Practicing the new-to-me technique of needle felting fluffy fur. Also need practice getting the photo to line up when editing post. …grr…

Starting small with the technique of adding fluffy fur. Over a decade plus of needle felting critters, I have certainly piled on oodles of curly sheep locks, but I have avoided adding layers of FUR. Why? I suppose impatience factors in, what with desire to finish one project so I an immediately leap to the next. Smooth coated critters made for faster (if not instant) gratification. That said, it’s finally time to conquer this particular technique.

Last year, I challenged myself to make human faces / plus hands / plus hey why not fairy wings too. Those 3 techniques coalesced in the old lady fairy & pets: Maisies’s Menagerie. This year I asked what else I’d like to add to enhance my whimsical offerings, and fluffy fur was the obvious choice.

The idea of needle felting fur made me a little nervous. HOW to ensure it was securely fastened? I have always preferred a FIRMLY needle felted body. I cannot feel content to sell a creation made all squishy because… it can be pulled apart. So the “fur” had to be firmly attached.

Needle felted “fur” is laid down like shingles on a roof. One – layer – at – a – time. It’s tediously slow, but the resulting fluff is such a pleasant tactile experience. I laid fur from the feet up, working toward the head. Trimmed a bit as I worked. Final trimming to shape when all fur was applied. Each bit of wooly “fur” was laid on the body, then “needled” across the middle to imbed into the body. Then add a wispy bit of wool over that line and needle again. FOLD the added wool over, and needle yet again across the fold. That’s one small shingle of fur applied. Repeat – repeat – repeat until the whole body is covered. Golly gee, what an adorable result. Definitely I’ll be perfecting the fluffy fur technique with many more sculptures to come.

Rory Raccoon will be at Oregon Flock & Fiber Festival 2025