What is Needle Felting?

Needle felting is a creative artwork. You poke sheep's wool with a special needle to intertwine the barbed fibers. This compacts them allowing a shape to form. Colored wool is then "painted" on top by felting it onto the surface. 

Traditionally, needle felting is done by wrapping wool around a wire armature and poking it in place with a felting needle. You create the 3 dimensions of the project at the same time. Also, the armature is ridged and set. If you get the proportions wrong, there is little you can do to fix it later. Also, the armature wire is hard and will break your needle if hit.

SWiFT is different. Using prepared templates and cheap craft sheet felt you poke the wool from the profile or side. You build up the side in layers (called Stacks) one at a time. The legs are felted separately. Once the two sides are made, you combine them with or without wire into a 3D shape. You are then free to pose and sculpt the rough shape as desired. 

Download the free SWiFT Handbook for further instructions. It includes a special section just for those that have never felted before. You'll make a simple heart and star while learning the basic techniques before moving on to the two free starter projects - a rabbit and a clownfish.
----------------------------------------------------------