V i­s Vi­l­te. Kaz­l­auskai­te. el­ti­n

CHAPTER "NUNO FELT" FROM A BOOK "VELTINIS" ("FELT")

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NUNO FELT

Silk ponge, crickled silk chiffon, silk chiffon

Nuno felting is a modern and popular felting technique that creates new forms and endless possibilities in felt. Felting on a chosen fabric creates light, thin, durable, draping, textured textiles. Thin layers of wool are layed on light fabrics and then felted. The most important aspect in nuno felting is to get wool fibers pass well through thechosen fabric before it starts to felt and shrink together with the fabric.

In nuno felting wool may have different functions - decorating the fabric, being the main composition of felted item, creating new textures and forms or just binding otherfabrics and fibers together.

Different kinds of fabrics make different results. The bigger weight of fabric,the greater the texture. For example, silk organza creates deeper textures than light silk chiffon.Meanwhile clear silk chiffon creates an effective visual contrast with the wool.

It is always better to choose natural, quite light, open weave fabrics for nuno felting.For example: muslin, silk chiffon, silk ponge, organza, linnen (beginners should choose

chiffon or muslin, gaze). Wool for nuno felting should be very thin and fast felting, e.g. merino wool tops.

from a book "Veltinis", 2008.

Author: Vilte Kazlauskaite

All rights reserved by Vilte Kazlauskaite

ISBN 9789955669326

Translated by the author.

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N U N O F E L T I N G

A. Lay the chosen fabric on the bubble plastic wrap.

B. Start puting thin layers of wool or cut detailsfrom prefelt. The surface of the wool can alsobe decorated with pieces of silk tops, flax or other fibers(on top of the wool). Then cover with a net.

C. Spray the surface with tepid soapy water.D. Keep striking the surface until the water

is well absorbed. Remove the net.E. Cover the fabric with another piece of bubble

wrap (bubbles facing down), roll it as usual when felting. Keep rolling until the fibers get through fabric (about 400 times in each direction - 4 directionstotal as in common flat felting procedure.If the decoration is complicated and it is very importantto keep it in its original place while felting, coverthe decorations with thin plastic (used for wrappingfood items). Remove this extra covering after 2 sets of rolling(400 each). Continue felting in the usual way.

F. Unroll the felt and work over the surface with yoursoapy hands. Then fold the fabric into a "parcel" (wooly side in). Moisture the "parcel" well and work in some soap.

G. Throw the folded fabric for 30-40 times on the tableor sink.

H. Unfold the fabric and fold it again in new folding lines.Keep throwing it for 30-40 times more.Vibration makes wool shrink fast in this stage of felting.

I. When the wool starts to shrink, you can accelerate theprocess by puting the fabric into hot soapy water and then throwing it again. No need to fold the fabricat this stage. Just crush it in your hands and throw.You can also put your wet and soapy fabric into a microwave for 1 minute and then throw your feltuntil it cools. Continue throwing until you get thedesired shrinkage and texture of the fabric.

J. Rinse out your nuno felt and dry flat.

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Vilte Kazlauskaite - shawl „Ginger honey“. Silk chiffon, merino wool, silk, flax.

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VilteKazlauskaiteshawl„Daughterof Sun“

VilteKazlauskaite

shawl„Flowers

in Astana“

VilteKazlauskaite

shawl„Tale

ofthe BlueBird“

KseniyaBerestovayashawl„Bluegreen“

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Jurgita Migoniene. Shawls.

DonataDumciuvienelinnenshawl,nunofelt

„Longingfor the Sea“

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T I P S :• If you are felting a functional item, you should aim for maximal shrinkage

it could be 50% or more). If felting for decorative purposes, you may felt as much

as you want to get the visual effect you need.

• In nuno felting it is most important to make the wool fibers and fabric attach

to each other before wool felts and shrinks. You should start felting using only tepid

water and raise its temperature just in the middle or ending of the process.

• While throwing the fabric it is important to keep it damp and soapy, so that the

wool fibers avoid geting disheveled.

• Wool is shrinking along the length of its fiber. This should be considered in

laying the wool desing and counting the final measurments of the felt.

• It is useful to use a needle felted prefelts for creating very delicate decorations.

Desired details are cut from prefelt, layed on the fabric, covered with thin plastic

wrap or kept in place with some tacking stitches. It is being felted in a usual way then.

Thin plastic covering or tacking stitches are removed as soon as the prefelt attaches

to the fabric.

• In order to get straight edges of the felt, thin strips of wool are layed along

the edges of fabric.

• In order to create uneven, wavy, interesting edges of the felt, the edges of fabric shouldn't be

fully covered in wool. Some wool might be layed perpendicularly to the fabric edges.

• If wool is layed on one side of the fabric, the final nuno felted fabric will look

different on both sides - a side with a wool will have a wool felt visible, the oposite -

crumpled, bubbled texture and some wool "mist" visible. Both sides might be considered

as face sides - it depends on the aim of the felter. Thus wool might be just a bonding

material, used for creating new textures from different fabrics. Painted, batik dyed silk

fabric gains special characteristics and textures in combining it with wool in felting.

Donata Dumeiuviene. Two sided shawl „Verdures of the Sea“. One side - nuno felted fabric, the other - wool.

Donata Dumeiuviene. Shawl „Tameless blooming“. One side - nuno felted fabric, the other - wool.

Donata Dumeiuviene. Shawl „Old Land of Indians“. One side - nuno felted painted silk, the other - wool.

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Vilte Kazlauskaite. Wrap "Tree of Life". Details cut from prefelt.Vilte Kazlauskaite. Shawl "For the Baltic Bride". Silk ponge, merino wool, silk , flax, amber

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Inga Samusieneshawl „Ground, Air, Water"

silk chiffon, merino wool, batik dyed

IngaSamusieneshawl „Heat of the Ground“,silk chiffon, merino wool,batik dyed

VilteKazlauskaite

„Morning Sun“.silk chiffon,

merino wool,silk, flax,

batik dyed

If you need to create a similar looking sides of fabric, wool should be layed on both sidesof fabrique. But a more effective result is reached if some areas of fabric are left uncoveredwith wool:

A. Lay the fabric on the bubble wrap.B. Decorate it with wool.C. Cover with net and spray with soapy water.D. Remove the net and cover with another piece of bubble wrap.E. Carefully turn the fabric upside down.F. Remove the bubble wrap on top and decorate this side of fabric with wool.G. Cover with net, spray with water and felt in the usual way.

Another option for creating 2 similar looking sides of fabric is felting wool between2 pieces of fabric. Wool is not clearly visible then (just a "mist" of it), and the fabricsacquire unique texture:

A. Lay the fabric on the bubble wrap.B. Lay thin pieces of wool and cover with another fabric (you can use different

kinds of fabrics for creating different textures).C. Spray the fabric well, so that both fabrics and wool between them get really

wet.D. Felt in a usual way, just keep on turning your nuno felt from one side to another

while felting. Felting wool in between 2 fabrics takes longer rolling process.

Kseniya Shinkovskaya. Handbag„Elephant“. Various silk fabrics,wool and silk fibers.Wool has several functions here:bonds 2 layers of fabrics,decorates the surface of fabric,attaches different kinds of fabricon the surface of the handbag,covers the stitches of the bag.

Kseniya Shinkovskaya. Lamp „Cocoon“.Various kinds of wool, silk chiffon, silk tops, lace,dryed flowers. Pieces of silk chiffon, nuno felted,

decorated with dryed flowers, stiffened and formedwith methocel.

Another possibility of nuno felt is collage technique. Chosen fabric is covered with pieces ofprefelt or wool tops that are then layered with the chosen materials - lace, crocheted pieces, other kinds of fabrics that are kept in places with tacking stiches before felting. Stitches are removed when all materials bond well during felting. This technique is quite complicated,it requires good control. The most important in this technique is to remember thatall pieces of chosen materials are bound by wool (the silk won't attach to lace by itself, it is woolthat attaches all materials into the solid felt).

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Nuno felting is a technique of endless possibilities that creates various textures, thin or thick pieces of textiles. It lets you create new fabrics that can also be cut and sewn, or formed into objects using fiber paper making techniques, i.e. thin nuno feltedpieces are covered with methylcellulose or wall paper glue with methocel, other textilestiffening medium and then dryed on the desired form.