Felt, a re-discovery of an ages old craft.Felt. The word evokes certain images in my head; woolly, hand made, soft, strong, malleable.Most introductions in craft books explain it as what happens when you wash a woolen jumper too hot, so I won't go down that well-trodden path. The material we are concerned with here is made from pure wool. Wool comes from sheep, many different types. Wool has amazing insulating qualities and repels water. The little barbs on the fibers entangle when exposed to heat, friction and soapy water. It is a very simple technique. Making something beautiful takes a little more practice and creative thought.Apparently, many many years ago it was discovered by herders who'd lined their footwear with plucks of wool from the sheep they were minding and found little wool fabric pieces, after many sweaty footsteps around the steppes. There are other stories that do the rounds, but we will never really know how it was discovered. We do know that very old samples have been found in Asia, dating as far back as 600 BC. It is thought it all began in Asia where it was used to fend of the cold by way of tents, yurts, carpets and clothing, boots and hats.I can highly recommend the book by Gunilla Paetau Sjoberg, New Directions, an ancient craft.(see the book section). The resources section in the back of her book gives a lot of reference material. She also has an excellent introduction at the beginning of her book. If you can't get it anywhere, try Amazon, I bought it there secondhand. More to follow soon. Back from Felt to Papoose Home Page
|
