Jocelynn Brown: Handmade

Lifelong crafter makes a felted necklace purse

During a recent visit to the Detroit Institute of Arts, crafter Janet Weber sold the scarf off her back. It was a handmade scarf created using the needle-felting technique she'd learned in a class at Haberman Fabrics in Royal Oak. She says she even "sold it for big bucks."

When it comes to making things by hand, Weber certainly knows her way around the world of crafting. She's a knitter, crocheter, weaver, temari ball maker, sewer, embroiderer, beader, jewelry maker, scrapbooker and does stamping on garments. "I've been crafting since I was a kid," says the Grosse Pointe Woods resident. As a weaver, Weber is a member of the Eastside Handweavers Guild in Clinton Township and has a collection of eight looms that range from very small to floor-size.

Asked which craft she enjoys most, Weber, with a bit of a chuckle, says, "I love whatever I'm doing at the time. I'm really into the weaving now."

But somewhere between the stitches she weaves for the rugs she's making for her cottage near Mackinac Island, the retired nurse found time to get close with nature and create this lovely felted rock purse, designed to be worn as fiber art in the form of a necklace.

Felted rock purse

Level: Beginner

Estimated time: 1 hour, plus drying time

Tools: Small oval or round rock (slightly larger than desired size for purse), a zipper-style sandwich bag, warm water, liquid dish soap, scissors, sewing needle, thread, hand towel, hard-textured surface for rubbing (ribbed, or grip-type shelf lining)

Supplies: 1 ounce wool roving, embellishments (pieces of yarn, metallic thread, beads, sequins, charms, etc.)

Instructions

1. Pull roving gently to make thin. It's OK if it breaks.

2. Wrap rock with roving three or four times, making sure entire rock is covered evenly. Optional: Wrap roving with metallic thread and bits of yarn.

3. Wrap a wisp of roving once or twice around rock, over embellishments.

4. Place purse in sandwich bag. Add 2-3 tablespoons of very warm water and 1 drop of dish soap. Close bag, squeezing air out. Rub rock gently between hands for about five minutes. You will notice the roving is firm, flat and holds together. It has felted. Remove from bag. Decide what's the top/front of purse.

5. Cut through felt to rock at top/front for flap. Make cut smile-shaped from edge to edge.

6. Remove rock. With fingers inside bag, knead and rub purse in or out of bag against textured surface, gently shaping and enlarging piece for flap.

7. Turn bag inside out, knead for an additional 5 or 10 minutes.

8. Rinse bag, squeeze and let dry completely.

9. Hand-stitch a ribbon, rope or cord, 20 inches long or longer, to each side at top of purse.

10. Optional: Stitch beads, sequins and/or charms to surface of purse. Cut buttonhole in flap. Add bead or button for closure.

Contact: Janet Weber at (313) 881-6499 or e-mail rutbers@comcast.net

Detroit News staffer Jocelynn Brown is a longtime Metro Detroit crafter who knits, crochets, beads and makes soft-sculpture dolls. You can reach her at jbrown@detnews.com or visit her blog at detnews.com/craftblog.