The Ancient Art of Felt

The rich history of textiles begins in 6500 B.C. with felts unearthed from the Pazyruk tombs in the Altai Mountains, an area spanning the Russian, Mongolian and Chinese borders.  This workshop introduced students to felt’s ancestry and basic felting techniques.  Starting with the raw wool, students made flat felt samples and felted wool rope “tendrils”.  Wool from different sheep breeds was felted to show the variety of effects and applications possible.  Once the basic technique was learned and various wools were tested, students “painted” on the wool surface incorporating threads, yarns, fabric and dyed wools. Through these exercises, students grasped “walking with their hands”; they learned felting techniques and begin to realise a personalised vocabulary for surface design on felt.
Wool fibers become felt when given the ideal conditions of carding, moisture, soap, compression and agitation – a beautiful metaphor for life. The photo shows a felt construction by Meghan Grant.