Felting

Felt, or matted or boiled wool, has been keeping humans warm and dry for thousands of years. As the felting process can occur without tools or special technology, it was likely used to make cloth in the Neolithic period, before the invention of weaving.

 Scholars believe that felting originated among the nomadic people of Central Asia and then spread to Siberia, Europe, and other regions. Before humans domesticated sheep, they sheared wild species. They also relied on the fur from rabbits, beaver, fox, and other wild animals.

As felt became valued for its insulating and waterproofing capabilities, it was used for a variety of clothing, including hats, boots, and coats. The Mongolians also used large sheets of felt to cover their yurts, which are temporary homes that served their nomadic lifestyle and the harsh environment of the steppe. They covered the dirt floor with felt rugs as well. To make the large sheets, they employed camels or horses to drag rolls of wet fleece across the steppe. The rough ground and movement created the friction needed to mat the fibers.

The Industrial Revolution ushered in mechanical processes that eventually replaced the traditional techniques of hand-matting and rolling in much of the world. The ability to produce large sheets of standardized felt in many colors and in a fraction of the time allowed for many new uses in industry and business.

While felting has remained valued for its many utilitarian uses, more recently, crafters and artists have been exploiting its creative potential. During the 1980s, David and Eleanor Stanwood and Ayala Talpai took the needles used in machine felting to develop a hand technique known as "needle felting." This dry felting method is now used for sculptures, jewelry, dolls, toys, and "pictorial felting," or painting with wool.

As interest in creative felting increased during the 1980s, European artists formed the International Feltmakers Association and began to offer exhibits, workshops, and lectures. In the United States, Patricia Spark began to publish the North American Felters' Network newsletter.

In 1994, fiber artist Polly Blakney Stirling and her assistant Sachiko Kotaka developed "nuno felting," a process of blending wool fleece with silk or another base fabric to form a lightweight, textured fabric.

The interest in the twenty-first century in knitting and crocheting has inspired many new felting ideas for purses, jewelry, and household goods, while shrinking items from ready-made, second-hand sweaters and other woolen goods (technically called "fulling"), has attracted additional enthusiasm.

Techniques

Felting offers almost unlimited creative potential, but the processes are not reversible and each project incurs some amount of risk. The novice should keep in mind, however, that if felt does not turn out as desired, it can always be used for packing material.

Wet felting is accomplished by moisture (hot water) and friction. When done in a washing machine, the felting process can take anywhere from five minutes to several cycles for the fibers to shrink and interlock together. An item has been felted when the individual stitches can no longer be seen. Wet felting done by hand is accomplished by building up layers of fiber and then pressing the material repeatedly, rolling it on a countertop, dropping it in the sink, and so forth. Bubble wrap or other textured surfaces can speed up the process.

Needle felting is performed by repeatedly jabbing at wool fibers with one or more special felting needles. The barbs at the ends of the needles push and pull on the wool and thus lock the fibers together. A foam block underneath the felt protects the needles and the surface on which one is working. Felters should be vigilant about keeping their fingers away from the needles. The technique can be used for two- and three-dimensional objects. Projects with multiple parts, such as a doll with a head, arms and legs, involve forming each part separately and then felting them together. Armatures made of wire or pipe cleaners allow for movable limbs or stability. A variety of kits for needle felting and specific projects are available.

Trends

Felting, which can be learned in modern society through video tutorials posted online on sites such as YouTube, is itself trendy. One reason is that felting is considered a green industry, as it utilizes environmentally sustainable processes and recycled supplies. The latest felt is even made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled plastic bottles.

The trendiest projects and techniques include multi-media felting, which combine felting with embroidery, handmade paper, photography, or other arts and crafts; "nuno felting"; and "cobweb felting," a type of nuno felting that resembles Swiss cheese (or a cobweb). Creating small figures, particularly animals, through felting has also remained popular.

Felting for Fun vs. Profit

Felters may be able to recoup some of their expenses by selling their crafts at farmer's markets, church bazaars, local craft shows, and on e-commerce sites such as Etsy, which is geared toward handmade goods. Felters who also own their own sheep farms can reap the benefits of selling hand-spun and dyed fleece along with their creations.

High-end felted projects that are sold at regional and national craft shows can generate a nice profit and represent most custom-made sales. (Most of the craftspeople here have strong backgrounds in art, fashion design, and/or textiles.) Many of them also teach, publish books, and/or work as designers for business and industry.

Learning More

Organizations

International Feltmakers Association, <http://www.feltmakers.com>

Books

Brack, Heather, and Shannon Okey. Felt Frenzy: 26 Projects for All Forms of Felting. Interweave Press, 2007.

Davis, Jane. Felting: The Complete Guide. Krause Publications, 2009.

Griepentrog, Linda Turner, and Pauline Wilde Richards. Needle Felting by Hand or Machine. Krause Publications, 2007.

Harris, Gillian. Complete Feltmaking: Easy Techniques and 25 Great Projects. St. Martin's Griffin, 2007.

Horvath, Marie-Noelle. Little Felted Animals: Create 16 Irresistible Creatures with Simple Needle-Felting Techniques. Watson-Guptill, 2008.

Magazines

American Craft

Fiber Art Now

Threads