History

The earliest archaeological evidence shows the use of felt in Central Asia in Neolithic times. Beautiful & sophisticated felt hangings were excavated from a burial tomb in the Altai Mountains in Siberia, preserved by the permafrost & dating from around 600BC.

Feltmaking

Felt is made from sheep´s wool. However not every breed produces wool suitable for felting. If you are thinking of buying a fleece ­ pull off a tuft of wool & start to roll it in the palm of your hand, spit on it & roll round & round. If it starts to contract into a tight mass you can be sure it felts. Some will just stay rough, open & fluffy. Avoid the fleece of Suffolk black-faced sheep!
Best UK breeds are Blue-faced Leicester & Cotswold. Many others mainly kept by smallholders, such as Gotland, black Welsh Mountain, Balwen, & Shetland are also suitable.

Tuition

at the Chapel is all about methods, materials, traditions, & includes 3D work & pattern techniques. I´ve been making felt for over 20 years & so have a few tricks up my sleeve. Whether you are new to felting or more experienced, you´ll be able to try out many kinds of fleece‚ anything from Herdwick to Mohair. It will be a chance to experiment, & to learn new ways of doing things.

Traditions

Felt has traditionally been used for many of the essentials of daily life: for living in ­ yurts, & clothing ­ hats, coats, slippers, also for bags, rugs & horse covers. To see examples of traditional felt visit the Horniman, or British Museum.

Today

In the UK there has been a new interest in felt since Mary Burkett, President of the International Felt makers Association, put on an inspirational exhibition of felt collected from around the world. www.feltmakers.com

Eco-textiles

Merino is mainly imported from Australia & South Africa although there are a few breeders in this country. This fleece felts very easily & is often used by feltmakers. But I prefer to use the local breeds, as I enjoy all the different qualities of their various fleeces, & why clock up wool miles when good stuff is right here on our doorstep?

Pastoral felt

My own approach to feltmaking draws on the pastoral origins of felt - rooted in nomadic cultures, inter-dependent with animals. I like the things I make to look & feel ‘animal’, to retain a connection with their source yet have a life of their own. I try to allow the actual process of making felt to have a direct bearing on the end result - responding to the physical material as well as more abstract thoughts & ideas.
Most of my work at the moment is to do with creating ‘a place of safety’: exploring forms & materials that somehow engender a feeling of warmth, comfort or security. My book is widely used in schools and I’ve been teaching, exhibiting & selling for many years. I also organise events & projects which promote new, imaginative uses for wool & other natural materials.

How to make Felt by Anne Belgrave Search Press