Poppy (using water soluble paper)

To make one (8-9cm) you will need:

  • 2g red wool batts-Poppy Red, Red Shimmer, Variegated Red NZ Merino
  • Wisp of orange wool batt-Natural Orange, Red Orange NZ Merino
  • Wisp of black wool batts-Brown/Black or Dyed Black NZ Merino
  • 9x15cm water soluble paper, 1x new-sew brooch back
  • Felting needle #36 coarse, felting mat
  • Soft pencil, bowl of warm water, sharp scissors, kitchen roll or tissue paper

 

Use the Poppy Template and draw two shapes onto the water soluble paper using a pencil. Lay the water soluble paper over the template and trace the outer line.

Now take your red and orange wool and split into half (one half for each set of petals).

 

 

Mix one half of the two colours  by over laying them and teasing them apart with your fingers. Then overlay again and tease apart again. Always overlay and tease apart in the same direction. Repeat a 3-4 times to get a streaky mix (above right).

Take a small amount of the new mixed wool and lay flat onto your water soluble paper on top of your felting mat. Use your coarse felting needle and felt the wool into the water soluble paper following the outer line of the poppy shape.

Note: You will only felt the wool down from one side.

 

Then fold the wool on the outside of the line inward and felt down. Lift your poppy petals off your mat regularly so they don’t get attached to the mat. Now felt down in the centre and neaten the edges.

Repeat on the other side and continue felting the wool down. Add more if needed to make sure you have no weak patches. Hold the shape against a source of light to see where more wool is needed.

Try and felt the wool down as firmly as you can—from one side only. If you have a multi-tool it will help speed up the process.

 

Make the second set of petals.

 

 

Then use your sharp little scissors and cut around the shape. You can neaten it at the same time.

 

Overlay the two sets of petals with the larger one at the bottom. Take a wisp of the black wool and felt into the centre.

Felt down firmly so that the two poppy shapes are now fastened together. Still remember to lift the shape off the mat.

Now add more black wool to your liking. You can build a slight bulging centre as well as allowing some of the black wisps to spill out into the petals.

You have now finished felting your poppy.

 

Dip your poppy flower into a small bowl of warm water and allow the water to saturate the shape. You will only need to get enough water onto the flower to dissolve the paper, not to wash it out! Take the poppy out of the bowl and give it a good squeeze (don’t worry, you won’t be breaking it). Use a kitchen towel or similar to dab off excess water.

 

 

Take the poppy out of the bowl and give it a good squeeze (don’t worry, you won’t be breaking it). Use a kitchen towel or similar to dab off excess water.

Shape the poppy into a cup shape. Your fingers should feel sticky from the residue of the water soluble paper. This residue will act as a fabric stiffener once the poppy is dry. Place your poppy into a cup so it can dry in a cupped shape. Leave to dry.

Once it is entirely dry, take the no-sew brooch pin and insert at the back going around the bent end of the pin. This will secure the poppy and you can wear it as a brooch or pin it onto a bag or similar. You can always take the brooch pin out again and re-use somewhere else!