East Valley Alpacas / The Fiber Factory
Needle Felting and Needle Felted Products
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A 66" wide FeltLOOM was added to East Valley Alpacas / The Fiber Factory mid 2010. The FeltLOOM is an amazing machine that can turn your fiber into high quality felt sheets ranging from extremely thin to moderate thickness. FeltLOOM yardage can be used for scarves, blankets, garments, rugs and more. You are only limited by your imagination!
Felt can be unstructured (no fabric layer) or structured (felted onto fabric). Standard unstructured sheets are approximately 48" x 60". Structured sheets are based on the width of material used (36", 45" or 54").
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Needle felting is a process of repeatedly piercing fiber with special needles that have barbs on them. These needles cause the fibers to become tangled, and eventually make felt sheets. The FeltLOOM has almost 800 felting needles, and allows the material to pass through the needles multiple times.
Felt is made from carded fiber (batts or roving). Felt intended for use next to the skin should be made from the finest fiber. Other than coarse fiber being used for rugs or insoles, fiber for felt is always dehaired. Dehairing (fiber separating) makes a huge difference in the softness of the final product. Roving makes very interesting small items, but for consistent large items, batts are required. Batts can be made of varying thicknesses, to accomplish the desired end product.
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FeltLOOM pricing - Unstructured felt pieces
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approximate dimensions
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Thin
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Medium
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Thick
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2' x 5'
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$30
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$35
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$40
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4' x 5'
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$55
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$60
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5' x 6'
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$85
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$90
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5' x 8'
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$110
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$120
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4' x 4' Double thickness for insoles
50% alpaca/50% wool. Wool included.
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$95
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Approx. 6" x 56" scarf (edges finished)
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$15
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Minimum felt processing order is 3 lb.
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FeltLOOM pricing - structured yardage
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Thin
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Medium
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36" silk gauze
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$20/yd.
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$28/yd.
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45" silk gauze
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$25/yd.
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$34/yd.
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54" silk gauze
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$30/yd.
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$40/yd.
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Minimum felt processing order is 3 lb.
Important note: 100% alpaca is not recommended, especially for unstructured felt, unless the alpaca fiber is very fine and crimpy. The addition of 10-20% wool helps the alpaca hold together while being made into batts and then felt. The wool improves consistency of the felt, minimizes shedding and improves wear. You can supply wool to blend with your alpaca, or purchase it from East Valley Alpacas / The Fiber Factory for $1.25/oz. for white merino wool or $2/ounce for dyed to match merino.
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In addition, the FeltLOOM can be rented by the hour so you can create your own designs. Imagine scarves, blankets and clothing items made from your own fiber!
Rental of the FeltLOOM is:
$60 per hour
$200 for a four hour block
$350 for an 8 hour block
Rental includes use of the machine and staff time. Staff will perform most of the work involved in running felt sheets through multiple passes, allowing you to continue designing your creations.
Longer packages including overnight accomodations in a fully equipped guest house are also available.
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The possibilities are unlimited with needle felted sheets. Structured or unstructured, one sided or two sided, decorated or plain.... the list goes on and on. Pieces can be made to order as well, based on your color choice, preference of thickness, etc. Tell us what you'd like to make with the felt, and we will help you design the exact felt to meet your needs.
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