Felt Making

Felt making is a much more physical demanding medium in comparison to silk paper making. Not only do you require patience, and strength but endurance – as I soon found out. The origins of the art range from continent to continent, in other words everybody thought it was a good idea.

To begin you will need two sheets of voile, a bamboo pad, soap flakes, hot water, a water bottle, a towel, and wool fibres – these fibres can be found in any good haberdashery or craft shop. Mix the hot water and the soap flakes in the water bottle. You should work on a sturdy flat table, begin by laying down the towel, a good work area is essential to the process. Place the bamboo pad on top of the towel, then lay down one sheet of voile. Start by selecting your wool fibres, you will need to pull out wisps of fibre and place the first layer vertically on the voile. A second layer must then be placed horizontally over the first layer of fibres - this is done so that the wool becomes matted as the fibres will intertwine. Continue this process for another two layers; remember not to make your layers too thick as it will take longer to create the felt. Then place the second sheet of over the felt, and douse the felt with the soapy water until all the fibres are completely soaked.

 

Now the physical part, roll up the bamboo pad tightly with the fibres inside and begin rolling, you should roll the pad 100 times constantly checking the progress of the felting - don’t be afraid to put a bit of elbow grease into it. Continuously douse the felt as you are rolling as it will help in the matting process. When the felt is fully matted the fibres should not lift easily from the surface. In the final stages of the felting you must rinse the felt and get rid of most of the water, I recommend throwing it at the sink as the force of impact causes the water to travel from the felt. Allow to dry.

You can also make a felt bowl with this method by placing a strong disc of plastic in between layers of felt fibre and rolling in the same manner as you have done above. When the felt is dry cut a circle on one side of the felted disc and remove the disc, it may need a little manipulation to make it more of a bowl shape.

 

I felt that the process has been beneficial for me as I had never had the opportunity to make felt before, though I had always been told about it. Yet, there are several constraints with the medium that in my mind act as a ‘deal breaker’ when it comes to me and felting. The materials, the wool in particular, is too expensive for just experimental use, as a student it is a lot of money to put into a medium that I may not use. You are also limited with the size of felt pieces that you can create; if I was to use felting I would need to make large panels for it to be any use.  

Silk Paper Making

Being the first time I had ever come across this medium, I found it to be an incredibly simple process – simple enough for even me to deal with. Silk paper is a thin layer of silk fibres that have been compressed together by a thin layer of cellulose paste. The outcome leaves a sheet of smooth paper-like material that can be sewn into, cut up, moulded.

Silk Paper

Firstly, you will need two square cut sheets of voile, silk fibres, and cellulose paste. I would also recommended doing this on a washable surface as the cellulose paste can be quite sticky. Place a sheet of voile onto the surface making sure it is flat. Taking your silk fibres, begin layering wispy pieces of fibres down onto the voile, gradually building up an even layer. At this point you may also want to add threads or ribbon for added texture. Place the second square of voile over the top of the silk fibres. You can now begin using the cellulose paste; it may need a good mix with a little water, it should be like the consistency of custard. Evenly spread the paste over the top layer of voile, using your hand to push it through the voile. All the fibres should be covered with the mix to ensure the best results. Gently remove the voile and lift the silk fibres from the sheet then lay down on a flat surface to dry. You may also want to try moulding the paper around a cup or bowl, anything that takes your fancy.

The process is very easy to pick up and is an ideal method of creating textile art. However, for me there are a variety of constraints that I have found with the medium. I cannot see myself using it on a regular basis as it is quite limited in its results and the materials are also very expensive. I would only invest in the materials if I was going to use it on a regular basis. But, as I always say don’t allow me to put you off; it is definitely worth the try.