Crafting On

Time for Tuesday craft over at Frontier Dreams. I have been working on a few bits and pieces; dyeing lots of silk for my new little enterprise and some more yarn.

But I finished this Father Sun yesterday and I really like how he turned out.

I am calling him Father Sun as that is what I set out to make. But he could also be a happy smiling flower - put some brown in the middle and he is a sunflower, give him white petals and he is a daisy.
He is based on a Father Sun puppet by Suzanne Down of Juniper Tree Puppets (Living Crafts magazine Spring 2009 issue). If you haven't already, you should sign up for her free story newsletter. It is such a fantastic resource for stories and puppet ideas. I love it.

I altered it a bit as I wasn't making a puppet, just a sun to display above our nature table.
I am pretty excited that the wool is from our own sheep.

First, just make a needle felted circle, whatever size you like.

Then roll small balls of wool and pull them into roughly triangular shape, however many rays you would like. After finishing him, I realise I used an even number of rays so I wish I had added a seventh to make him a little less symmetrical.

Needle felt the rays. I then wet felted it as the rays didn't seem too strong, but see how he feels.

Once he is dry, take some small amounts of wool and roll a thin sausage for the mouth and some little balls for eyes and cheeks and needle felt them on very loosely.

And there he is! The more I look at him, the more I think he looks like a flower. But the boys think he is a great sun - nothing like the adoration of your children! They are still at the age where they think I can do anything!