How do I make a felted (wool-roving) childs blanket?

[kiwimutti]

We had one (a small, medium weight one) as a baby wrap for dd, it was the most beautiful pinks/deep reds and the softest blanket ever!

...has anyone made one...and a bigger one for a childs bed?...or does someone know a link to somewhere that would tell me how to make one?

thanks, kiwi

[earthcore]

Not sure if this is what you had in mind, but I made a felted wool blanket for DD and it's soooo warm and cozy. I got 100% wool sweaters at the thrift shop and felted them in the washer. Then I cut them into 6 inch squares. Then I set my sewing machine to the zigzag stitch - very wide, short stitches. I had to experiment a little with my machine. Then you butt the edges of two squares together and stitch so the zigzag stitch catches both pieces. The felted wool stretches and the seam is kinda wavy. Continue sewing blocks together until you have a blanket. I zigzagged around the outside edges of the blanket to finish them off. It was a very easy and fun project.

I also saw a project in a fairly recent issue of American Patchwork and Quilting magazine in the same style only it used new wool from a fabric shop to felt and the pieces were cut to make quilt blocks, rather than just squares.

Hope that helps!

[Rhiannon Feimorgan]

Felting with raw (unspun) wool is fun to. A blanket is a big project to start with though. You might want to practice with pot holders or something smaller like that. Basicaly you lay the wool out in a big square in layers varying the direction the fibers run in. You can lay coloured fibers into the top layer to make a pattern or use coloured wool through out. Then it's soap, hot water and elbow greese Start in the middle and work your way out. I like to pour on a small bit of boilling hot water and use a bar of soap to rub down the fibers in a circular pattern. Once the whole project has been "squished" together I roll it up in an old bamboo blind like a giant sushi roll :LOL I roll the blind back and forth, unrolling to turn around the project from time to time so the fibers get worked evenly from all directions. How long it takes to felt will depend on what kind of wool you have. I like merino (sp) for baby things as it is soooooo soft.

I know some people who baste their projects into a screen bag (the kind of plastic screening you use for windows, you can by it off a roll at building centers. This keeps it together while you are working on it. I find that it can be hard to get the screen off without pulling up fibers. Some people will toss the screen bag into the washer to felt it but I find it comes out a lot more even and smooth if you do it by hand. Plus it's a great upper body work out!

Once you get the hang of it, you can felt over molds and make 3D objects. I like to use large bowls and make hats.

[kiwimutti]

Thanks both of you

[deliarose]

Just got this great book at the library that covers this topic. New Directions for Felt- an ancient craft by Gunilla Paetau Sjoberg.