Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Tuesday Rotate

yep, its here again…sheesh twice in a row makes it almost an institution on this attention deficit driven blog.

Lets start by sharing last weeks winner with you , it is Tas of Little Boozle. (applause)

I get a lot of questions about felt, about where I buy it and what I prefer.  I usually say to people that for something that is going to get a lot of love, you need to get the best felt you can afford. Because making is my jobhobby now, I am lucky to have a “craft account” and when the numbers look good, it is off to Winterwood for me.winterwood4

You know I used to poo poo felt in crafts…I did. I have a childhood hangover from those nasty acrylic felt squares that we used in school.They were always green and brown and orange, and the scissors kind of made it squeak when you cut it.

You won’t find anything like that at Winterwood. It is hard to describe just how lovely (and forgiving )their felt is to sew with. So instead of raving on , I decided to have a look at my stash and share some felt.

Pop on over to Winterwood and have a look around, Sandra has a huge range of stuff (apart from felt) and stocks the awesome fabric that I make little hedgehogs from as well.

Let me know your felt experiences..Do you love it or hate it? Do you like to sew with it? Does the nasty stuff set your teeth on edge? Am I a felt snob?hedgiesps

A commenter at random will get a little kit to make up a Hedgehog of their very own. Everything will be included, a creative card and all the doings.

(Once again, no deals, no cash-for-comment, just sharing it’s Tuesday Rotate after all)

97 comments:

  1. I would actually like to make more from felt. Like you, I have childhood memories of that nasty acrylic stuff. I think that I am a felt snob too. I have a few Winterwood squares, and they are absolutely divine. Must drive out there one day and get some more! Have to decide what I'd make from it though - more likely to be clothing or accessories than toys for me. Although maybe some woollen felt appliqued onto a quilt...

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  2. HI Jodie
    Thanks for sharing your supplier. It's good to know where to source 'proper' felt.
    Debra

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  3. I LOVE felt, but agree on that awful 'squeaky' felt (can it even be called that when touching it makes you shiver? - brrr)
    I don't think there is such a thing as a felt snob - but I think there are definitely those that don't give a hedgehog's bottom about what they use and it shows in their work unfortunately!

    I have a 'thing' at the moment for felted balls, so your choices of photo in your post has given me a big smooshy feeling in my heart! xx

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  4. Oh how cute would that be ... to have my very own hedgehog??? hee hee :)

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  5. yes I think I need to add some felt crafts to my to do list (haha!)

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  6. I think I understand now my dislike of using felt . It really may be a kinder hangover for me . I only use felt for eyes as I can't bring myself to use it and admire so much the people that can work with it . Thanks Dr C for diognosing my phobia . I'm off to Winerwood now .

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  7. Love love love felt. Not the nasty shiny horrid-to-touch-and-look-at acrylic rubbish; it has to be the real feels-good-looks-good stuff. And oh, all those wonderful colours. I can feel a Winterwood indulgence coming on.

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  8. I hear you on the - being haunted by bad felt craft memories. For me it was a night at Brownies that involved cheap felt in bad colours, craft glue and googly eyes. Thanks for the Blog therapy I hadn't realised how much I needed to get that out!

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  9. I love real felt. Cutting acrylic felt is a little like dragging your nails down a chalk board, it makes your hair stand on end. Your hedgies are adorable. Happy Tuesday. :)

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  10. I will remember to recommend Wintersood if ever the occasion arises that I met an Australian in desperate need of some good quality felt. I just bought some felt on ebay..we'll see how it fares. I have plans, great plans for a lovely toy for my little man and maybe a cousin or a nephew or two. I can't wait to show you, I know you're going to love it! We'll see if all that inspiration has worn off! :-) I have a new blog (the old one having been maliciously eaten by the monster under Google's bed!) timolily.canalblog.com .. there isn't a lot on there at the moment but it will be nice and up to date in time for Christmas!

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  11. I can see clearly now ... The nasty felt has been banished!

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  12. I've had Winterwood bookmarked for like 5 years. I just need to bring myself to actually make a toy.

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  13. I'm just busy SUCKING IT UP and dealing with my acrylic yarn snobbery, but I will never, not ever, give up on my inner Felt Snob. I'm never going near the squeaky stuff. I'm pretty sure the fear of squeaky felt is why my kids attend a Steiner school. Radical but not without justification, I feel.

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  14. I'm with you on felt snobbery! Wool felt is so superior to the acrylic stuff they shouldn't even have the same name!

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  15. I love winterwood too. Sandra gives fantastic service every single time. My stash has lots of their hand dyed pieces. So yep I totally get the bias,

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  16. I have a love/hate relationship with felt. I love using it but I hate the cheap stuff and I have tried cheap wool felt in the past and it is worse than acrylic. I have bought expensive wool felt and I love it but it is so expensive that I can't justify spending that amount of money on felt. I have recently found recycled plastic bottle felt from America which is cheaper and really lovely to work with too.

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  17. I have one piece of wool felt. It's lovely. I hate using it because tha means it will disappear. The rest is yuck acrylic felt that I bought when I had no idea about quality felt. Now I know better!

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  18. Oh my! Do you have any idea how long I've looked for a place in Australia that I could buy Bamboletta style fool supplies? Plus I wanted to ask you about the felt you used for those message bits! How I love this post, thank you!

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  19. Doll, and bots! Silly phone wouldn't let me edit...

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  20. Beautiful little hedgehog! This would be the perfect project to learn to love good felt!

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  21. Yay for me. Thank you, Jodie and Vic.

    I have the crappy felt for my kids to cut and glue but I also have a healthy stash of great quality stuff for when I need it. Amazing the difference.

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  22. Seeing all your projects has encouraged a new found love in beautiful felts. A hedgehog would be a lovely project to undertake in this happy medium!

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  23. We tend to go through s lot of felt in my house as my daughter loves to make little creatures with it and I like to keep her well stocked. I agree with you about nasty felt. Just like I only like to knit with real wool, I like real wool felt. Although there are some nice soft acrylics out there these days. I love it when I find nicely coloured felt, and tend to stock up when I do.

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  24. I think I have a felt obsession happening at the moment!! I really need to order some wool felt from Winterwood cause I am not happy with the acrylic stuff. I would love to win your kit. Thank you for the chance. I love all your work.

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  25. Those colours are just gorgeous!

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  26. Hey Jodie,
    I was like you when it came to felt, and I think it was because it was always that awful acrylic muck. When I started crafting last year, I ended up needing to use felt - especially in your designs! That is when I found out there was felt, and then there was Felt.
    I had not heard of your supplier before and would love to have the opportunity to work with it and I wondered how you got your hedgies to look so cute and bristly.
    Cheers

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  27. I have to admit that I am a felt addict! I need to join a therapy group. I do use good and bad felt, in the country when you really want to finish something and it needs a fluoro orange wing I do use the cheap and easy to get felt. Of course expensive felt is nicer but I can't always afford to send off for it, and sometimes I just want to finish something. I love using the good stuff, and would only ever use better quality felt for stuffing and larger pieces.

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  28. I have .... purple felt .... that is all I'm going to say.

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  29. I've never sewn with it but anxious to give it a try.

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  31. Maybe a felt snob, but for a good reason? (I'm right there with you by the way.) The other stuff really is inferior. I love to sew with felt.

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  32. I would like to try some of this felt. fmoore11589@comcast.net

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  33. Thanks for the tip had a wonderful look and managed to waste quite some time - am trying to be good and put in a wish list for christmas BUT have loved you hedgehogs for so long. Thanks

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  34. Finally the secret is revealed! Your hedgies are gorgeous.

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  35. I like making my own felt! It's a lot of work but fun!

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  36. I don't have a problem with the acrylic stuff - great for kids to sew with. We have been making little "cookie cutter critters" for the school craft stall for the last 3 years & they always sell out ( and at $8 a metre it lasts for a fete or two & is very economical) . And the acrylic stuff goes through my little sizzix die cutting machine to cut out flowers and circles to make hair clips & applique bits & bobs to decorate bags etc. with - the wool felt I have tried is too soft & fuzzy and can't be cut with the die cutter.

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  37. Perfect timing - I have been researching good felt to get some for Christmas decorations/gifts I am hoping to make. Thanks for the tip. I love good felt and I love your patterns. They definitely don't turn out the same with cheap felt!

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  38. I agree with the advice of getting the best felt you can afford. Quality makes all the difference!

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  39. I recently worked with some wiool felt and it was oh so much nicer than the acrylic of my childhood.

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  40. Oh my goodness, I'd love to make a little hedgehog! After getting nicer felt, I'm definitely more of a felt snob. But I do have pile of the cheapo stuff for when kids are around.

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  41. I started crafting with felt, and then moved into fabric more, but I still love a nice tutorial or quick craft with some lovely wool blend felt.

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  42. I'm in the middle of attaching felt bears to a blanket. Decided to needle-turn applique them instead of blanket stitching them, because I thought blanket stitching them would make them look like they had scales down their backs... So I was focussed on fussing needle-turning, got to the end so happy with my little bear

    Only to find the blasted felt had shifted (despite being pinned to the blanket), and now looks like he's had a few too many drinks on the town... Suitable for a baby?? Hmmmm....

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  43. I have to admit I've always been a bit anti-felt too, but I have tried the lovely new wool felts that are available now. Thanks for sharing your felt supply shop!

    Arabella

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  44. I am not a felt snob. It's very forgiving and easy for lil' folk (and me) to manipulate and create stuff with.

    I do like the wool blends. I am not that fond of the all-wool felt. I live in the States in Texas in a very warm climate. Wool is scarce around these parts and pricey to boot.

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  45. I've never sewn with nice felt. I have made plenty of costume bits with acrylic felt. I even made some pads to stack in between my pans (back when they were new... LOL). I would love the opportunity to try out nice felt!

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  46. If an inexpensive price is the only criteria, I think cheap acrylic felt works just fine for lots of projects that are basically glued or temporary. But your crafting is of the long-live-the-adorable-toy variety and quality counts! It's like cooking, the better quality your ingredients, the better the end product. You cook great stuff!

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  47. I find the old school felt squares just fall apart too easily and now that I have a little girl to make things for, I want her to enjoy the feel of nice materials. :)

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  48. I've become a felt snob myself. The cheap acrylic stuff is just TOO cheap. It's uneven in thickness and you get crap results sewing with it (which only discourages you if you're using a new pattern).

    That said, I will use the cheapo stuff if I'm working on an original pattern. It's ok for the first few rounds when you're working out dimensions and such.

    I prefer wool blend felt to pure wool (pure wool makes me itch!).

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    1. i should have said that I do have a stash of the icky stuff for when I am designing and know I am going to wreck the first 6 or 8 versions.

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  49. I only use felt as a batting in some of my art pieces - but do love a hedgehog! :)

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  50. I love felt, I usually use it with a mix of other fabrics. Each time I read about the felt squeak I could hear it and it made me shiver!

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  51. By coincidence I spent an hour on the winterwoodtoys site last night when I should have been working. They have such an amazing colour range. I noticed your little hedgehog patterns there.

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  52. there is nothing wrong with greenandbrownandorange! :hard stare:

    but no you aren't a felt snob, the cheap stuff is just awful. I can get 30%wool without too much expense/hassle and it's ok, but really only for small things that won't be stuff firmly or receive much wear. The real McCoy is just on a different plane altogether.

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  53. I've been daydreaming about making stuff from felt, but knew that I wanted to use the 'good' stuff. I'm off to check out the Winterwood link to see if I can turn my daydreaming into reality!

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  54. I loved making things from felt when I was a kid, but I'm so old that I don't think acrylic felt had been invented then. I never saw it until much later, and thought it a very poor imitation of proper felt. It's nice to know you can still get the good stuff!

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  55. I would live to try something with felt and as we're currently living in a caravan, a small project fits the bill! Thanks for the opportunity.
    Cheers
    Anne

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  56. Finding the good stuff is tricky so thanks for the new link! And the hedgehog is just too cute!!

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  57. My love of felt stems from the Fuzzy Felt I had as a child, and soon I'll be introducing it to my girlie. I wonder who'll play with it more? ;)

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  58. Aaah felt...once upon a time I made this gorgeous babushka doll for my little girl. Not knowing there was felt etiquette I bought the acrylic mix stuff.....BIG MISTAKE! it went bally and developed holes after only a few cuddles. I now buy the good stuff which is hard to find. Thank you for the heads up on Winterwood Jodie

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  59. I remember trying to make things with felt that was stiff, inflexible, and nasty to the touch and wondering why felt was supposed to be nice. The wool felt sure is a better quality.

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  60. I LOVE felt! It's so easy to glue and sew and cut and poke. It's the best for making little softies.

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  61. I have always be reluctant to use felt as I remember from a child that itchy cheap stuff. Maybe I need to revisit and try it now.

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  62. I can take or leave felt .. mainly because I too remember the crappy stuff from school. I will have to give Winterwood a go. Maybe I just need to use quality felt instead of the rubbish from spotlight.

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  63. I do love the softness of wool felt, but not the price! Some acrylic felt is OK and doesn't feel as gross. it also depends what you're using it for.

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  64. I adore wool felt and wool felt blends, Especially good for sewing little critters, Great for kids to do simple embroidery on and it always looks good.

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  65. I start my 6th graders out learning to do a running stitch and making felt pincushions
    ....they are madly impressed with the results.

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  66. I have tried felting old woollen jumpers into fabric to make hot water bottle covers. My technique needs work! Natural fibres are terrific to work with.

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  67. Eeuk! That synthetic stuff always used to be so thick too. I like to use felt if the situation calls for it - I love that it doesn't fray! - and the wool and wool blends available now knock spots of my schooldays memories. I popped over to Winterwood (virtually, of course as it's a bit far for me) and I see they have some beautiful hand dyed felt too.

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  68. You are allowed to be a felt snob. As a kindy teacher I still put up with the squeaky acrylic felt because it is cheap and cheerful and easy for little fingers to snip, wind and paste. As a crafter my felt of choice is hand dyed and wool felt and soooo thick and yummy from my local steiner-inspired store. It is hand-dyed by a lady that makes beautiful Steiner/Waldorf dolls (I have taken a few of her classes and aside from being inspiring she is also just lovely to converse with!)

    BTW if you are looking for a great easy felting project with kids pop a smallish amount of wool fibre in a small glass jar. 1/3 to 1/2 fill with warm soapy water and then get them to shake - easy felt balls/beads!

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  69. I have always loved using felt and was completely ignorant to its quality until about a year ago. I came across Winterwood and indulged in some hand dyed rainbow wool felt. wow what a difference. Now I have a pile of crappy felt in my cupboard which I no longer want to use. maybe i should donate it to school on your recomendation :)

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  70. Am new to felt, have a little hand dyed stuff I got from the Brisbane Quilt and Craft fair last week, exploring all things felted now. Would love to make a hedgehog. Love your blog and creativity.

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  71. i love wool felt, it is so delicious.
    I do not care for the synthetic "craft" felt, but as a elementary school teacher, I do find it has it's place, but the squeaky sound cutting it is like nails on a chalkboard.

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  72. To make excellent projects, you MUST use excellent felt:) I love felt projects of all kinds and will use it with my grandson(if I don't have any wool scraps) even though it makes my teeth hurt! I so wish we had a store like that around here, but we have nothing, nada, zilch. Thank goodness for the internet and your blog is hilarious. Eve Oh and I used some of those names people suggested to you a while back to name my new chickens...so funny!

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  73. I agree! Cheap felt makes you wish you had never started the project. The colors in your photo are so beautiful, love them!

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  74. I make little felt owls and I love the good felt as well. basically, if it makes me want to rub it on my face, then it's a good enough felt!

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  75. I actually use felt on a daily basis! :) I make childrens hand puppets our of felt and love it!! I have some puppets that are probably pushing 25 years old and my girls are still playing with them! My grandmother started making them in the 6os and since then, my mom and most of my aunts have made them too! I'm a third generation puppet maker and proud of it! :)

    www.etsy.com/shop/handsonfun

    My girls are now wanting to learn to sew. My 8 year old is making bags from recycled feed bags. I know she would love to win this kit and make some little toys! :)

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  76. I haven't used felt in a sewing way yet, but graduating from terrible quality kids-craft felt to wool felt was a revelation for small crafts. I'd love to get my hands on some hedgehog felt!

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  77. Hi Jodie - I LOVE felt and use it in lots of projects but struggle to get good quality felt. Thanks for letting us know about Winterwood - I'll definately put that on my favorites list. I find felt is great for kids projects - I use it alot for kindergarten and prep/grade 1 level projects I do with the kids. It's easy for them to use, as it doesn't fray and is reasonably stable for them to hold. I use a hole punch to punch sewing holes in it for them and then they hand sew it together with wool to make little softie toys.

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  78. I get my felt....and lots of other stuff too... from Winterwood as well, have done for years, and I wouldn't use anything else. Lovely stuff!

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  79. I hate the cheap stuff...so hard to work with. I love the good stuff but it is pricy! I buy small amounts at various locations including Heavens to Betsy and LQS and shows. The good stuff is so soft...and the colors are sooooo pretty! ;p

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  80. I sew with kids quite a bit, so felt is great since it is so forgiving. There are no edges to fray or too much fussy folding. I also like it because you can create characters for felt boards, which is fun but not something I do too often. I have this lovely idea for a world map made of felt, so you can stick on the various natural landmarks, countries, rivers, states, that sort of thing. Maybe I will make it someday, once my littlest ones are a wee bit older.

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  81. I make felt, I love using merino fleece, silk fibres, angelina sparkle threads, silk, muslin, you can be SO creative when you make your own felt. Othewise if I buy felt, I love Winterwood too, and only use pure wool felt, not that stuff they sell at spotlight. I recently made felt sandwiches, complete with bread slices, cheese, lettuce and tomato, all from wool felt!!!! It feels so lovely, and will last such a long long time....so much nicer than plastic.

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  82. I started making felted dolls early this year. I have been buying felt from US, it's good to have a source closer to home and I have been search for rainbow colours felt for a while. Thanks for the info and giveaway.
    jchiagan at yahoo dot com

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  83. Only the good felt for the important projects. The cheap stuff sets my teeth on edge when you cut it..ugh. But with 7 grands playing and creating at Nonna's, we do use alot!

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  84. Gosh. Those colors are making me drool!! :-)

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  85. I love to work with felt because I don't like having to secure edges....I'm lazy like that. Most things I make are made from felt or prefelt.....that way I never have to worry about edges unravelling - oh and I love to sew it by hand. I've made dolls, baby blankies, christmas decorations, ghosts...I think felt is the best! And I love real wool felt the best.

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  86. I like felt. Especially the big yardage kind.
    Makes for awesome no-sew school projects like giant dragon pennants.
    I like sewing with it too. I've made lots of kid-sized vests and hats and slippers out of the stuff. Gotta love how easy it is to applique.
    And also. . .me, me, me! Pick me!

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  87. I'm right with you on that yucky 'craft' felt.
    Years ago in life before the wonders of the internet and craft blogs I made a beautiful Victorian doll for my tiny daughter. Her name is Louisa and she's been well loved over the years.
    However, knowing no better at the time I made her from flesh coloured (not really, no-one has flesh that colour unless they're from 'The Only Way is Essex') acrylic felt.
    Let's just say it doesn't stand up well to cuddling and sharing bedtimes - she's pilled and her felt is starting to come apart but Minx and I love her so very much we can't bear to part with her, so she sits there still, looking at me with accusing eyes as if to say 'see my face? It's falling apart and all because you used stoopid fake felt!' :o(

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  88. Don't count me in the drawing, as I don't have time to sew or craft anything just now, and my stash is (not to mention postage as I am in the USA). Now, having said that, I will say I do prefer the better felts, but I have never not loved how my projects have come out. Most of my projects have been Christmas ornaments, some simple, some more complex. I have a few from Alicia Paulson waiting patiently to be put together. You know Alicia, right? Of "Posie Gets Cozy"? If you don't, you might want to look in, (hint: new baby pictures!) GRIN!!!!

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  89. I still have the little needlecase I embroidered and sewed together by hand. I was seven, and after seeing the tapestries in the Boston Museum of Fine Art with my aunt, I bought a little book in the gift shop and taught myself. The case is bright pink felt, and I do use it. It gives me a warm feeling every time I see it. So does felt; it's a HAPPY fabric!

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  90. Once you touch the real felt, it's hard to go back to that cr@p you find at JoAnn. It's pricey though!

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  91. These little guys are the cutest, and your felt stash looks delicious!

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  92. I have not tried felt in years - I think I was traumatized by the acrylic stuff from my childhood. Locally we do not have access to the good wool felt, but I when I find some I am not sure that I will be able to resist. Love your blog!

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  93. I have just made a mobile for our baby nursery out of felt, I found it really hard to find good quality felt, so thanks for the tip! Saved these details for next time I want some felt to craft with :)

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  94. Thank you for sharing your supplier, I was despairing of ever finding a stockist in Australia. I have now signed up with them.
    Again, thank you very much.
    Elaine

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Hellloooooo !!!!