The Bottom Line
Pros
- Clear well illustrated instructions for every step.
- Photos of completed dog breeds show which characteristics were copied.
- Basic instructions enable you to go off in many different directions.
- Many popular dog breeds are represented.
Cons
- Book layout shows dog breeds but little information on the technique of making them until page 48.
- Dimensions for the dogs are given separately from instructions on the second last page
Description
- This is basically a book on three dimensional needle felting using wool and fairly course fibres (dog hair).
- These instructions create adorable miniature dogs, but these may need to be scaled down slightly for use in scale scenes.
- Felting information is limited, but the dogs pictured are created with simple techniques which are all well explained.
- Photos and instruction illustrations stand alone without explanation, but the captions add color and shaping instructions.
- Although dogs are featured, the same techniques can be adapted to cats or wild animals.
Guide Review - Book Review -Fleece Dog by SINCO
Nobuko Nagakubo, aka SINCO is a floral designer who became interested in creating small dogs from fleece using the needle felting technique. She specializes in creating dogs from pet photographs and often includes the subjects own fur or hair in her creations. This book contains instructions for felting twenty different dog breeds, with all manner of coats and colorations. She gives clear instructions for each breed as well as good general pictorial instructions for felting in three dimensions.
Most of the book is taken up with photos of miniature dogs she has made, and recipe style pages which show which colors of fiber are used for which dogs. In the style of many Japanese craft instruction books, the photos are clear and self explanatory.
The materials used by the author to make her dogs are fairly easily found through the internet or in local yarn shops. SINCO does sell kits for the various dog breeds which include glass eyes on pins (similar to eyes used for miniature teddy bears) in 3 and 4mm sizes, and come either with a copy of the book, or with instructions for the particular dog breed. Her company also sell felting needles and felting cushions. They have an American distributor for their kits.
If your aim is to create your particular dog breed in miniature as a one time creation, you may want to buy a kit. If you are interested in the technique, have seen it used for making other miniatures (everything from dolls, to rugs, to miniature animals) you may prefer to purchase the book and experiment with the basic techniques shown.
ISBN 978-1-57120-433-2 Suggested Retail US $22.95
America Distributor C&T Publishing
