Making Christmas Fairies with Wool Roving

"I believe in fairies!"
"That doesn't surprise me at all, Beaut.  I've seen your CND badge."  Unwilling to be drawn back into the nuclear deterrent debate, I carried on.
"No, I believe in their fantastic fiscal powers.  I put some in the shop at £7.50 each and I've got a commission to make four more. Commercial magic."

My companion finished her tea.
"So you've joined in the festive exploitation with a fairy production line."
"Oh, don't be rotten, I'm really thrilled to have a product that sells.  I can drum card mixed batts of all the leftover wool scraps, so the costs are pretty low."
Elinor swept aside a fairy skirt and climbed down from the dresser.
"Much as I'd like to revel in the anticipation of an extravagant Christmas shopping trip, I just wonder.  Given your craft track record.  How long do these take to make?"
"OK, the first one did take all afternoon, but I've got the knack now and can knock one up in less than an hour."
"We won't be shopping in Harrods then."

I found the instructions for making fairies out of wool roving on this blog, Echoes of a Dream, for which, many thanks.  The only innovation I really added was an extra length of pipe cleaner going down from the head, which means you can adjust and hold the flight shape of the final fairy body, rather than having them just hang straight down.  Of course, they can be made to come out fatter or thinner, depending on the bulk of wool roving you use for the body, taller or tiny, according to the length you tear off the bump and brown if you use naturally coloured wool.  For the dress, I think blended fibres have a better effect than solid colours, a nice bit of silk looks pretty in the skirt. 

These fairies are fun to do , just lightly needlefelted and it is easy to add on embellishments.

Wensleydale wool locks make lustrous hair, though it's a fiddle and you need a firm ball inside the head to to needlefelt them into. 


"Whoopdedoo, Elinor, I took five fairies to the Christmas Fayre and sold them all, people said they were lovely!  Look at tiny Tinkerbell, in her solar light glass jar."

"Conforming to societal norms of prepubertal beauty just adds to the pressures on the young and the older woman, Beaut.  Say hello to my Fairy Godmother, then wave your magic menopausal wand at the pot and pour some tea into these cups."