Throwback Post: Felt Picture

Throwback Post: Felt Picture

Sorting through a pile of paper templates recently, I came across one I’d drawn for a felt landscape picture before I had a laptop to work from. And funnily enough, my sister has been thinking of getting this piece framed, so here’s a throwback post from August 2015, and if you have any suggestions for framing, which will protect it from moths, please let me know!

I had an idea over the week to do a piece of felt for my sister to say thanks for helping me at MakeFest. I saw a photo she took and thought that would make a great piece. I haven’t told her or asked her, so I probably shouldn’t post the photo without permission, but I made a simplified version on Photoshop as a guide:

field field picI don’t have a computer downstairs (or working printer) so I didn’t have a photo to work from, but I did draw a guide 🙂

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

I marked out the bands on a template and did the first layer, I’m afraid some of the photos aren’t the best, it was dark and I had to use flash at times:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI then started on the second layer:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI thought it was looking alright until I got to the bright yellow patch near the bottom, it’s a field of bright yellow rapeseed flowers, and I really wanted to capture the almost bubbly look it had. I blended Nylon and silk throwsters and Bamboo, and it looked great, but made the rest look really flat:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERASo, then I had to go over all the areas with more texture. I blended shades, mixed in fibres, fluffed it all up and filled in the rows:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI realise now if I’d taken photos of the blends etc, I could have used this for the 3rd Quarter Challenge 🙂 My favourite part is the bottom, it was a hedge with lots of colour to it, mostly greens, but the new growth had shades of red. I used lots of different shades of nylon staple fibre for this.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI added the details on next: hedges, trees, telegraph poles:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAFor the trees I used black viscose top, I pulled lengths off, fanned out the top, then gave it a twist to make the trunk and branches. Then I added fluffy wisps of blended wool.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWet down:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAFelted and still wet:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAA few bits of yarn I used for tracks didn’t work, so I removed them. Here it is dry:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe back looks good too:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAIt’s completely the wrong shades, the original photo is more ‘acidic’, but I liked how it turned out. I’m not sure it’s my sister’s thing though so it might be back to the drawing board there 🙂

18 thoughts on “Throwback Post: Felt Picture

    1. Thanks, Kathryn 🙂
      Yeah, simplifying the photo did make it look really boring!

  1. It’s a great pic with rich colors and texture. Much better than the reference. I’ve never had a moth problem so I don’t have anything suggestions there.

  2. I had forgotten about this piece. It’s fantastic. I think the only way to absolutely prevent moth issues would be to cover it in glass when framed. But that seems a real shame to cover up all that wonderful texture.

    1. Thanks, Ruth 🙂
      I had too until I found the plan! I did like how it turned out, but the actual photo was great too, hard to tell from my simplified version 🙂

    1. Thanks, Karen 🙂
      That was one of my suggestions too, though I think she’ll get it custom made, I’ve only ever seen small square ones.

  3. I remember this one. It’s Great. the only thing I know to do would be to make sure it’s sealed into the frame front and back. Years ago you could get a powder you dissolved in water and let it soak a bit and then let it dry. Maybe the British Museum conservation department might be able to tell you what they do.

    1. Thanks, Ann 🙂
      I didn’t think about sealing. And that’s a great idea about the British Museum, they must have lots of woollen garments and tapestries.

  4. Lovely picture. I do seal my frames with tape. I’ve seen a feltmaker who adds lavender essential oil to her final rinse / soak (after the vinegar one) to deter moths but I can’t personally vouch for it.

    1. Thanks Lindsay 🙂
      I wonder if a pine or cedar frame might work as a deterent? I’ve heard of pine/cedar chips used in bedding boxes, and lavender can be a bit much.

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