About the service
I have been felting wool by hand for years and take commissions for slippers, vests, hats and soft toys. Every piece starts as wet felting: I lay the wool out in thin wisps, crossing each layer at right angles, wet it with warm soapy water and rub it patiently until the fibres lock into a dense fabric. Needle felting comes afterwards, as finishing work, when I draw small details with the barbed needle, correct the shape and set a toy's muzzle or a vest's edging in place. For the body of a piece I use merino of about 18-21 microns, soft and non-scratchy; for slipper soles I blend in coarse wool, which holds the shape and wears far better.
Measurements are taken before the layout, never after, and that is not a formality. Felt shrinks by roughly a third, so the allowance is built into the resist pattern from the start; a couple of centimetres of error at the layout stage becomes a garment of the wrong size, and it cannot be let out afterwards, only felted again. Slippers are shaped on a last or directly on your foot, hats on a wooden block of the right size, and a vest is fitted mid-process while the fabric still stretches. If you are ordering from far away, draw round your foot on paper and send me the head, chest and waist measurements; that is enough for me to work confidently.
Decoration we agree separately. Silk felted into the surface gives a soft sheen, boucle yarn adds texture, thin wisps of contrasting wool draw a pattern. Soles are your choice: liquid latex in dots or as a solid coat, or a leather patch stitched on by hand. Felt is washed by hand in warm water and dried on a form, and a short care note goes out with every order.
A few things I say up front:
— a toy for a child under three is made without small parts: eyes and nose are felted or embroidered, nothing is sewn on or removable, no needle is left inside, and the piece is combed through and checked before it ships;
— wool is not suitable for anyone allergic to it, and I say so before any deposit is taken;
— timing: slippers 5-7 days, a hat about a week, a vest 10-14 days, a toy 5-8 days;
— one fitting is included, as are reasonable corrections to size;
— I work on a 50 percent deposit, the balance after photos of the finished piece.
Measurements are taken before the layout, never after, and that is not a formality. Felt shrinks by roughly a third, so the allowance is built into the resist pattern from the start; a couple of centimetres of error at the layout stage becomes a garment of the wrong size, and it cannot be let out afterwards, only felted again. Slippers are shaped on a last or directly on your foot, hats on a wooden block of the right size, and a vest is fitted mid-process while the fabric still stretches. If you are ordering from far away, draw round your foot on paper and send me the head, chest and waist measurements; that is enough for me to work confidently.
Decoration we agree separately. Silk felted into the surface gives a soft sheen, boucle yarn adds texture, thin wisps of contrasting wool draw a pattern. Soles are your choice: liquid latex in dots or as a solid coat, or a leather patch stitched on by hand. Felt is washed by hand in warm water and dried on a form, and a short care note goes out with every order.
A few things I say up front:
— a toy for a child under three is made without small parts: eyes and nose are felted or embroidered, nothing is sewn on or removable, no needle is left inside, and the piece is combed through and checked before it ships;
— wool is not suitable for anyone allergic to it, and I say so before any deposit is taken;
— timing: slippers 5-7 days, a hat about a week, a vest 10-14 days, a toy 5-8 days;
— one fitting is included, as are reasonable corrections to size;
— I work on a 50 percent deposit, the balance after photos of the finished piece.
