what I did with a fugly soap

[Marilyn Norgart]

this soap was a HP ****oo but smells very nice so I decided to try my hand at felting. It was fun to do, now I need to use a bar to see if I got it tight enough (I think I did). I have 3 mores bars to wrap--I would like to get good enough to make for friends for xmas gifts. I might get one of those needles to poke in designs but need to read up on that more

 

[cmzaha]

I think they look awesome. I did get the needles so I could needle felt soap, but I just hit my finger with the needle too often so I went back to free form. Since I still have a tub full of merino wool I think I will make some for the Holiday Markets.

 

[Marilyn Norgart]

I just used a bar that looked a little looser than the others and it kinda came up from the outer layer a bit so I have some work to do with them. I did rub the bar together again but I guess I don't know what to expect from these when they are used. I just heard about this from the challenge you guys did on it. it sure wasn't as scratchy as I thought it was going to be either

I did get the needles so I could needle felt soap, but I just hit my finger with the needle too often s

did you try a thimble--I will try that when i get the needle. how do you price them for sale?

 

[lsg]

Great idea!

 

[DeeAnna]

It's hard to price felted soaps to pay a person for the time invested. I have priced them double what I charge for the basic bar of soap and they sell okay at that price. I doubt they'd sell for triple the price of a basic bar.

I always use my own handmade soap. Some people buy cheap soap at the store and felt over that to keep costs down, but that's not me. Fugly soap felts just as any other -- this is a good way to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse.

edit: I'd say needle felting doesn't make as firm a felt as wet felting. If you needle felt the fiber into place, finish the soap with some wet felting for a more durable, more thoroughly felted covering.

 

[Marilyn Norgart]

I believe I stumbled across and article of yours on it DeeAnna--very informative!!

 

[Relle]

I've never done felting, probably something to add to the list. Good idea for a coverup.

They turned out really well .

 

[Sharon Patterson]

this soap was a HP ****oo but smells very nice so I decided to try my hand at felting. It was fun to do, now I need to use a bar to see if I got it tight enough (I think I did). I have 3 mores bars to wrap--I would like to get good enough to make for friends for xmas gifts. I might get one of those needles to poke in designs but need to read up on that moreView attachment 42011

If you needle felt, do your design first before putting it on soap. I learned the hard way not to do a design after the soap was felted. Those needles will break in the bar of soap.

 

[DeeAnna]

If I'm going to needle felt a design, I prefer to do it after the soap is fully felted so the design stays crisp and clear

If the soap is well cured and hard, I agree you won't be able to stab directly into the soap without a high risk of broken needles. If the soap is young, however, the soap can be soft enough to gently stab into. Maybe not forceful stabbing, but you're not having to needle felt more than 1/8" of fiber so force isn't really necessary.

Other tips -- Try stabbing sideways, rather than directly down, so the needle is passing only through the fiber, not into the soap. Pull the needle straight out on the same path that you stabbed the needle in. Don't twist or bend the needle as you work -- it doesn't take much to break a needle if you "put some English" on it. It's easy to break needles when I get tired, so I also take frequent breaks.

 

[Marilyn Norgart]

I have been busy practicing and have tried different things I have seen on videos----I have been having a lot of fun actually (part of it is thinking that maybe I have a use for some of my soap that hasn't sold) I have been doing round bars, bars I have rounded the edges on and bars I left the edges (those have soap showing thru). my question for you felters is--on the bars that have a tiny amount of soap showing thru can I wrap some more rove on the spots that are showing and just wet and felt again and I have a couple that I didn't get as tight as they should be, can I just wet and felt again?? I am thinking I should be able to--just wanted to ask. I re-read these posts and I believe DeeAnna did say to re-felt so I guess that question is answer but I am wondering with the bars that have the corners peeking thru if I should needle felt the corners and then re-felt?

 

[DeeAnna]

After the felt is fairly firm, it can be difficult to get new fiber to bond. Sometimes I get lucky with some careful needle felting followed by wet felting to firm things up. But more often than not ... the new fiber floats on the surface and doesn't connect. Some people will use a dog brush -- the ones called slicker brushes -- to raise a fuzz on felt. That can also help new fibers to bond with the old. But on soap, especially on corners, that's hard to do.

I have noticed that thin spots gradually disappear as the soap is used, because the fiber continues to felt with use. You have to set your own standards for what is an okay thin spot and a not-okay one, of course.

 

[Marilyn Norgart]

I have noticed that thin spots gradually disappear as the soap is used, because the fiber continues to felt with use. You have to set your own standards for what is an okay thin spot and a not-okay one, of course.

oh great--I can be super picky . actually it isn't really bad--I can always give it to one of my testers and have them document if it tightens up to invisible. Don't think I will give it as a gift. I don't think I will do soap with corners anymore though.
what about the soap that is a little loose in spots would that work to wet it down and work it again or better to just leave? I will more than likely try it anyway just cuz but am wondering if you ever done that?

 

[DeeAnna]

It's hard to say what I'd do without seeing it. You sure could try to firm it up with a little more work.

Can you see why it's hard to price felted soap to fully pay you for your time? I know you're still on that beginner's learning curve and you'll get more efficient and faster as you get experience. But it's always going to be a bit of a fiddly process. Labor of love, and all that.

 

[TheGecko]

It was fun to do, now I need to use a bar to see if I got it tight enough (I think I did).

Try alternating your water temperatures between hot and cold or even warm and cold. Best felt job I have ever seen was when my daughter took my XXL 100% Merino Wool Sweater that had just been through the Hand Washed cycle (agitator barely moves) in really cold water (it was winter) and tossed it into a hot dryer. What came out was a Small 100% Merino Wool Sweatshirt.

 

[Marilyn Norgart]

What came out was a Small 100% Merino Wool Sweatshirt

Oh boy, haha. yes I do use both hot and cold. I think with a couple I just used too much wool