19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Terrific book; projects for beginning & experienced needle felters, October 20, 2008
I'm fairly new to wool felting, and this book has provided me with inspiration and confidence. The directions, enhanced by photos of each step of the felting process, are clear enough for a beginner to follow easily. The level of difficulty ranges from simple to complex, depending on the project - this book offers something for everyone.
The sculptures are adorable - perfect for holiday decorating and nature tables. My young daughter loves to play with the sculptures I've created.
I own several of the author's whimsical and beautifully detailed wool sculptures. Her talent shines in this book.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Doing Something Different With Wool, August 17, 2009
Needle felting is using wool fibers and shaping them to create an object like a butterfly, kitten, rabbit, etc. The basics are wool, a barbed needle and a foam pad, though in the materials section, the author explains in words and pictures that it can be a bit more complicated than that. For example, the basic felting needle is "...a long, sharp, three-or five-sided barbed instrument." (Page 6) Needles come in a variety of gauges and vary in the number of sides and locations of the barbs.
After an introduction that also discusses what to use as a foam pad and the types of wool, the book goes into basic techniques starting on page ten. How to properly "needle," "roll the wool,""making flat shapes," and sculpting are covered in two pages of text and numerous photographs. The photographs, like all the ones in this book are done by Kevin Sharp, the author's husband, and are fairly close in detail.
The patterns begin on page 13 with "Bug Magnets." Patterns for "Bumble Bee" and "Lady Bug" are used with the "Bumble Bee" result much more realistic looking. That is quickly followed with a "Penguin & Chick "pattern, a "Butterfly Pin" one, and a "Bunny" pattern. Each of the twenty patterns in this book ranging from a "Border Collie" (Page 74), to a "Cat" (Page 80) to a "Giraffe" (Page 104) feature a close up large and in color picture of the finished item with detailed step by step instructions along with numerous pictures during various stages of the construction process. They range from the simple such as the previously mentioned "Bug Magnets" to the complex "Mermaid" found on pages 110-117 or the "Gnome Girl" on pages 118-125.
A gallery of a few more pictures, a list of resources and a brief author bio that includes a plug for her website and business brings this 128 page book to a close.
This a fun book full of interesting patterns and techniques and one sure to entertain and enlighten creative folks. The numerous pictures taken by her professional photographer husband add a level of detail and helpfulness to the book.
Kevin R. Tipple (copyright) 2009
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book, July 25, 2008
This book is very inspirational! The photos are beautiful and the instructions are very clear. I haven't yet made anything, but I know there will be a learning curve. I don't expect my first project to be as gorgeous as the ones in the book, but it won't be because of a lack of clear directions! I am a visual learner and there are lots of pictures so I feel that I will be able to follow along. I also own a couple of the author's needle felted creations and she is a true artist!
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