Though our featured projects traditionally focus on embroidery, this non-stitchy feature was just too much fun not to share! Crafter Jennifer of Boogaloo Studios is a talented hand embroiderer, and has made adorable stitched versions of many UT designs. However, when she decided to try the craft of needle felting, she turned to some of her favorite previously stitched designs for inspiration and made these adorable 3D felt versions of each!
Jennifer talked to us a little about the crafty process and how she got into making some of these felted creations…
To a Good Home original design
As this is not an embroidery technique, a lot of folks might be curious about needle felting. Can you explain a little about what it is and how you got into it?
Needle felting is the process of interlocking wool fibers by stabbing it with a barbed needle. The barbs catch the scales on the fiber and cause them to tangle and bind together. I started needle felting at the beginning of this year. I have sort of made an annual “resolution” to learn a new craft. This year it was needle felting, last year was painting and the year before was, of course, hand embroidery.
Mr. Nomster original design
What inspired you to pick certain designs?
Well, I’ve been hand embroidering Urban Threads designs for a good while now. (I just love them!) It’s pretty easy how I pick them. As of now, if I stitched it, I’ll felt it. 
Hippity Hop original design
Do you like stitching the design first? Or felting it?
That’s a hard question to answer. I love doing both. But it I had to choose, I think I would stitch the design first!
What’s been your favorite piece so far?
Cupcakes are my absolute fave to felt but my favorite Urban Threads design I have felted would have to be the “Do not feed monster”.
Om Nom Nom original design
Any challenges you’ve faced, or advice for someone who wants to try for the first time?
Oh, of course. There were many challenges I’ve faced and I’m sure there’s many more to come. For those of you who are interested in needle felting, you should definitely give it a go. You can find wool roving in so many different colors on Etsy.
Cutie Patootie Panda original design
There’s absolutely no limit to what you can create with needle felting. There’s a lot of needle felting tutorials out there and books that teach you step by step. The best advice I can give is it just “Go with it.” Don’t get discouraged if your felting is not looking like what it’s supposed to. Either add more roving to fix it or just create an entirely new felting
Over the Moon original design
Any other designs you have in the works, or you’d like to try next?
I have some designs in the works. I’ve started these things called “Pop-Bouquets.” So far I have a star bouquet and a cupcake bouquet. Recently, I started felting characters for video games. So far I’ve felted few from the Super Mario Bros. Also, these are all available in my Etsy store.
Thanks so much Jennifer for sharing these amazing needle felted creations! It’s always such fun to see how different people bring Urban Threads designs to life, whether it be in stitches or something totally new. Every new craft is a source of inspiration!
Do you want to have your project featured on StitchPunk, stitchy or otherwise? Drop us a line at blog@urbanthreads.com or upload your Urban Threads stuff to our flickr group!
