Saturday, March 1, 2014

Needle Felting With An Embellisher Machine

So many people think you need to use wool with a needle felting machine. I am sharing some of the things I have done with mine.

I do use wool roving, but only in small amounts usually, to shade, accent or change the colors of the other fabrics I choose to use.


In addition to making quilts I also use my color and design skills in some other mediums.
This is a pillow I made with my Embellisher machine.
When I start a project with the Embellisher I have no idea where I am heading. I just pick up something for a base. Then I start adding bits and pieces of fabrics. Nothing is off limits when I use my Embellisher. It needle felts the layers together.
It looks like a sewing machine but you do NOT use thread.

This is a closeup of the design panel on the pillow. I used a lot of what I call cheapy sleazy slippery fabrics. I also used wisps of wool roving to blend things together an also to accent the design.

I finished this with a polymer clay bead I had made and some vintage beads. The beads were sewn on by hand. The only time I sew something on my hand is if there is no way it can be done on the sewing machine!
I really enjoy this carefree way of creating art.


When I went to a fiber art retreat I took my Embellisher machine with me.
At the retreat there was a large collection of fabric we could play with. Much of this was fabric I would never touch or look twice at. Sleazy shiny polyesters and nylons, ugly cottons and linens, sheers, reject hand dyed or painted fabrics, etc..
These were the perfect fabrics to experiment with. I truly was going from rags to riches.
By the time the retreat was over almost every one there wanted one. It is so much fun to work with.

This piece used some cut offs of silk fabrics I painted along with other fabrics. It also includes some wool roving.

This one uses commercial fabrics of varying weights and textures.

I used a lot of sheers and semi sheers on this piece. I also used the selvedge part of the pink fabric to provide another texture.
Nothing goes to waste, even the smallest scraps when you have this machine!

After layering a collage of different weights and types of fabric, including some metallics I added the silk textured yarn for an additional texture.

Metallics, sheers and wool roving are the basis for this piece.
An Embellisher is a machine with several barbed needles that "fasten" the various fibers together.
There are several different brands. They use NO thread.

5 comments:

The Inside Stori said...

Holy Cow.....okay I had to say it..... I had no idea the Embellisher had so much versitality. Of course with you behind the needle, I'm not surprised....but oh my....just one more thing to wish for!

Kathy said...

I've just started playing with mine, using pieces of wool. Can't wait now to get back to the studio and play more with other fibers. Your photos really capture my imagination. Thanks for sharing!

California Fiber artist and composer said...

Thank you for the inspirations. I need to play with mine more often,

Margaret said...

How many needles are there in your machine? I bought one last spring that has capacity for 12 needles, but I find that is too many; the fabrics become too distressed. I prefer 9 or fewer. Any advice?

cindyann said...

It looks like you're having a lot of fun. You make it sound so easy, but I'll bet if I tried it my things wouldn't look like art!!
Beautiful work, thanks for sharing.
I'd also like to know what kind of machine you have.
cindyb