Instructions
How to work with needled prefelts
(Felting Fabric)
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Instructions |
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Contents
Categories Prefelts Wool Silk Nuno Felting Needle Felting Kits Other Videos Needle
Felting Wool
Felting
Batts Feltmaking Kit Color Palette Take a look at the entire color
palette of our 100% merino roving Mixed Bags Wool
Scarves Sheepskins
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Felting Instructions
Making a Scarf from Felting Fabric The final layer is the surface design. This can be comprised of silk roving, silk hankies, throwster’s waste, fancy yarns, cut-out shapes of pre-felt, or just more wisps of wool roving in contrasting colors. This layer can either cover the entire surface, or be placed in random areas according to the creative spirit. Cover the piece with a length of protective netting fabric (synthetic to avoid sticking) and wet down the piece with warm soapy water. To stabilize the felt and adhere the design elements, either rub the surface in small circles using a scrunched-up plastic grocery bag for 5-10 minutes or roll everything up around a “rolling bar” such as a length of pvc or a piece of swimming-pool “noodle” foam. Rub or roll until all design elements appear to be firmly attached to the base fiber, adding soap as needed to lubricate, but enough to create suds. Beginning at one end of the scarf, scoop up a double handful of felt and roll it around gently in cupped hands for 15-20 seconds. Move to the next section and repeat this action down the entire length. Open up the scarf and make sure the felt is not sticking to itself in any areas – particularly the edges. Repeat the hand rolling with slightly-increased pressure, keeping the felt quite wet during this process. Work over a basin or sink and dunk in warm water as necessary to keep felt wet while rolling Open the felt again and check for sticking. This time, give the felt some light stretching in both directions. Repeat the hand-rolling/opening/stretching process 5-6 more times with increasing hand-pressure each time. Felt should now be greatly reduced in size, and surface design fibers should be well-attached. Silk fibers will be puckered and crinkly. If felt still feels a little soft and unstable, dunk in hot water, and toss down firmly into sink several times. Open and check for sticking frequently. Rinse piece well to remove residual soap. Squeeze or gently wring out most of the water. Open and stretch the piece to block into shape. Stretching can be in either direction to produce the shape or size desired. If further hardening of the felt is needed, or more surface texture is desired, place the piece in a hot dryer in one-minute increments, checking and re-stretching after each minute until desired finish results. Block and hang to dry for a more textured surface. For a smooth finish, iron on med-high heat while damp, stretching into shape while ironing. Silk fibers will be stiff at first, but will soften with handling and with time.Back to main
Felting Fabric Instructions Workshops Jill is available for teaching Outback Felting Workshops to a group or privately. Please call or email for more information. Outback Fibers
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