Jacobs Project Update... all finished :)

Wooo Hooooooo!  I finished my waistcoat.. and I'm really pleased with the result, I'm sure I will wear this a lot :)

I decided to felt a panel for the back using the last 3rd of the fleece.. the dark fibre.  And I'm going to break from tradition by showing you the finished photos first :) cos I'm so excited that it's done.

Happy twirl with Gary snapping away :)

I haven't used a closure..  I tried branch buttons but they didn't look right, and I tried belting it but wasn't keen on the look.  I rather like it left open.. Though my brother in law has suggested a zip, which I may think more on.  I'll see how I feel after wearing it a few times.

I have to say I found felting Jacobs to be hard work..  It was fine once it 'got going' just seemed to take forever to get past the soft spongy stage.  I'd been thinking of felting a pair of boots to use up the last of the fleece and yarn (it would be nice to co-ordinate) but I'm not sure whether I can face it..  we shall see.

Laying out batts.
Thank goodness I didn;t have to do this all on paddles anymore!

After wetting I added prefelt circles roughly where
I expected my shoulder blades to be

Adding lovely Wendleydale Locks
from WensleydaleLongwoolSheepShop

Almost finished felting..
Using tailors chalk to work out my cutting lines
from a paper pattern I'd cobbled together

Both washed and left to dry..

Pinned together along the edges.  I overlapped them with the felt outside.
I hand stitched along the inside then the outside edges.

Then did the same at the shoulders.

I really must get an adjustable tailors dummy.. I would love to be felting more tunics, jackets and other wearables and I'm sure it would be a HUGE help.