Patricia Spark, Books and Other Publications

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Watercolor Felt Workbook
A Guide to Making Pictorial Felts Using Wet and Dry Felting Methods
2nd Edition
by Patricia "Pat" Spark

This workbook from Fine Fiber Press is intended to help you learn the technique developed by Pat Spark, called "Watercolor Felt". Ms. Spark calls her method by this name because she uses concepts from painting, and applies those concepts to feltmaking. The result is felts that are visually similar to watercolors, but which are totally made of dyed fiber. There is no actual painting involved, unless you consider the placement of each individual colored fiber as "painting" with the fiber. The process involves the use of both the traditional, wet felting method and needle felting, also known as the dry felting method. Following Ms. Spark’s instructions with these two felting methods, you will be able to create your own pictorial felts. Don’t know how to draw? Don’t worry; Ms. Spark has included methods for working from your own photographs to create your images.
       The workbook is divided into two sections. Section One describes basic felting information. Section Two is a series of samplers that will take you step by step through the various needle felting and wet felting methods you will need for doing the process. The samplers are sequential, with each one building upon the techniques of the last so that you will methodically gain the expertise needed to make the pictorial felts.  The second edition includes extra pages with text and pictures for teaching Pat's method of making a multicolored pre-felt background. In addition, this new edition has a color cover. (If you have the first editions of the book and want these new pages, you can download them here. )

(62 pages of text, black/white drawings and photos, including 4 pages of color photos. Spiral bound so that it lies flat for quick reference when you're working.) Cost: $29.00 plus shipping and handling ($4.00 inside USA, $6.00 Canada. $10.50 outside North America.)   ISBN 978-0-9753698-8-3  To purchase, please contact Fine Fiber Press.

Making Faces, Using Wet and Dry Felting Methods
by Patricia "Pat" Spark

In this book from Fine Fiber Press, Pat Spark shows how to use the felting needle and traditional wet methods of felting to create faces.  By combining the sculptural possibilities of the felting needle with conventional felting, you can add faces to any of your favorite felt forms.  Don't you want a smiling vase or a winking pair of boots!
       For those of you interested in general needle felting information, this book has sections on the following: choosing needles, instructions on the five different strokes commonly used, a needle size chart, general information on using needles, materials for needlefelting, and sculpting with the needles.  If you are interested primarily in wet felting, the book goes into two methods of making dimensional shapes: making a solid-core felt form and making a hollow cored felt form. 
        Included in the book are instructions for specific sculptural projects (star, moon, and sun sculptures with faces), as well as general instructions for making 3-dimensional forms with applied faces.

(64 pages of text, black/white drawings and photos. Spiral bound so that it lies flat for quick reference when you're creating your sculpture.) Cost: $18.00 plus shipping and handling. ($4.00 inside USA, $6.00 Canada. $10.50 outside North America.)   ISBN-10: 0-9753698-1-4  To purchase, please contact Fine Fiber Press. 

I have a chapter in this new book, Designer Needle Felting, from Lark Books.   I describe how to make the berets above.  The book cost: $24.95 (US). The release date was 10/01/2007.

This Lily Beret and instructions for making it are in the new Interweave Felt Magazine  July 17, 2007.

In this upcoming book, I have a section on making felt boots with needle felted imagery.  How We Felt is from Interweave Press and October, 2007. The cost: $24.95 ($US). 
 

 Out of Print Books
by Patricia "Pat" Spark

Fundamentals of Feltmaking.

Scandinavian Style Feltmaking