Fiber Arts

Feature Fiber Arts Section

The purpose of our fiber arts section is to introduce artistic and practical uses of the
wonderful fine Cormo Fleece. We hope to each month present references and links to resources
where you can learn the skills necessary to begin or advance your abilities in a special fiber arts area.

If you would like to be an editor of this section please contact us.

Felting

Welcome to our first featured fiber art article! Have you ever wondered how to make those
wonderful felted wall hangings or articles of clothing? Would you like to learn a great new activity to
begin with friends or children? Felting is for you! We have found great web sites that deserve a
medal for their outstanding educational value. You MUST go and see for yourself. Please let us
know if you get hooked.

First Featured Web Site Joanna Gleason's Fine Woolies, Lyons, Colorado

... Here you will find a "gallery": examples of Soumak Tapestries woven by Joanna Gleason.
...available as well as wool, handmade felted wool, and wool tapestries. Out thanks to Joanna for
sharing her knowledge with us. www.dimensional.com/gfwsheep

This is the beginning of a How To Article on Felting Copyright ŠŠ 1997-2001,All Rights
Reserved. Our thanks for allowing this material to be presented here.

What is Felt? Very simply, felt is matted wool. Wool becomes felt when it is subjected to moisture,
heat, and pressure. (In fact, if domestic sheep were not shorn, over time their wool would felt or
"cot".) Hot soapy water makes the wool slippery, and causes tiny scales on the fiber to "open up".
The scales prevent the fibers from backing up again after they slide across each other; with agitation,
the fibers get hopelessly tangled together. When cooled and dried, the scales close and lock the
wool into the tough, durable material we call felt.

You must go to her site...www.dimensional.com/~gfwsheep...it's fabulous! You will learn how to felt
and find out many things about wool, wool judging, wool terms and sheep.

The second featured Felting site is Jill Adcock's Feltcrafts New Zealand www.feltcrafts.co.nz

Here you will find supplies, tools, and directions for felting. The information is presented in a clear
easy to understand way that is the hallmark of good teaching. Our thanks to Jill for permitting us to
present her information here.

Felt Making Directions For a Firm Thin Piece

These instructions are the felt how to for a piece similar to the one I have for sale in our online store.
Felt material can be made very thin- from a cobweb look to a thick rug. These directions are for a
good sewable usable piece for craft work.

Materials required

Wool roving, preferably an easy felting wool such as merino,(or Cormo) for a beginner.

ˇBar of Soap or Lux flakes

ˇJug suitable for pouring water

ˇWarm Water

ˇFlat, water friendly area e.g. kitchen bench, outside deck or concrete

ˇBamboo blind with thin round bamboo blinds

Choose your colour(s) - about 50g is a good weight for an adult who is a first time felter. Split the
roving vertically to make them thinner - my wool should be split 6 times (white and coloured) Split the
wool into three piles of approximately the same amount. You are going to make three layers of fleece
and this will help you to not use too much or too less wool on each layer.

Holding the roving in one hand about 20 cm from its end, place your fingers or heel of your hand over
the end of the roving and gently pull to create a tuft of wool approx 10 cm long onto the blind.
Repeating this, pull off more tufts of wool overlapping the previous one as you work along
horizontally to make a row. Make multiple rows all horizontal keeping the layer even. This wool is
very soft and should come apart into tufts very easily if it doesn't then you are holding your hands too
close together. You are trying to break the fibers instead of separating them apart.

Place another set of rows, this time vertically on top of your previous set. Lay a third and last layer-
back to horizontal this time.

Next step in felting is to pat the Merino wool gently feel the wool under your hands, it should be fairly
even over the whole piece, and free of holes and lumps. Fix it up by filling in the gaps or removing the
lumps where necessary. Remember that the underside of your first layer will be one side of the
finished product, and the top side you can see will be the other side.

Carry your wool, with your blind to your wet working area if you aren't there already, be gentle!

Next you need a warm water and soap solution. Make this up with mixing a teaspoon of lux into a 1
liter jug of warm water. Alternatively if using soap you could grate the soap to help it dissolve easier
or leave it in very hot water to cool down while the soap melts to form a cloudy soapy solution

Lay your blind over the top of the felt so the wool is sandwiched between two layers of bamboo.
Pour your warm soapy solution onto this to wet the wool. Take off your shoes and stamp on it! Yes
Stamp on it!..it's really fun and it's an easy way to flatten down your wet wool. Don't slide your feet
around just straight up and down stamping!

Having done many workshops I find that most beginners use way too much water, a couple of liters is
all that is needed and many tend to forget the edges, so make sure your edges are wet and trampled
too!

Carefully lift the top blind off. The wool should all be damp and flattened, if there is any patches that
are still dry fix these up now.

Wet and soap your hands and then gently pat and rub the wool. You will see the wool forming a skin
on the soap. If the wool is still fluffy or lifting dampen it with more warm soapy water.

Next step in felting wool is to roll your wet wool up in it's blind. Roll it evenly and gently, being careful
not to shift the wool. Roll it backwards and forwards shifting your hands over the width of your blind
to help felt the wool evenly. Roll it 30-40 times.

Gently unroll the blind. The wool will have started to felt. It will have shrunk in the direction in which it
was rolled, and should feel a little firmer . You may have ridges if you haven't lain the wool out nicely
or rolled it gently enough. Now is the time to fix those (unless you want that textured look of course!).
Do this by wetting the lump/ridge so that it is very wet and then gently smoothing out the ridge with
your fingers

VERY gently gather your felt and turn it over and around 90 degrees. Flop it over quickly trying not
to stretch your felt. Roll it up again, making sure the felt is rolling evening and smoothly up in the blind
and continue rolling

Keep rolling, turning and flipping the felt over at the end of each cycle to help it felt evenly. If it gets
very dry or no longer has any soap you can add a little more, but remember it doesn't need to be
swimming in soapy water!

As the wool felts it shrinks and toughens. You can gradually put more pressure into your rolling to
help with the felting. But remember to start gently or you'll felt the wool into the blind!

You decide when it is done. Check the middle as this is the last piece to felt. It can have a little stretch
in it but not too much, if it's too stretchy roll it some more. If you are happy with it around the edges
but it's still a little soft in the middle you could rub it gently with soapy hands for a few minutes - Don't
do it too long as it could cause the felt to pill.

The more time you spend on it the harder, thicker and stronger it will become. When it's done, rinse it
well in cold water to remove all soap. You can add a little vinegar to the water at this stage to
neutralize the felt if you wish. I would suggest doing this if you wish to keep your felt for a long time.

Congratulations!.. you've made your first piece of felt. There is many variations and techniques you
can go on to learn. I hope you enjoyed it. I find it keeps me fit, no need to pay for my fitness! The
wool is beautiful and soft and luxurious to work with, and is an excellent stress release!

Jill Adcock www.feltcrafts.co.nz

E-mail: info@feltcrafts.co.nz

FELT MAKERS GROUP LIST

There is a list of felt makers from all over the world. Many of the people who give workshops and
write books are on this list along with people new to felting. This is the place to learn anything about
felting and ask all the questions that you will have as you move through the wonderful world of felting.
E-mail and ask to subscribe to this explosion of knowledge.