Nuno felted scarf

Nuno felting is a wet felting technique developed by an Australian textile artist whereby merino or alpaca wool is felted through fine fabric such as silk or chiffon. the application of soapy water, heat adn friction cause the felting process to occur. I use the method advocated by Treetops Colour Harmonies in Perth, Western Australia which can be found at

https://treetopscolours.com.au/wool-felting/ruffled-scarf/

The process is relatively easy and once you have done it once it is easy to adapt it to larger pieces. The beauty of it is that the finished piece drapes beautifully and you can design your own fabrics! the initial silk or silk net may be embellished with silk throwsters, cottons, cut outs, fabric - basically anything you want! The photo below shows my scarf laid out ready for the application of the soapy water.

I have previously made some Nuno felt that I plan to use as the front of a handbag. Obviously the felt is quite fragile as it is merino wool felted through silk net so I plan to cross hatch this onto some quilters' muslin to provide strength. Once made the felt can be embellished with decorative stitches or beads. I love the colours of the Australian outback in this piece.

Michelle Mischkulnig is an Australian mixed media textile artist form Victoria that is creating wonderful clothing and homewares using a combination of Nuno felting and free motion machine embroidery. Her Facebook page may be found here:

https://www.facebook.com/Chelle.Textiles/