The Dodo Blog

If you’ve been waiting for the registration to THE DODO HUB to open, I’ve got good news. You can now sign up here. 

WHO IS THE PROGRAM FOR?

You’ve been a felt maker for some years now, but …

• you feel like you’ve reached a plateau, and you don’t know how to develop your work further;
• you want to learn new techniques, and not necessarily take a class to make a particular piece;
• you'd love to have your own signature style, but you secretly think you’re not creative enough;
• you admire other felt makers, but you feel like they know some secret that you don’t, so you don’t believe you could ever achieve such amazing results;
• you don’t feel confident enough to show, gift or sell your work because you think some details could look more professional;
• your work doesn’t meet your expectations, but you don’t know where to find the information you need to make it better;
• you feel comfortable following the instructions for a piece during a course, but you can’t develop a project on you
...

We start wet felting because we’re fascinated by the material and the possibilities of creating all sorts of things, from wearables to sculpture ✨💫 

We see what others are doing, so we dream of what we’d like to create. But, let’s face it, wool can be stubborn, and the initial phases aren’t easy. 

We try to implement what’s on our mind and quickly realize there are details that escape us. We may recognize that we’re lacking some technical skills, our edges are always wavy, our squares aren’t square, and we never quite get the right shrinkage. Yet, we don’t really know why… 😟 

We’ve all been there. It’s that annoying phase of trial and error. While some of us persevere until we get to the other side, others give up and think “this is just not for me”. 

What I’d like to tell you is that it really doesn’t have to be that hard (and it’s not you!). There are techniques you can learn which will take you to success a lot more quickly.

In FROM FIBER TO FLAWLESS FINISH IN 7 DAYS, I’ll sh...

It’s finally here, the new format I’ve been mentioning for some time!

So, what is it exactly? If you’ve been following my blog or Instagram account, you’ve heard about THE DODO HUB for sure. Chances are you're curious about TDH and you’d like to know more about it.

Since it’s a one-year program, it may be kind of difficult to imagine how it works. So, this is where the new format comes in.

It’s called FROM FIBER TO FLAWLESS FINISH IN 7 DAYS and it’s an intensive one-week training, that is also part of the first module of THE DODO HUB.

You get an exclusive sneak peek into my one-year signature program, while, at the same time:

• building stronger felting foundations;
• learning to create well-finished, professional-looking felt;
• working closely with me, getting your questions answered and feedback on your work.

So, you may be asking yourself if this is just an intro to THE DODO HUB or if you’ll be making any pieces during this training. And the answer to your question is YE...

Is there anything more discussed in wet felting than how to get the shrinkage you want? I don’t think so. And it’s kind of obvious, isn’t it? I mean, if wool felts by shrinking, we need to know how much it’ll shrink. Right?

The problem is so many factors influence shrinkage. So, it can all feel overwhelming, especially if you don’t have much experience in wet felting yet.

But you won’t feel overwhelmed if you stick to a couple of principles (that are the same every time) and you do something you may be resisting: you make a sample 😉

You may think there’s no need to make one, because you’re trusting some myths that are common on the internet. Let’s have a look at a few of them.

Myth #1: If you use the same wool (breed), your shrinkage rate will always be the same.
Does an 18-micron Merino wool top shrink the same as a 21-micron Merino wool top? Does an 18-micron Merino wool top shrink the same as an 18-micron Merino wool batt, do you think? The answer to both questions is NO.

The s...

So you had a look at the program, and now you’re thinking “Yes, one technique a month. But what do we really felt inside THE DODO HUB?”

I get that it may not be totally clear to you, so let me help you with that.

First, above there's a short video of some of the beautiful pieces made by the participants in the first months of THE DODO HUB to show you what you’ll be working on.

I want you to feel supported and that you’re in the right place, no matter where you are on your felting journey. So, THE DODO HUB adapts to the students and not the other way around.

Let me show you how, based on the example of module #1, Geometric Patterns. It’s planned like this:

• Week 1: Making samples (experiment with different techniques)
• Week 2: Making a bag (applying the techniques in 3D)
• Week 3: Making a rug (in Nomad technique)
• Week 4: Main takeaways + develop your own project

You can approach this module (or any other module) any way you want:

• Follow the suggested sequence in one month o
...

If you’ve been waiting to enroll in THE DODO HUB, I’ve got good news! The registration is open as of now.

Are you new to the DODO world, and not sure what THE DODO HUB is?

• It’s a comprehensive year-long program designed to take you from the intermediate level to an advanced and independent felt maker.
• Every month you get a module that gives you a deep understanding of a complex wet felting technique.
• You have the chance to felt multiple projects for each technique, share and discuss them in the community, as well as get feedback and support from me.

But there’s much more to THE DODO HUB. Have a look at this page to get all the details. And, as always, I’m here to answer any questions you may have. Just send me an email and let me know how I can help.

I’m working on a new class that is meant to help felt makers go all the way (smoothly) from total beginner to intermediate. If you’ve recently started wet felting or you’ve been felting for a while, but still feel like there are many gaps in your knowledge, this may be for you.

But I’ll need some time until I can offer it, since I haven’t created it yet. I’m working on the class outline for now. And I’d like to invite you to participate in the creation of the class materials. Just click here or on the image below to access the list of topics. Please let me know which ones are important to you and what you think may still be missing.

Just a last note: I’m considering an intermediate felter, someone who knows all the fundamentals, and is able to confidently felt on a resist, knows how to add fiber, fabric and other materials for embellishment and texture. All this while achieving high quality felt.

Thank you for taking a moment to answer the questions! To show you my appreciation for ...

I’ve often been asked for tips on how to wet felt when you have health issues like back pain or arthritis.

Personally, I’ve also dealt with pain that was either caused or worsened by the strain I’ve put on my body due to wrong postures during wet felting.

It’s irrefutable that felting is a very physical activity that can be hard on your muscles and joints. But it’s also true that you can protect yourself by paying more attention to certain details when you’re working.

In today’s video, I go into how to keep a good posture during the layout phase. If you find this useful, stay tuned to part 2, where I go into my tips for the felting and fulling phase.

P.S.: If you’re a healthcare professional (and would like to help) or just have more tips to add, please send me an email with that information. I’ll make sure I add it to a future video, so that everybody can take advantage of that knowhow. Thank you!