Over the years I have collected lots of fabric. Completley randomly at one time, just because I loved them, but now always with an eye to felting or dyeing. But and its a big BUT I am not always sure that my precious fabrics will felt well.
Of course I know chiffon and pongee and organza will felt . But what about an old heavy silk scarf from Thailand and silk fabric from a market in Rotterdam,
or some embossed silk sari from India,
or some recycle fabric from a charity shop.
Knitters are always advised to knit a tension square. As a knitter I rarely do. I just know it will turn out all right.Mostly I am correct. You could take the same attitude with felting. With felting I am far less cavalier. Knitting can always be pulled back , FROGGED. My precious fabric only exists in finite quantities and cannot be bought again. Add to this the fact that wet felting cannot be undone. So the last thing I need is to find that the precious fabric hasn’t attached to the felt bag or picture. The fabric is ruined and the orginal design intent is lost. OK so there are a few get outs. Needling and stitching . But I’d rather avoid both as they are both very time consuming and frustrating.
So there is no alternative.
I sample.
Here are some samples being made.
The more the better in one go to save time.
Some were successful some were not.
The one on the left looks good but the sample on the right will not work.
I think I shall have to turn the non felting fabric into a cushion.
Armed with this sample information I am confident to go ahead with my bag and picture designs. I think the short time invested in sampling is well worth it.
Here is a part made bag incorporating the Thai silk scarf in the sample above
Only part made in the fact that it still needs its handle. It is fully felted.
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Els
25 Feb 2018Góóóód … making samples 🙂
(sometimes it’s a pity the thin ones disappear too much when fulled completely …)
jane_mercer
26 Feb 2018I think that’s why I like experimenting with some thicker fabric 😀
Els
27 Feb 2018How about the trick with the needle felting bits of fluff first ???
jane_mercer
27 Feb 2018Well it does work , but it takes a long long time. Nice to do for tweed , but that’s about all 😦