I really love this book! It has a great Classroom style that makes it very easy to use. TONS of beautiful pictures explain every step. I am a beginner at felting and had some questions about technique and general rough spots that I was running into and Liza answered them all. The projects are very appropriate for each level and cute as heck. Lisa Adams explains absolutely everything that you'll need to get started with this fun craft. From the simple needles, to the more advanced tools and when/if you'll need them. She explains the different types of wool and which kind works best for what you are trying to achieve or the level you are at. Christmas Ornaments, Pincushions, Dolls, Keychain Heads, Bears and Rabbits, then onto creating your own variations. I've included a fun before picture of a bear I tried to make before receiving the book. He's a bit lumpy and uneven and has many defects, but I'm confident that with this books help, my next one will be much better. I love him anyway! I can't wait to get through the early projects and try my hand at the Mini Bears! They are adorable! And she shows so many variations that you'll never get tired of making them. I am confident that with this book, I will advance quickly and easily to making the mini Bears I've been dreaming about. -- Danielle Moss * Amazon.Com Review *
Drawing upon her years of experience and expertise, Liza Adams takes a project-based approach to teaching the skills you will need to begin your journey in the art of sculpting with wool in the pages of Needle Felting From Basics to Bears: With Step-by-Step Photos and Instructions for Creating Cute Little Bears and Bunnies from Natural Wools. Now even the most novice needlecrafter can make the cutest little creatures from wool! Needle felting is all the rage, and Liza Adams takes a step-by-step, full illustrated approach to showing how to create tiny bears, rabbits, dogs, cats, fairies, dolls, cupcakes, and more. Beyond basic instructions and step-by-step photos showing what's needed and how to begin, there are advanced options for once the novice needlecraft has mastered the basics. These advanced instruction include making joints so that the arms and legs can really move, as well as making unique details such as pointed ears, long tails, and different noses and muzzles. Needle Felting From Basics to Bears is an ideal and very highly recommended addition to personal and community library Needlecraft instructional collections. -- James A. Cox * Wisconsin Bookwatch, June 2016 *
Look at how precious the bears and bunnies are on the cover of Needle Felting from Basics to Bears. This awesome book from Liza Adams teaches novices and advanced needle felters alike how to make beautiful projects with fiber. Learn the basic techniques and apply them to the adorable projects in this book. Ranging from very basic shapes to advanced little animals with tiny details, these needle felting projects are awesome for those looking to try a new skill or revisit a beloved pastime. If you've never tried needle felting before, it's almost like sculpting for fiber enthusiasts. Rather than shaping clay or papier mache, you'll punch a needle into wool fibers to tangle them into a particular shape. Did I mention needle felting is also cathartic? If you want to de-stress and make something adorable in the process, I recommend needle felting. Needle Felting from Basics to Bears opens with an introduction about needle felting and all the tools required. Once you have these basics in mind, you can begin making a project. Following the introduction are sections on Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced projects. I love the Cupcake Pincushion (p. 16). This sweet project looks more challenging than it actually is to make, and I love the way the colorful glass head pins look like sprinkles when tucked into the felted cupcakes. In the intermediate and advanced sections, needle felters graduate to bears. First learn the Basic Bear (p. 52), then graduate to the Advanced Bear (p. 70). You'll learn how to make the head, which you've had practice with by now from the Animal Head Keychain or Phone Charm (p. 30). Then you will learn how to make the body and joints. Afterwards, you'll sew them all together! This stitching technique was mesmerizing to me. It's wonderful to discover how to sew in eyes and the arms without the thread showing! Bears are Liza Adams' specialty. She says in her bio, The wonderful thing with needle-felted bears, as opposed to sewn ones, is that there are no patterns. No one else is using the same pattern as you and turning out the same bear over and over again. Needle-felted works are truly one of a kind, whether you are making bears, dogs, cats or monsters. Embrace that and go wild! Take on a new skill or revisit a long lost love of needle felting. This book equips you with the instructions you need to get started! Read more at http://www.favecrafts.com/Book-Reviews/Needle-Felting-from-Basics-to-Bears-Review-Stackpole#3Gx6Zb0i1Q4AblwV.99 * Fave Crafts *
The wonderful thing with needle-felted bears, as opposed to sewn ones, is that there are no patterns. Needle-felted works are truly one of a kind, says author Liza J. Adams, who began experimenting with the craft in 2004 and has been addicted ever since. She begins small with an ornament to teach the basic techniques, and moves on to a basic bear and doll, finishing it up with more advanced projects such as a super sweet bunny rabbit. She encourages readers to try as many of the designs as possible to get a strong grasp of the techniques. * Winter 2016 *
