Does a felter need a workshop for their own hobbies?
When you look at beautiful and stylish felted products, you don’t immediately realize how much work has been done to make them. On the other hand, many felters know firsthand about back and arm pain, neck stiffness, and poor eyesight. As a former professional athlete, I pay special attention to felting technology and comfortable ergonomic workplace equipment.
You might think and say, “You’re fine because you have a workshop”. Yes it is now, but it was not always so. Before I got my great workshop, I worked in the utility room and kitchen table for eight years, and during that time I got a lot of work done, gained experience in how small space can work efficiently and expand it to different needs, but it wasn’t always easy, but perseverance is rewarded.
If you have a detached house with the opportunity to hold a workshop that can accommodate a solid and large table, I am just happy for you. But what about those who practice felting irregularly and in small spaces? No worries, lack of space can't be an obstacle to your hobby! I hope my tips help with felting even if space is limited. In this post, I’ll tell and show you how to arrange a job for yourself for wet felting and what details to consider.
Perfect felting table
When you start wet felting, you will immediately understand how important it is to arrange the facilities properly. I’ll start by telling you what a dream table is like for a felter. The best table is quite large, the height of the table surface corresponds to your length, of course the best would be a height-adjustable sturdy table. Personally, I use ikea countertops. My workshop has three tables for wet felting that I can easily move and arrange in just the order I need, even for my biggest projects. The size of the table top is 150x75cm. Another good feature is that I can adjust the height of the table. I felt while standing, and my length is 168cm, so the optimal height of the table is 86cm. Another good feature of this table is that there are shelves under the table where I can store tools and felting materials. (wasted space therefore benefits in use)
In addition, it is necessary to protect the table top and floors from water, otherwise we will ruin both the table and the room. I would immediately like to mention that my felting technique, which I use myself and teach others, is such that water does not spill and splash on the floor or walls, but I still have to be prepared for surprises. In felting, I cover the table with durable plastic (eg tarpaulin). This makes the table top well protected from moisture. I put bubble wrap on top of it so that the felt work stays in place.
What if you don’t have a lot of free space for hobbies?
A spreadable dining table is the perfect option because when it’s not needed you can put it in a small space and move it to the side. If you do not want to buy a separate table for felting, you can even felt at the dining table. However, the dining tables are constant in height so if you don’t want back problems in the future, I recommend putting thick books or wooden blocks under your feet, nonetheless firmly. Or you can use ready-made raisers that are the fastest and easiest and perhaps safest for this purpose, and thus raising the table is quick and smooth.
When I myself used the dining table for felting, its width and length was not always enough for my work, and I got the idea to increase the area on the ironing board. I installed an ironing board at the end of the table where I needed more space and put a glulam board on top of it (cabinet door), and this structure allowed me to felt even large jackets and blankets.
In a large family with small children, it is not always possible to reserve a table for an entire day or perhaps several days just for felting at work, which is why I also did felting in my utility room. Small items such as hats, scarves, and even blankets can be easily made on a small table.
When there was a rush hour on the kitchen table, but I still had to work, I did the following: I opened the home care cabinets under the countertop and put wooden boards on the doors, raising the surface to one level. This way I was able to make even long skirts. So anything is possible, and all it takes is an idea of wealth and experimentation! No outside reason can stop you from doing what you really want.
Felting is a great hobby. Look for opportunities, don’t focus on the reasons why you couldn’t do something. Take care of your health and be happy. If you would like to expand your skills and learn something new about felting, welcome to the interesting world of felting with the help of Ellunhuopa online school!
I hope you like some of my ideas and maybe apply and use them too. Have your say and maybe you have ideas you can share with other felters. Please tell us in the comments below.
Don't give up - felt!
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