Needle Felting Supplies in Maine
At Bates Mill Store, we work with yarn all day long - and we LOVE IT! On our off-hours, though, we like to play around with different types of media. A fun little hobby we recently discovered is needle felting, which consists of shaping loose wool fibers into 3D objects using a barbed needle. This scrumptious little bunny was one of our first accomplishments in needle felting.
The idea of needle felting may sound a bit unusual at first, but we think you’ll find it to be strangely addictive and supremely satisfying...we did! Just LOOK at that adorable little face and tell us you don’t want to make one of your own!
Naturally, when we set out to start our adventure in needle felting, we searched for a local supplier because that’s kind of important to us. Our search led us first to Purple Moose Felting of rural Sidney, Maine. They are an online supplier, but they have offered classes locally and are very enthusiastic about all things felted.
We got started with their Needle Felters Fantasy Kit, but you can also start small with a beginners kit. Another great way to get started is an instructional kit for a specific design, like the Spotted Cow Fuzz Butts pictures below (love that name!). The step-by-step instructions will help you understand the basics of needle felting for your first go-around.
In our search for local needle felting businesses, we also came across FiberThyme of Sumner, Maine. They offer needle felting supplies, kits and classes from their rural farm, A Wrinkle in Thyme, where they like to do things the “old fashioned way”. They even have a fiber CSA where you can choose the actual sheep your wool comes from.
The kits offered by FiberThyme are different from those offered by Purple Moose Felting because you end up with a flat image, or felt “tile”, rather than a 3D object. This method is great for home accents like wall hangings and throw pillows. We haven’t tried one of their kits just yet, but we plan to! We think the Lobstah Tyme Kit, pictured below, will be a good place to start.
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