It's spring, the weather is perfect and cats are singing songs at night... And my cats are shining! :) I'll tell you in his DIY about how to make them.
- Materials:
- combed wool (I used a thin Troitsk wool, Merino 18 micron, too, but I think it's a bit too thin for a lamp)
- viscose fibers
- roving yarn
- thin natural silk
- cotton batiste
- threads for embroidery
- needles for felting (No. 38 and No. 40)
- sponge
- soap, water
- bubble wrap
- IKEA rug (if not, you can use the bubble wrap)
- nylon mesh
- 2 small plastic packages
- template for felting the base (2 pieces of dark film, 1 — foam underlay)
- pattern for the wings
- gloves for felting
- solvitose or acrylic varnish for soaking
- brush
2. Cut out 2 details of the wings of silk, 12 cambric details for large feathers and 8 small feathers.
3. Put the dark film pattern on the rug and a cut plastic bag over. Dark template helps to control the thickness of the layout of white wool, film is for tucking the edges of the layout.
If you have a coloured rug, you don't need black film, the layout is seen well.
4. The strands of wool must be very thin, this is the only way to get an even layout.
5. Lay out the first layer, see the direction of the strands in the photo. Go over the edge of the template at 1 cm.
6. Second layer: vertical at the bottom and parallel to the edge at the top.
7. Lay out 2 more layers (repeat steps 5 and 6).
8. Pour hot water, cover with the mesh and soap up. Felt a little through the mesh to bond the fibers.
9. Put the "sandwich" template on the soaped layout: dark plastic,foam underlay, dark plastic again. Then wrap the edges of the template with the film used for the layout.
10. One side of the lamp is laid out.
11. Put 4 layers of wool to the other side of the lamp. Moisten, soap through the mesh, felt a little.
12. Cover with a film, turn over and fold the edges. The base of the lamp is ready.
At this stage, check the evenness of the layout from both sides and fix it now, then it will be almost impossible.
13. Proceed to decorating. Place the cambric feathers from one side, put the silk wing over the feathers.
14. Lay out roving yarn over the edge.
15. Put the strands of viscose along the roving yarn, close to it.
16. The decor of one side is completed, the decoration is repeated on the other side.
17. Cover with a mesh, soap up, felt the decor to the base through the mesh. It is important to periodically raise the mesh so that it does not felt up. Carefully felt wool along the edge of the template, otherwise folds may spoil the appearance of the lamp.
Check how wool is felted. Wool fibers should cling to each other well when grasping them with your fingers.
18. Next, wrap the base in a bubble film and roll 200 times in all directions (up, down, right, left).
The pattern should lack space inside — this means that the fibres are bound.
19. Cut the base of the lamp, remove the template.
20. It is important to carefully smooth out the bends with hands. Felt the blank untill it is ready. Shrinkage must be 35-40% (if you are unsure of how wool behaves, make a pre-sample).
21. Rinse, wring out in a towel, dry on a suitable form.
22. Make ears. Wool is carded with a carding comb (miss this step if you use carded wool).
23. Make a triangle on the sponge using a needle.
24. You must have 2 exactly the same ears. The lower edge of the ears should remain loose to be felted to the head.
25. Placed the sponge inside the lamp and felt the ears with the needle.
26. Smooth ou the surface with a fine needle to make the joints of the ears unseen. Check the symmetry.
27. Embroider the eyes and mouth.
28. Make the blanks of the paws, felt them to the body.
29. Make реу blank of the tail.
30. Felt the tail to the body, carefully grind the tail with the fine needle.
31. Soak the lamp with solvitose or acrylic water-based varnish, dry.
32. After drying, the lampshade can be used!
The most important is not to spare time and effort on a very thin and even layout and pay attention to the symmetry of the decor, because the defects of the layout are almost impossible to be removed. If you work with wool carefully and slowly, the result will certainly surprise you!
Warm weather, sunshine and inspiration to everyone :)