More adventures in fiber and felting.

 I was able to attend another felting technique class last week. This process is similar to the Nuno process, however it does not use fabric as a base.  The fabric is created from  wool roving and assorted bits and pieces that are fairly limitless.  I also have been trying out some hand dying of both silk and wool.  Most of my pieces thus far are experiments and learning opportunities, but as my knowledge of these fiber techniques and challenges grow I am becoming more and more excited by the possibilities.

 Center: Nuno Felted Silk
White silk with white wool merino roving with green accents
Left: Wet felted scarf with Merino Wool, wool yarn and silk thread accents. Hanging leaves
and a pull through.

Nuno Felted Wool on Silk Chffon, hand dyed.

       

Nuno my Heart...

Wool design laid out on Silk for felting process

I thrive on new ways to create…. in doing so I feel alive. I also tend to bounce from project to project like a pinball or a distracted ferret!

This week, after my class being cancelled back in January, I finally got my hands on Nuno Felting! The class was held at The Tin Thimble at the packing sheds in Loomis. I love this little store, packed full of vintage fabric, buttons, luscious wools and fineries. Sharon, who gave the class is excited by the process, creative and encouraging. And as luck would have it, there was only one other student giving the four hour class a lovely pace.

Wool on Silk Nuno felted scarf

According to Wikipedia: Nuno felting is a fabric felting technique developed by Polly Stirling, a fiber artist from New South Wales, Australia, around 1992. The name is derived from the Japanese word "nuno" meaning cloth [1]. The technique bonds loose fibre, usually wool, into a sheer fabric such as silkgauze, creating a lightweight felt. The fibres can completely cover the background fabric, or they may be used as a decorative design that allows the backing fabric to show. Nuno felting often incorporates several layers of loose fibres combined to build up colour, texture, and/or design elements in the finished fabric.
Interested? Read more

I am itching to get at my stash of Merino Wool Roving, and my head is spinning with the possibilities of this technique mixed with metal, weaving and incorporated in my sewing and will add pictures as I play and dance with this new technique..

**this process is a little hard on the hands, recommend using gloves for part of the process.. I had small abrasions on my finger tips that did not concern me until my drumming group got together last night.. I was playing lost in a rhythm, when I looked down my drum head was covered in blood, ewww..we bandaged up my fingers, added a layer of gorilla tape for good measure and I was able to get in another hour of tones, slaps and bases… weeeha….