Before you felt that piece… try this first

Today, I want to talk to you about something that makes felt makers a little bit nervous: the S word. SAMPLES! 

While I know most of us would do anything to avoid making samples before we felt a piece, I’m – once again – going to try to persuade you to make them. 

Now, when we talk about making samples in wet felting, we don't necessarily mean making flat pieces of felt. Sometimes, to test what you need to test, you may need to make 3D samples. 

That's the case for a piece I'm planning. I want to add another project to one of the modules from The Dodo Hub, which covers the different ways to use resists. 

And, since there are too many things that could go wrong with the piece, I wanted to test a couple of them. 

So, here’s the sample I made. Let me tell you how it helped me design the piece I have in mind. 

Here’s what I now know I need to change to get the results I want:

1. I need to make the felt slightly thinner.
2. The piece needs to be considerably bigger.
3. I want to make it in a different shape to make it more interesting.
4. I’ll make it with stronger colors again, instead of the neutrals I had initially planned.
5. I’ll use 4 to 5 colors to get more impact.

I wanted to share this with you to give you an idea of how making 3D samples can really help you define a piece more precisely. 

If I had gone ahead with the piece, without a sample, I would have made it:

• too thick
• too small
• and the colors would be boring.

So, this can be a great way to avoid the risk of using too much wool and spend too much time working on something you’re not sure will work out. 

I really suggest you think about it the next time you plan a piece.