Ring and Flower Chain by Susan Bowen

Susan Bowen, 2001
"Ring and Flower Chain"

Sue's instructions for making a Flower Chain. For making a Ring.

Dear Folks, Had fun this past weekend. You can make felt chains by doing the following:

1. Dip a finger in soap.
2. Wrap a layer of fine wool in a circle around the bottom of the finger. Wet down with soapy water to hold in place.
3. Lay on tiny wisps going up and down in the opposite direction of the wrapped wool. Wet down with soapy water.
4. Wrapping wool around that layer and wet down with soapy water.
5. Lay on the tiny wisps in the opposite direction and wet down again.
6. Wrap wool around that layer and wet down again.
7. Gently massage the wool to felt it. The chain link will harden as it felts. The link will begin to turn on our finger when the felt begins to harden.
8. As the link felts, it will become smaller. Just let it slide up your finger as it shrinks.
9. When that link is fully felted, slide it off your finger and pull on it to stretch the link. Two fingers should be able to fit inside the link when you are done stretching it.
10. Dip your finger in soap and lay that link against your working finger. Wrap wool around that finger and through that link, holding that link in place.
11. Lay on and wet down the additional 4 layers of wool. Remember to go through the first link each time.
12. Try to felt the second link as if the first one isn't there. Then remove the second link and stretch it.
13. Dip your finger in soap and lay the second link against the working finger. Make your third link through the second link.
14. Try to fully form the felt of each link before you rinse the chain. If not, your last few links will turn out looser and fluffy.

Then the flowers are made by:
1. Dip a finger to the first digit in soap and wrap wool around it in a circle. Try to cover the tip at least down to the first digit. Cover at least one full digit. Wet down with soapy water.
2. Lay *long* whisps of wool, twice the length of the wool you wrapped, along the finger digit. The extra can hang off in space. Only wet down the wool on the finger, not the wool past the tip.
3. Wrap the finger digit in wool and wet it down with soapy water. Remember to try to cover the tip but leave the excess wool dry and fluffy.
4. Lay *long* whisps of wool, twice the length of the wool you wrapped, along the finger digit again. Remember to only wet down the wool on the finger, not the wool past the tip.
5. Wrap the final layer of wool around the finger digit.
6. Felt the wet wool on the finger. Leave the excess wool alone. If the felt becomes too small for the fingertip, take it off and try to stretch it a bit to make it larger. Or put in onto a smaller fingertip. When the wool has formed a "cap" around the finger and is fully felted, it is time to form the petals.
7. With sharp scissors, cut into the wet felt in several places to form the edges of the flower petals. Cut no further than 2/3 into the felt "cap". The trim the tops of the petals so they are rounded. Or cut more petals for a "daisy"-look.
8. Take the dry end of the flower and fluff out the wool. Set aside.
9. Lay out the wool for a ring around the base of a finger. After wrapping the last layer of wool around the finger, wet that wool down and lay dry, fluffy wool from the flower end onto the link. Lay the wool out in both directions around the finger.
10. Felt the flower in place by felting the wool from the bottom of the flower onto the link. Add small wisps of wool to both sides of the flower base to help hold the flower in place.
11. Felt and then stretch the link with the flower as if were a plain link. Then gently stretch the petals so they lay flat against the link.
12. For a flower center, stitch a few crossed stitches. Or a few french knots. This can help tack the flower in place on the link.

For longer petals, lay out wool to cover more of the finger. For wider petals, add more wool and then stretch the wool "cap" between two fingers. You could also make a wide "cap" and a small "cap" without excess wool and stitch the two together to form a flower with two layers of petals.

You can put more than one flower on a link but remember that you will need to lay the link flat against the finger in order to lay out the wool for the next link.

Best wishes, Sue

Making a Felt Ring

Dear Folks, Realized that you can use the same technique that makes a simple felt flower to make a setting for a felt ring. The "cup" made over the fingertip can have a plastic bead or gem placed in the center. Then the edges can be sewn in place over the gem after the felting is finished.

Below are directions. They may look familiar but are for a ring, not a flower link.

To make the "ring":

1. Dip a finger in soap.
2. Wrap a layer of fine wool in a circle around the bottom of the finger. Wet down with soapy water to hold the wool in place.
3. Lay on tiny wisps going up and down in the opposite direction of the wrapped wool. Wet down with soapy water.
4. Wrapping wool around that layer and wet down with soapy water.
5. Lay on the tiny wisps in the opposite direction and wet down again.
6. Wrap wool around that layer and wet down again.
7. Gently massage the wool to felt it. The ring will harden as it felts. The ring will begin to turn on your finger when the felt begins to harden.
8. As the ring felts, it will become smaller. Just let it slide up your finger as it shrinks.
9. When that ring is fully felted, slide it off your finger and pull on it to stretch the ring. Two fingers should be able to fit inside the ring when you are done stretching it. You may want to turn the ring inside-out as the inside often has the best surface.
10. Please note that you will want the ring "fully felted" but not completely felted. You will need to join the felt "setting" with the felt "ring". Set the "ring" aside once completed.

Then the "setting" for the "gem" is made by:
1. Dip a finger to the first digit in soap and wrap wool around it in a circle. Try to cover the tip at least down to the first digit. Cover at least one full digit. Wet down with soapy water.
2. Lay *long* whisps of wool, twice the length of the wool you wrapped, along the finger digit. The extra can hang off in space. Only wet down the wool on the finger, not the wool past the tip.
3. Wrap the finger digit in wool and wet it down with soapy water. Remember to try to cover the tip but leave the excess wool dry and fluffy.
4. Lay *long* whisps of wool, twice the length of the wool you wrapped, along the finger digit again. Remember to only wet down the wool on the finger, not the wool past the tip.
5. Wrap the final layer of wool around the finger digit.
6. Felt the wet wool on the finger. Leave the excess wool alone. If the felt becomes too small for the fingertip, take it off and try to stretch it a bit to make it larger. Or put in onto a smaller fingertip. When the wool has formed a "cap" around the finger and is fully felted, it is time to set the "gem".
7. The "gem" in this case can be any light-weight, brilliant, water-proof item that will fit into the felt cup. Tuck it inside, right side up, and twist and felt the edges of the cup down and over the "gem". This should form a bulb-shaped covering over the gem. The wool on the end should remain dry and fluffy.
8. Take the dry end of the setting and fluff out the wool. Tug the base wool under the gem apart, if you can. Set aside.
9. Felt the setting in place by felting the wool from the bottom of the flower onto the link. Add small wisps of wool to both sides of the setting base to help hold the flower in place. These wisps of wool can continue up the setting base and over the setting, if need be.
10. Felt the setting to the ring. Try to mold the felt on all sides so that the setting is as evenly set onto the ring as possible.
11. With sharp scissors, gently snip off the pointy top of the setting. Do not cut along the sides. This will expose the "gem" underneath, leaving felt edges to hold the "gem" in place.
12. Felt the wool at the edges until it more firmly holds the "gem" in place.
13. With matching thread, sew up through the bottom, behind the gem. The needle should emerge from the felt right at the edge of the gem but still within the felt along the edge.
14. Sew the buttonhole stitch around the felted edge of the setting. Then thread the needle through all the stitches again and pull tight.
15. Sew down through the setting and out the back of the ring. Knot the thread and trim it.
16. Gently rinse the ring in very hot water, then very cold water, then very hot water, etc. If the wool is not fully felted, the gem may fall out.

You can also leave the fully-felted ring overnight to dry. Then cut the top off the setting and sew the edge that next day. The delay makes the wool a bit more easy to handle. I haven't needed to use Super Glue yet but it's not a bad idea.

Please note that a setting with a "gem", once made, can felt onto any felt piece. I just happened to set it on a ring, but it could go on a hair clip or hold down the ends of a scarf.

Best wishes,

Sue

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