::felt facts

 Felting is one of the oldest textile forms, dating back 5,000 or more years. Some orginal pieces of felt found in Central Asia were used for hats, wall coverings, boots, blankets, floor coverings, and yurts as well as used in a significant role in religious rituals. The true origin of felt remains a mystery, but the feltmaking process has been virtually unchanged.  Lately, modern technology has developed methods and materials that have enhanced the orginial concepts, giving modern textile artists a new prespective on this ancient craft.

There are a few forms of felting that I use in my work: wet felting; the most basic form of felting where layers of wool fiber are agitated with hot, soapy water by rubbing and then rolling until the fibers entangle.This forms a non-woven fabric which is then 'thrown' to 'full' the piece, which shrinks and strengthens.

Needle felting is a process where wool fibers are pushed through a felted wool piece using a special barbed needle to form a picture or design.

Nuno felting is a relatively new form of felting where wool is placed over a more sheer open woven textile (mainly silk or silk gauze, but cotton gauze can be used) and wet felted in the traditional manner but with cool water. This creates a lighter, more airy scarf than the traditional wool felted piece.

All of my felt pieces are handmade (by me!) and one of a kind.  I may felt 2 similar styles together, but there is always a slight variation in the way that the pieces fall together or are finished. They are as unique as you are, so slight variations in the felting technique should be appreciated.

Felt Style

My scarves are meant to be seen and worn. Be creative with your scarf!  My longer pieces can be tied around you neck like a big necktie! Show them off with a simple pair of jeans and a clean turtleneck or white button front shirt. Wear all black or all neutrals and add a scarf! See how such a simple accessory can make you look clean and polished almost effortlessly!

Felt Care

Felt care is really simple. Felt is actually water resistant  (and also flame retardant, but let's not go there) so most stains will bead off or just need a wet rub with a sponge or cloth. To clean the entire piece, hand wash in cool water with a mild soap. Squeeze out excess water in a towel or the drain/spin cycle of your washing machine and hang to dry. After drying, steam iron to remove all of the wrinkles and bring back its original shape.

I do recommend any piece with dimensional work (flowers that stick out,etc) or larger pieces be dry cleaned. Store as you would you fine wool sweaters. If you wear your scarves like I do, (every day, that is), I do suggest that you steam iron them every once in a while to keep them looking crisp and fresh! I highly recommend this with my throws, also.

Over time and wear, small loose wool fibers migrate to the face of the cloth.  This process is called 'pilling' and it is common in all wool products. Removing these pills will restore your piece to its original state.

Enjoy!

 mmmm....

Just in case you were wondering about the "mmmm...." section, this is a place where I put all of my little 'inventions';  ideas or products that I have found interesting and useful in my busy life.  Sometimes I'll indulge another craft or passion (such as knitting!), or for my line of tote bags or clothing. In any case, it's just a fun, sometimes offbeat section where hopefully creativity will abound!