The Dodo Blog

Like everybody else, when I first started wet felting, I didn’t have a style or a voice. I wasn’t even thinking about having one. I was just trying to figure out how I could make the pieces I saw others do and, above all, understand how wool behaves.

If that’s where you are right now, know that everyone goes through that phase. And, if you’re a bit further, starting to feel the desire to have your own style, to create work that other people recognize as being yours, know that it’s a phase as well. So, no matter which phase you’re in, it’s all ok.

We don’t start with a style. We develop one. And developing your own felting voice is a journey. Like any creative path, it evolves through different phases. Some of them are exciting and others are confusing. But all of them are necessary.

Phase #1: Imitation AKA learning by following

Aside from artists who were already working with other media and then decide to bring a new medium, wet felt, into their already existing style, this is ...

Is there anything more discussed in wet felting than how to get the shrinkage you want? I don’t think so. And it’s kind of obvious, isn’t it? I mean, if wool felts by shrinking, we need to know how much it’ll shrink. Right?

The problem is so many factors influence shrinkage. So, it can all feel overwhelming, especially if you don’t have much experience in wet felting yet.

But you won’t feel overwhelmed if you stick to a couple of principles (that are the same every time) and you do something you may be resisting: you make a sample 😉

You may think there’s no need to make one, because you’re trusting some myths that are common on the internet. Let’s have a look at a few of them.

Myth #1: If you use the same wool (breed), your shrinkage rate will always be the same.
Does an 18-micron Merino wool top shrink the same as a 21-micron Merino wool top? Does an 18-micron Merino wool top shrink the same as an 18-micron Merino wool batt, do you think? The answer to both questions is NO.

The s...

In the last couple of weeks, I’ve been making big pre-felt sheets for a piece I’m working on. And every single one of them has given me problems felting.

This can happen for several reasons. It either has something to do with the amount of soap or water, or with the temperature. When this happens, something chemical is off. So, the process stops.

But, in the end, it’s not so important to know the exact reason for this to occur. The important thing is to know how to solve it, so that you can go on with the felting.

Along the years, I’ve learnt that the solution is to change something. Depending on what I’m making, and on which stage the piece is in, I can opt for a couple of different strategies.

I’m sure you can resonate with what I’m talking about. See if you can recognize this scenario (or a similar one).

I laid out my wool, added water and soap, and gave it a quick rub. And I started rolling straight away. After rolling for a long time (like over half an hour), nothing seemed...

When we start wet felting, there is so much to learn about the many techniques that fit under this wider umbrella, that this alone can be enough for felt makers to focus on, without ever taking a deep dive into the attributes of the fibers from different sheep breeds.

So, often it’s people who have sheep or who live in rural areas, who – early in the process – start looking at how to use the wool of local breeds in their felting, as a way to take advantage of what’s available in their closest environment.

For those of us who live in cities, it’s impractical (or even unthinkable) to buy raw wool, clean it in the bathtub, and do all the processing in an apartment. So, we resort to buying processed wool from suppliers, and so are restricted to the available breeds.

Like me, you may very well be in this second group of felt makers. And, if you are – like me – you probably haven’t spent much time looking at the incredible number of different wool types that are available throughout the w...

If you were among the people who read last week’s post about the book “Schafwolle verarbeiten” and thought: “Ya, looks great, Vanda. But what will I do with a book in German?”, I’ve got you covered.

I’ve just received another book on wool I had ordered recently. This time in English. And I can assure you – if you’re keen on learning more about animal fibers – it’s a great investment as well.

“The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook” is authored by Deborah Robson & Carol Ekarius, and it first came out in 2011.

It’s not a felting book per se. Rather, it completely focuses on fiber and actually covers 200+ animals.

Here’s its description for more detail:

“This one-of-a-kind photographic encyclopedia features more than 200 animals and the fibers they produce. It covers almost every sheep breed in the world from the longwool breeds of the United Kingdom to the Tasmanian merino, the Navajo churro, the northern European Faroese, and dozens and dozens more. It also includes goats, camelids (such ...

This week I’m answering the question: “How do I make thin felt from 2 layers of wool without getting holes in my felt?”

The way I see it, there may be a couple of different reasons you’re getting holes in your fine felt:

• Your layout is uneven,
• You’re doing your layout on bubble wrap,
• Or you’re using felting/fulling methods that are too aggressive.

When you’re getting an uneven layout, have a look at:

• The quality of your wool,
• The way you’re drafting your fiber,
• And if you happen to have gaps in your layout.

If all of these 3 factors are ok, your problem may be that you’ve done your layout on bubble wrap. Especially if the bubble wrap has very big and tough bubbles, it can create holes or, at least, marks on a thin felt. So, I recommend laying out the wool on a plastic film or piece of fabric.

And, finally, make sure you’re using gentle felting and fulling methods, like the ones I suggest in the video.

If holes in your fine felt have been an issue for you in the past,...

Years ago, I wrote a couple of blog posts about prefelts, but there are many details I didn’t mention back then. Since I still get a lot of questions about the topic, I thought it would make sense to write a new, more complete and up to date series.

This first part caters to new felt makers, who I know are often a bit confused about prefelts.

If you’re more experienced, this won't be new to you. But, as I explore the topic further, there'll be more details that may be useful for you too. So, I recommend keeping an eye on the rest of the series, if this is a topic that interests you.

We’ll start by looking at what prefelts are, and then talk about how and when to use them. So, let's dive in!

WHAT ARE PREFELTS?

As the name suggests, a prefelt is a partially felted piece of wool felt. In other words, it’s simply a stage in the wet felting process before the fibers fully compact.

That, of course, means a prefelt can be further felted. And that is precisely why prefelts are so inte...

Do you ever have moments of taking a glimpse at your felting table and thinking “OMG, look at all this plastic”? It’s happened to me often, so I’ve been trying to substitute it for other materials whenever I can. And I’ve also been thinking about writing a couple of tips for the felt makers who are interested in reducing plastic, but don’t know what to use instead.

I find fighting plastic usage extremely difficult. Plastic is everywhere, and it’s so ingrained in our daily habits too. But I feel like if I’m conscious about it, there’s at least a way to avoid some of it.

Anyway, after ordering a couple of issues of the German felting magazine FilzFun, I was very excited when I saw an article about this exact topic in one of them, intitled “Filzen ohne Plastik” (Felting without Plastic). It was written by felt maker Corinna Nitschmann and I find it has a lot of great ideas, some of which I had never thought about. So, I’ve spoken to Corinna, who gave me her permission to use her article...

In 20 years of felt making I haven’t (yet!) had any issues with moths. It may just have been luck or because of the way I store my wool. It’s definitely not because I don’t have tons of wool in my studio 😊

Since I frequently get questions about how I store my wool, as well as how to prevent moth attacks, I’ve compiled what I know and what I could find from different sources to offer you information that hopefully can protect your stash from these pesky little fiber predators.

A SHORT WORD ON THE LITTLE CREATURES

There are many types of moths, and most of them are harmless for wool. So, as most felt makers know, we’re talking about the so called “clothes moths” here.

Moths go through four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. But it’s only in the larvae stage that they feed on fiber.

Keratin is what they’re after. This is a protein found in animal-based materials like wool, fur, hair, feathers, mohair, and even silk. If these materials are stained with food, perspiration, or...

"Filzen: Alte Tradition, Modernes Handwerk" (German version)

"Felt: New Directions for an Ancient Craft" (English version)

by Gunilla Paetau Sjöberg

This might be the best book about wet felting I have. And I do have many 😊

It’s over 20 years old, it doesn’t have amazing photos and it has a lot of text. So, it might not be the first book to grab your attention when you look at my bookshelf.

I have it in German, but there’s also an English version.

So then, what makes it so special?

I think it’s the most complete wet felting book I’ve ever seen. I could call it a felting encyclopedia.

Let’s have a look inside, so that you can see what I mean.

It starts with an incredibly complete History of felt and it covers different felting traditions found in Europe and Asia: from hat making in Hungary and shepherd coats in Turkey, to the felt masks worn by the Vikings, and socks and shoes made in Sweden, Norway, and Finland.

It then dives into felting techniques from other cultures: ...