Felters!

While working on the Fiep project (I can't help but calling it that), it was my intention to create some animations. Obviously I never made those, or I'd be crowing it from the roof. With the lack of time I had this year I never got further than some storyboards and a few puppets.
I wanted to make stop motion animations, as those have always been my favourite kind.
Throughout the years I had made puppets, so it seemed a good fit. But my usual way of making puppets was by sewing them or moulding them out of tissue paper, wires and rubber cement. None of which had the desired qualities I wanted.

Which led me to needle felting, with that I could get them exactly as I had in mind.
So I bought some heeps of wool and a couple of needles and got to work.
The animations remain unmade, but the puppets were some of the best fun I had working on the project. So for months I've been needle felting when I get the chance.

I've made some characters for the Fiep project, and some for my friends. Last week my agency had its annual exhibition/garage sale and I felted four puppets for that.
I was smart enough to take pictures of them, as three of them are now gone.

Which I guess means, that I should start making more.

Needlefelting

I've always liked making puppets, but have always used rather idiosyncratic materials such as tissuepaper, rubber cement and straw, apart from more normal fare such as fabrics, and while I've usually been fairly succesful. The results were never what you might call very cuddly. But a couple of months ago I discovered needlefelting. For those who don't know, it's a technique whereby you shape a fairly solid mass from wool by repeatedly pricking it with a special needle, creating a shape of felt.
It's a very enjoyable thing to do, I imagine the same way knitting must be. And the results so far have pleased me no end.
Currently I'm working on several puppets which aren't finished yet. But here are a couple of my first critters.