In this post I write about the pleasures of sculpting with wool and how I build up a dog’s body shape with batt wool.
Recently I’ve really got into the pleasures of sculpting with wool.
I make custom dogs and nowadays I always start with a wire armature. Currently I use robust pipe cleaners to make it with. I made the mistake of buying “party” pipe cleaners as they were cheap and I thought I was getting a bargain! Lesson learned – they’re still lying there unused as they were far too flimsy! So my tip is, if you’re making an armature with pipe cleaners, try and buy those that are designed for the purpose.
I begin by felting a layer of Shetland batt to cover the wire. Batt wool is quite tangly and easy to bulk up and create shape with. The Shetland batt I use is available in four natural undyed colours and I choose the shade nearest to the dog’s natural colour. I like to use British wool where I can from an animal welfare perspective.
And then comes my favourite part, the shaping . I love that with needle felting I am not just mashing fibres together but sculpting . Applying extra stabs here and there enables even subtle shaping to appear.
I can’t show you the finished results of these two dogs yet as they are for a wedding cake for an autumn wedding and I don’t want to publish them before the big day!
With named breeds, I find it helps if I look online to see a skeleton first. I can make the armature to the skeleton shape and it just ensures I get proportions correct.
This Basset Hound has quite a different body shape.
Visit my custom dog page for more information on my customised dog miniatures or message me.
They are also available to purchase via my Etsy shop, Felt Fabulous Gifts.
Thanks for reading! x
Felt Fabulous 