Welcome to your Coraline Curious Creator Kit!
I hope these tutorials inspire you to create your very own one-of-a-kind fiber artwork!

 

About Your Supplies:

Wool

Your kit comes with 12 colors of Corriedale roving, with endless opportunities to be inspired by all things Coraline! Here are some ideas on how to use the colors in your kit:

Orange + Brown: Pumpkin from Coraline's fantastic garden
Green + Brown: Wyborne's Banana Slug
Black + White: Gear Shift
White + Grey: Pearl Ring
Red + Yellow: Circus Ball
Magenta + Purple + Blue: Tunnel to the Other World
Orange + Magenta + Yellow: Coraline's PJ's Pattern
Navy Blue: Coraline's Star Sweater

Beads

Your kit comes with 8 different types of beads (and buttons of course!) Smaller seed beads can be used for clumps, stacking, and other techniques. Bugle beads are the longer, tube-like beads. They are used to create the taller stacked designs that usually incorporate a smaller seed bead placed on top. Larger beads can be combined with smaller seed beads, or clumped by themselves to create different combinations. Here are some ideas of how to use the beads in your kit and what they can represent:

Large Red + Small Yellow on top: Jumping Mouse Circus Elements
Blue Clumped: Coraline's Blue Hair
Yellow Clumped: Coraline's Yellow Raincoat and Rubber Boots
Green Bugle + Yellow on top: Snap Dragons from the Garden
Pink Bugle bead: Coraline's Dragonfly Clip
Star Sequins + Navy Wool: Coraline's Sweater
Blue Flower Sequins: Coraline's Fantastic Garden

Embroidery Thread

Your kit includes 4 colors of embroidery thread. French Knots can create a clumped-like texture, representing elements from the film such as:

Variegated Pastels: Taffy Bowl, Spink and Forcible
Variegated Oranges : Fallen Leaves in the Garden
Variegated Purples + Magenta: Tunnel to the Other World

Embroidery Hoop

An embroidery hoop is used to stretch fabric tightly so that it is easier to work, and so your piece does not become warped. It can also be used as a frame to display your final piece.

Felt Backing

Your felt material is part polyester, part wool content. This allows you to be able to felt straight into the material, and is stronger than 100% polyester felt, which could tear and stretch as you bead and embroider into it.

Embroidery Needle/Beading Needle

The embroidery needle is the thicker needle that has a larger eye. This will be used for embroidery techniques such as basic stitches and french knots. The beading needle is the skinnier needle with a smaller eye. This allows for them to fit through the small beads. 

Beading Thread 

Beading thread is a thin, white thread. It is stronger than a typical sewing thread and glides through the beads easily. Always use a double strand and make sure that you leave yourself enough thread to tie off.

Felting Foam

The foam is used to place beneath your piece when you are needle felting. When felting, your needle should go through the wool and into the foam below. It is also a great place to keep your needles when they are not in use.

Felting Needles 

Felting Needles are used to create three-dimensional wool elements. Always poke straight down and not at an angle to avoid breaking your felting needles, and be careful - they are sharp!

 

Tutorials:

 

BEADING:

Clumped Beads, Stacked Beads, Bugle Beads:

Buttons, Flower Sequins, and Star Sequins:

Extra Beading Tips:

Have Patience - Beading is a slow process. It really is one bead at a time. Keep practicing and you will become faster!

Experiment - You can copy some of the combinations that I have represented in my finished pieces, but also have fun and experiment with new combinations. Try stacking 5 beads, maybe try mixing different colors in a clump! The possibilities are endless.

 

FELTING:

Solid Color, PJ's Pattern:

 

Tunnel to the Other World:

Shift Knob:

Pearl Ring:

Tunnel to the Other World:

Banana Slug:

 

Pumpkin:

Extra Felting Tips:

Be Gentle - Your needles can break easily, so be careful! Poking the wool with more force will not make you felt more quickly; it is all about the amount of times that you are stabbing the wool. Be careful not to poke your fingers either - felting needles are sharp!

Wool Shrinks - Always remember that your shape will shrink as you continue to felt it. It will also become more compact. You can always add more layers of wool to your piece too, so don't worry!

Use Small Layers - You only need a very small amount of wool at a time, you can always add more. If your wool is too thick, you will have trouble getting your felting needle through. Use thin layer and keep building your shape up!

 

EMBROIDERY:

 

Extra Embroidery Tips:

Tangling - Embroidery thread can become tangled easily. Make sure you are pulling the thread all the way through so your stitches are secure.

French Knots - French Knots are a great way to add texture. Wrap your thread around the needle 1-4 times to create different sized knots. They can be tricky - keep practicing! Make sure to leave yourself enough thread to tie off. 

 

FINISHING YOUR HOOP:

Extra Finishing Tips:

Hanging - You can hang your piece with a small nail, or you can put it on your favorite shelf. They look great when distributed among different frames on a gallery wall!

Extra Backing - If you don't like how your piece looks on the back, you can always cut an extra circle of felt to cover the back of the hoop. This is also a great way to add some extra embroidery - maybe a name, date, or initials. If you are giving it to someone as a gift, this is a great way to finish it neatly.

 

I hope that your kit has inspired you to be curious and inspired to keep creating fun, tactile fiber art!

FAQs:

Have any questions? Reach out to me through Instagram or send me an email at feliciajmurray@gmail.com