You know how sometimes you see a particular type of handwork and it just calls to you?  Well, a couple of years ago, I saw some needle-felted miniature figures (a 1:12 scale teddy bear for a dollhouse caught my eye, if I’m remembering correctly).  Anyway, about a year ago, I was getting some fabric cut at WalMart and I saw a needle felting kit in the clearance bin.  So I fished it out, brought it home, stuck it on a shelf, and avoided it for a while.  (You know how I am with trying new things.  Look how long it took me to bind those hooked projects, eh?)

Well, one of the things I’m trying to learn in my little space in the Market is to be brave.  In fact, I have a little ATC self-portrait that says “I’m invincible!” stuck on the wall.  (Not sure I believe it yet, but hey.)  So I’ve been taking this little kit back and forth to the Market every day this past week, and finally on Friday, I opened it up to give it a try.  And I loved it!

I don’t really care to examine the implications of how immensely satisfying I found repeatedly stabbing something small,  soft and squishy.  But wow — is it ever fun!  The project I was doing was only two-dimensional, not three, but it’s just so cool how the fibres bind together.  And it’s fast, too!

There are so many ideas floating around in my head.  I have a little bit of the roving left, so I might try to make something else — just improvise.  The kit had a little plastic foam block that I pretty much stabbed to the point of obliteration, but I have seen supplies in a couple of local shops.

And I am pleased to report that no fingers were maimed in the production of my first needle-felted project.  (Isn’t it awesome? )

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