Hessian Flower Bunting (makes one square)

 

You will need:

Tools:

     

    Trace the outline of the flower template onto your water soluble paper using the blunt pencil.   Take a wisp of the main colour wool batt and begin felting it onto the water soluble paper inside the first petal shape – use your coarse felting needle. If the wool fibres spill onto the outside of the line fold them inwards and felt down. Lift your work off your mat to stop it from felting on too much.

     
    Work your way around to the second petal. The cover should be thin but not see-through. Remember to lift the work off the mat regularly. You are only felting from one side.

    Felt the main wool onto each of the petals but leave the centre uncovered for now.  As the wool becomes firmer, use the medium felting needle to felt a little more.  

     

    Felt the wool down as smooth as you can and add little more wisps to fill the petals evenly. Optional: if you have a multi needle tool, as listed above, you can use these to help felt the wool down.  Use the 7-needle tool with a brush mat.

     

     

    The 5-needle Clover tool will work with the firm side of the Earth Friendly Felting mat as well as our Eco Wool Mat.    

    Then fill in the centre with the contrasting coloured wool in the same way as you did the petals.  

    Cut the shape out of the water-soluble paper.  You do not need to wash the water soluble paper out this time.

     

    Position onto your hessian fabric (alternatively you can use other fabrics such as cotton, linen, tweed, felt…) and felt down with your coarse or medium felting needle.  Felt the flower down thoroughly. The water-soluble paper should get completely fused into the fabric. Add more wool if needed especially around the edges to secure the flower well.   


     

    When you have a copy of the flower on the reverse of the hessian fabric, you know that the flower is fastened on properly! 

     

    Now make lots more of the hessian squares using different colours for the  flowers and then string up into a bunting. Or... Why not try using different templates such as butterflies, ladybirds etc!