Nuno Felting

Yesterday we had our Fiber Junkies meeting.  Our meetings are worked around each one's schedule so there is no set date and we always manage to have a full house.  This months project was Nuno felting.  This type of felting involves the use of wool rovings and a very sheer fabric that the rovings can be felted to.  We used a 3.5 mm silk gauze which was dyed a pretty blue. 

We start by laying down a piece of bubble wrap, laying the silk gauze on top of that. The third layer was the rovings.  We all had our own agenda as to what we wanted our piece to be.  Kate was working on a nature scene to incorporate into a quilt: she did long strips of rovings to look like trees.  This was the start of it with more rovings to come later.

 Gen was working on a scarf with pretty pastel colored rovings just down the middle and edges.

 Val was covering her entire piece of silk gauze with rovings, curls, threads and sparkles.  Things other than rovings won,t felt to the gauze so they must be sandwiched between the rovings. You can also use a needlepunch needle or machine at the end of the process to catch any stragglers.

 Mary was doing a piece to use in her felted pictures.  She'll cut this up and make several wonderful little pieces.

 I was doing a scarf using purple rovings and a few "pop color" curls.

 Next we covered the entire piece with sheer nylon fabric similar to curtain fabric. This took 2 people so as not to disturb the rovings so carefully placed.

 We gently wet the entire surface with warm water.

 We rubbed the surface with bar soap inside a stocking (the stocking makes it easy to hold). This starts the process of felting.

 After a while, the sheer cover is removed.

 There is still a lot more felting to do.

 The pieces were rolled up in bubble wrap. I've also used bamboo blinds which also works for agitating the rovings. We rolled and rolled (good for the arm muscles) and occasionally "sipped".

 And the before and after - Presenting the "After". They are still wet and look different and more wonderful when dry - Mary's above.

 and Kates....

 and mine.

 Gen is modeling hers. She's a first time Nuno felter and did a great job!

And all of us - happy campers. We had fun catching up, trying a new technique and building up our arm muscles.