This project is a great way to make a custom patch of your favorite mushroom to sew onto textiles. Your patch can be as simple or complex as you like, making this a very adaptable activity for multiple age ranges and time blocks.
If you are new to needle felting, here is a guide by Living Felt to get you started.
Supplies
Background material (craft felt)
Printed reference image
Wool batts (Maori is my preference and what I use in my classes)
Scissors
Optional: Needle holder, multi-needle tool, blending paddles/hand carders
Make a Sampler
A sampler is a great way to practice textures and blending techniques before beginning your project. Here are some that I use in a lot of my work.
Flat, angular shapes
Layering colors
Tufts
Pillows
Wrinkles
Smooth color blends
Working with a Reference Image
Print your reference image. You will be tracing the image, so make sure it is the correct size when printed. I like to remove the background and print it in black and white to save ink.
Cut out and trace the primary shapes onto your fabric (white craft felt pictured here).
Add Your Wool
Short, coarse wool is going to be the easiest to work with. I like to use Maori batts but feel free to experiment with different types to yield different effects.
Before you add your wool, take some time to identify your colors. Working with at least three color tones can add depth to your project. I will use light, medium, and dark shades of yellow, dark brown for dirt/shadows, and white for highlights. I don't usually have the exact colors for each project, so I blend the wool with paddles to reach my desired shades.
Start by adding your main blocks of color, lightly felting only. Continue adding layers of color to build up shadows, highlights, and color variations that you notice in your reference image.
Once all the wool has been added, you can continue felting the entire project until it feels smooth and well attached. This is a good time to use a multi-needle tool.
Finishing Your Project
Cut out your patch, leaving a border thick enough for sewing.
Iron the front and back of your patch with steam. The heat and moisture will further felt the wool and smooth out any needle poke holes. If you have raised features on your project, work around these with the iron.
Washing
Flat felted patches hold up very well to machine and hand washing. Felted works with raised areas or tufts of wool hanging off the surface will not do well when washed.
To reduce the amount of fuzzies that can develop when washing:
Fully felt the project before washing. If lightly felted, it may come apart in the wash.
Turn your textile item inside out when washing.
Air dry. Do not tumble dry.
Sew the patch on rather than using a patch adhesive.
Before washing:
After washing:
Tips
Overlap your colors rather than fitting everything together like puzzle pieces. This will help prevent gaps where the background shows through.
Add your wool using a single needle. Save the multi-needle tool for after all the wool has been placed. The single needle allows for more control.
Lightly felt your layers until all of your wool has been placed. When you are happy with the placement, fully felt the entire piece.
Try out some different background materials. Most fabric types (linen, denim, wool sweaters, cotton) can be felted on. You may need a thicker needle for more rigid fabrics like linen.
Try adding some embroidered features to your finished patch.
Working bigger allows for more details. A one-inch, realistic mushroom will be challenging to accomplish, so try an 8 x 10 in.