if you like that method better. I always start at the top and work my way down. You can cut it first before you felt it in, OR you can leave it long and cut it as you go. You definitely have to be sure to brush the snarls out BEFORE felting it in. When you are done, take a large sewing needle and “comb” the fur so that you can trim it and groom it in the appropriate style for the breed. HAPPY FELTING!
By: gourmetfelted on September 30, 2008
at 12:25 am
Hi Gerry,
I love reading all the tips. I just have a suggestion: would you be able to add some video clips to your blog?
Maybe putting it on youtube and embedded the videop to your blog entry.
Thanks for all the great tips for a beginner like me!
By: Jessie on November 10, 2008
at 7:43 pm
I don’t have any plans for video clips at this point. Perhaps I may in the future. Thanks for your idea!
HAPPY FELTING!
By: gourmetfelted on November 11, 2008
at 11:40 pm
how would you make fur for say a husky? I don’t want it super long, just very dense! I made a very tall husky and want to put fur on him.
sara
By: sara on December 17, 2008
at 8:48 pm
Hi Sara,
Welcome to my blog!
I would use black and white alpaca on a husky. See the post below in the third column “mixing wool colors.” I would mix the colors together in small amounts with more or less black depending on which area that you are felting. Then lay it over an area thickly and tack it in here and there to it’s still fluffy. For the longer areas follow the directions in this post. If you click on my flickr pictures on the right, and go to my photo stream, you can see a wolf that I did using those two methods Please feel free to ask any more questions if you need help!
HAPPY FELTING!
By: gourmetfelted on December 17, 2008
at 10:20 pm
I love your website! I made my first felt animal this week, and I learned more from your website than anything else. I wish I had found it before my first try. But I’m ready to move on to my next project. Thanks! Your animals are adoreable!
By: Chris on January 7, 2010
at 12:58 am
Hi Chris!
Welcome to my blog! Isn’t it fun making a sculpture out of fluffy wool? What did you make? I would love to see it! Keep at it as it gets easier the more that you do it. What are you making next?
~Gerry
By: gourmetfelted on January 7, 2010
at 4:01 am
I made a felted bunny. I saw the time lapse video on You Tube and tried to copy it. You can see it on my website at http://www.crochet-crafts.com. Today I’m trying to do a bear! I might be in over my head, lol. Thanks again. Chris
By: Chris on January 7, 2010
at 5:50 pm
I just wondered, am I right in reading you start applying the wool at the TOP of the dog?
Is there a reason for that?
It seems it would make more sense to begin at the bottom and work your way up?
By: Deborah Carvalho on January 19, 2011
at 9:36 pm
Hi Deborah ,
I start from the top with some breeds and the sides for others. For beginners that want to make long coated dogs, I thought that it might be easier if they started at the top and then fill in the sides. What ever works for you is the thing to do. There are no set rules. I just give ideas to start from here!
Happy Felting!
~Gerry
By: gourmetfelted on January 20, 2011
at 2:39 am
I am trying to do a Yorkie for a friend in exchange for a camera, which I REALLY need. I generally do caricatures rather than realistic sculptures, and wonder if you would constructively criticize this core. I feel the legs are too thick, but I can’t get them any thinner… so I’m going to start again. Any other suggestions as you look at this first rough attempt at a Yorkie core?
[IMG]http://i51.tinypic.com/vzgfuw.jpg[/IMG]
By: Deborah Carvalho on January 24, 2011
at 7:29 pm
Hi Deborah,
There is no needle to make a core for the legs! I use matching core wool for thin legs and that’s that. It is important to have thin legs on a little sculpture. You can fix this though.
Don’t be afraid..it’s just wool!!
Just snip off the excess wool to make it thin, and then wrap your yorkie brown around the legs in a very thin layer. The rest looks good!
Please feel free to ask any questions anytime!
Happy Felting!
By: gourmetfelted on January 24, 2011
at 8:21 pm
Ooooh! So no core wool for the legs…just use the colored wool?
Ok.. I’m going to cut it away right now! lol
Scary, but I’m going to DO IT!
I’ll post the result.
Thank you so much!
By: Deborah Carvalho on January 24, 2011
at 8:37 pm
Never in a million years would I have been brave enough to take the scissors to this dog, without your prompting. I think it’s going to be fine now.. I trimmed the legs down and am adding camel to them… they may still be a little large, but for my first try, I’m happy. thank you for your encouragement. I’m sure you’ll hear from me when I start on the rest!
So, do I do the same for the snout? Just use the colored fiber?
Thanks!
By: Deborah Carvalho on January 24, 2011
at 9:00 pm
Bravo! Once I had to cut off a head that was too small!!LOL! I would put the colored fiber on the muzzle and lay the fur over it to make the yorkie “moustache”felting down the center. Yorkies and maltese have a part in the center of their fur, from the nose to the tail base!!
By: gourmetfelted on January 24, 2011
at 9:41 pm
ok.. I’m done. I’m happy with this little dog, except for a few things.
1) I can’t find the right color for his coat.. it needs to be more red
2) I can’t figure out how to put the coat on so it doesn’t muss up each time you pick it up
3) I need to figure out how to trim the coat so it looks natural especially in front
4) It looks nothing like OZZIE, who I’m supposed to be making a copy of! lol
But it’s cute as heck!
[IMG]http://i54.tinypic.com/29wqxom.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i55.tinypic.com/29o28h5.jpg[/IMG]
By: Deborah Carvalho on January 25, 2011
at 3:22 am
He is cute! Great job! It is hard to find the right yorkie color. I had to have several shades dyed for yorkies.
The fur will always get messed up when touched…that means you did a good job! The same thing happens when you pick up a real yorkie!
When you trim the coat, just do a little at a time. I can take 3o minutes or so to groom a 4 inch sculpture! I don’t know how you can change it as it is different. If the person isn’t fussy, perhaps she will love this one anyway!
~Gerry
By: gourmetfelted on January 25, 2011
at 6:03 am
Hi…firstly i love your site…so helpful, just brill. I make whippets and really struggle with thin tails and legs…I’m sure i heard about standing in hot water…tried it ..fell apart , just need tight thin tails!!! Thanks Julie
By: julie smithson on April 6, 2011
at 4:08 pm
Gerry do you add your eyes and nose before you add the hair and fill in around them, or is that the very last step? I have to tell you your site is better than any book. Thanks again.
By: Linda Gallipo on October 8, 2011
at 1:57 pm
Hi Linda,
Actually I do both! But adding the eyes and nose are one of the last things that I do on a sculpture. Until then I mark the eye position with straight pins with black balls on the ends. (See post on eyes) Be careful not to get glue on the eye as it takes away the shine.
It also depends on the breed. You can put all the fur in around the eye, but it is hard to get the eye in without messing up the fur. So I usually add more after the eye is in to touch it up. With a dog with fur hanging over the eyes, I would add the fur after so it would be easier to work on the eyes. Be careful not to get glue all around the eye or you won’t be able to felt any fur close to the eye as it will be rock hard!lol! Learned that the hard way! Be sure to make a hole for a socket. There aren’t many breed with eyes that pop out!
With noses it is hard to add fur after due to glue, so I try to put the fur on and make a indentation for the nose. Then just glue it in.
Hope that helps! Thanks for your question!
Happy Felting!
~Gerry
By: gourmetfelted on October 8, 2011
at 2:56 pm
Hi, Gerry.
I so enjoy seeing your creations. I love them all. I have to ask… Do you have a favorite of all of the sculptures that you have made so far? I would love to see it.
(My favorite is the Weimeriner on your Flickr site. Such expression in his face!)
Ginger
By: Ginger Hesse on December 31, 2011
at 5:05 pm
Hi Ginger,
Thank you so much for your kind words on my sculptures and Weimaraner.. My favorite was a cute Maltese named Bailey. See new post for pic!
Happy Felting
~Gerry
By: gourmetfelted on December 31, 2011
at 5:58 pm