I am posting this in answer to a question about the FUZZIES! You know, all those stray wool fibers that stick out all over the place that make your felted sculpture look like it’s in soft focus!! You take a photo of your feltie, and it looks like wires are sticking out. LOL! What to do???
Get the SCISSORS and trim, trim, trim!! Yes you do have to trim off all those stray hairs!! DO NOT pull them instead, or a chunk of felted fur may come with the strays. If you give someone a feltie, please give them grooming instructions to keep their feltie looking great! After spending so many hours felting the final touch is GROOMING! I sometimes take 30 minutes to groom a feltie. NEVER use a comb or brush on felted fiber….remember, it is felted in, not Glued!
DO NOT USE A FELTING NEEDLE. This is one on the main ways that felting needles get broken. Please see my 2 posts on “Why do I break needles?” I use a large sewing needle to gently “comb” the fur and trim, shape, thin, groom until I’m happy with it. The final grooming gives the finishing touch on your felted sculpture . This is what I send out with every feltie that I make.
~GROOMING INSTRUCTIONS~
Trim off stray hair. DO NOT pull out.
DO NOT brush or comb the fur.
Use a large sewing needle to GENTLY “comb” the fur to arrange.
Fur is felted in, not glued.
Happy Felting!
~Gerry
Here was the question. Thank you for your great question Monica! Welcome to my blog!
The reason why you got the urge to trim with scissors was because you need to trim with scissors!!LOL! Did someone tell you that you couldn’t? I hope that I answered your question 🙂 Thank you for your kind words on my felted creations!
Your creations are so cute! I’ve been looking through your blog and love them all 
I just started needle felting a few weeks ago and really enjoy it. I think my biggest question right now is that a lot of my things seem to be very frizzy and extra fuzzy when I get done with them, so much so that I get the urge to trim the fuzz with scissors. Could it just be that the roving I’ve been using is pretty cheap (it’s just my starter roving from a craft store) or could it be that I don’t have carding brushes yet, or a combination of both? Or is it something else entirely? I am seeing how addicting it is, I already have a small army of critters and needle felted objects lining my shelf! I can’t wait to see more beautiful critters from you
TEE-HEE-HEE!!! This post makes me so happy!! Thanx for sharing your thoughts on “fuzzies”. I hate “fuzzies”!!! I always trim my sculptures with scissors, usually have to do it 2 or 3 times cause I always find fly-aways!!
I also wanted to add a tip…. I like to go over the surface of my felt with a nice fine 40g needle. this tightens up the surface fibers & helps get a nice solid felted skin. Then it’s time to trim, trim, trim!!!
By: FeltedChicken on April 21, 2010
at 12:35 am
Yes that is good to use a fine needle on smooth surfaces. I am also referring to grooming long fur in this post. BOTH need extensive grooming and trimming!
It is also true that some wiry or crimpy fiber may make more strays that others. If you do have stray fibers, feel free to trim. Love your felted food!
By: gourmetfelted on April 21, 2010
at 1:58 am
Hi Gerry,
Thanks for sharing this, I too wondered about just trimming off the fuzzies. Do you do anything with the long haired dogs to kind of keep the hair in place? Hairspray comes to mind but really seems that it could get yucky and maybe even yellowed over time. I’ve just about finished my Yorkie but every time I even pick it up to move it the hair needs groomed again. (Much like a real live Yorkie!)
Thanks for being so generous in sharing your expertise with everyone!
Chris
By: Chris Shaw on April 22, 2010
at 3:50 pm
I NEVER put anything on my long coats! Include grooming instructions with the sculpture and it can easily be fixed. I like my fur to be soft and fluffy. I would be worried about chemical sensitivities and yellowing if using hairspray. As I don’t use hairspray, I’m not familiar to what happens to it when it ages on fur? I spent so many hours on my sculptures, I wouldn’t want to risk ruining it!
Happy Felting!
~Gerry
By: gourmetfelted on April 22, 2010
at 4:59 pm
Thanks so much for answering my question! I just had never heard about trimming finished pieces before but I’m glad that my instinct to want to trim was right. 🙂 And now I can’t wait to try something with a long coat!
By: Monica on April 25, 2010
at 3:40 am
Once again! Great tip Gerry! It really is weird how instinctual this craft really is. Your blog is coming along nicely too.
Hey, if you get time, I could use some tips on using angora rabbit. That stuff gets everywhere! Lol
By: FibreHeart on May 2, 2010
at 6:43 am
for grooming the hair I use my broken needles(which there are a lot of I’m afraid) They hold up nice to grooming out small bunches and fuzzies.
By: FibreHeart on May 2, 2010
at 6:46 am
Yes I do the same thing! Best to use the broken needles rather than use a good one that may end up broken from the sideways pressure of grooming right?
By: gourmetfelted on May 2, 2010
at 1:09 pm
Hi Gerry
I’d say the times I like your work very well.
I know also felt since 5 Monatenund what kind of work.
I would have got a question, there is a forum where you can improve.
Maybe you have one?
Best wishes Marion
By: Marion on May 8, 2010
at 5:42 pm
Do you mean Needle Felting Forum?
By: gourmetfelted on May 25, 2010
at 12:29 am
Angora bunny fur…impossible to felt without it going everywhere and eating some!!LOL!.
By: gourmetfelted on June 8, 2010
at 12:50 am