Little Lamb Lissette Part Two: Needle sculpting the lamb features

Little Lamb Lissette Part Two:  Needle Sculpting the Lamb Features

1.    Thread your English style # 7 darning needle with Nymo size D beading thread in a matching color.  Condition your thread by running it against a thread conditioner or beeswax to keep the strands of the thread from separating and fraying. Use a single strand of thread and knot it on the end.

2.       Bring the threaded needle into the rear opening and weave it in and out of seams until you reach one of the ears.

3.    Once you reach one of the ears make a tacking stitch to secure the thread.

4.     Bring the needle back into the ear and out of one corner of the eye on the same side of the head.

5.    Add a 4mm black bead to the thread and insert the needle into the other side of the eye and back out of the ear.

6.     Take a stitch at the ear and bring the needle back out of one corner of the eye.

7.    Bring the needle through the bead.  Bring the needle back into the other corner of the eye and out at the ear.

8.     Repeat this process several times until the bead is securely sewn onto the lamb.

9.    Make a tacking stitch at the ear to secure the thread.

10.    Bring the needle back into the ear and out of the opposite ear.

11.    Sew the second eye bead on in the same way that you sewed on the first eye bead.

12.       After making a tacking stitch in the ear, bring the needle back into the ear and out of the nostril on the same side of the head.

13.     Take a stitch at the nostril and bring the needle back up out of the ear.

14.     Keeping the thread taught to create an indentation at the nostril, make a tacking stitch at the ear to hold it in place.

15.    Bring the needle back into the ear and out of the opposite ear.

16.     Make a tacking stitch at the ear.

17.     Repeat the process to make the indentation on the second nostril.

18.     Make a tacking stitch at the ear.  Bring the needle back into the ear and out of the corner of the mouth on the same side of the head.

19.     Bring the needle back in the opposite corner of the mouth, leaving a very large stitch across the mouth, and out of the ear on that side of the head.

20.     Keeping the thread tight to make an indentation at the mouth, make a tacking stitch at the ear.

21.   If there is a bit of an opening at the front of the body, weave the thread through the seams until you get to the open spot.

22.      Ladder stitch the opening closed.

23.    After sewing the area closed make a tacking stitch.

24.    Weave the thread through the seams to bring it back up and out of the ear.  Make a tacking stitch at the ear to secure the thread.

25.   Using the pattern cut two eyelid circles from sued cloth.  The pattern lines are the cutting lines.

26.    Fold each eyelid circle in half and pin in place over each bead eye.

27.    Bring your threaded needle from the ear area to one of the eyes.  Whip stitch around the eyelid. 

28.    After whip stitching the eyelid in place, stitch around the eyelid using the ladder stitch to neaten things up.

29.    After ladder stitching all around the eyelid bring the needle to the ear area on that side of the head and make a tacking stitch.

30.    Bring the needle back into the ear area and out of the opposite ear area.

31.       Whipstitch around the second eyelid.

32.     Ladder stitch all around the second eyelid to neaten things up.

33.     After completing the ladder stitch around the eyelid, bring the needle to the ear area on that side of the head and make a tacking stitch to secure the thread.

34.    Fold the raw edges of the ears under.  I find the easiest way to do this is to use curved hemostats.  Make sure you fold the ears up to the same size.

35.     Pin the ears onto the head to cover all the stitching you have been doing through the ear area.

36.     Ladder stitch the first ear to the head. 

37.     After making the tacking stitch to hold the thread in place, bring the needle back into the ear area and out of the other ear area.

38.     Ladder stitch the second ear in place.  Make a tacking stitch to hold the thread in place.  Weave the needle through the seams and bring it to the opening in the back of the lamb.

39.     Make a tacking stitch at the back of the lamb.  Then ladder stitch the opening closed.

    

40.    The stitching doesn’t need to be beautiful in this area.  It will be covered by the needle felted wool.  Bring the needle back to where the tail will be and make a tacking stitch to hold the thread in place.

41.       After folding the raw edges of the tail in, pin in onto the lamb.

42.    Ladder stitch the tail on.  When done with the ladder stitching, make a tacking stitch, then weave the thread through the seams of the lamb and cut off the thread.

43.     Your lamb is now ready to needle felt the wool on.

44.    It’s time to make a nice cup of tea and admire all of your good work!

Current Online Classes

Self Study classes

Free Tutorials

About Me