mistakes to learn from

Sure !

You should learn from your mistakes

 I hope that I will do just that !

Some time ago someone asked me 

why I said that you should put a bit of vinegar 

in the last rinsing water of your felted piece :

I said (like I learned from someone else)

that it was to neutralize

the (eventually) still remaining bits of soap in your felt, because :

soap eats your fibres in the end !

Well ...

you should think I'm aware of this
"soap eating your felt" thing

..... 

Some days ago I planned I would finally finish

some felt piece I started 

on my felting-day with my dear friend Jane

in April, last year !

Why did I take so long to finish it?

I don't know, sometines things go like that :

you don't have time, 

(because there are other things that need to be done)

you're not in the right mood, or

you simply forget all about it

;-)

That's about what happened :

and the piece lay there, started, wet and soaped, 

rolled in bubble wrap and a towel.

There were leaves and little half felted balls

with some "fibre fluff" to attach them to the main part,

there were glass beads inside, and a lot of "nuno"

First I put some extra layers on the back and over the glass beads

The layers were simply too thin, not strong enough.

But, when I wanted to add the leaves and especially the balls :

the wool fibres just broke down !!!

I had to remove some of them, but (pfffft) most leaves remained attached

In the end, when the piece was dry I removed the glass beads

because the top was still not strong enough to keep them safely in

(though I made tiny holes !)

Here is the finished collar

(thoroughly rinsed in vinegar and competely dry now)

some details

(around my neck, for the size)

A lesson well learned :

never ever 

leave a (half) felted piece in soap too long