The Society of Lint Wranglers
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
As debate rages again on the feltmaker’s list, the subject of what is “true” felt is present in mind. There is much discussion and confusion concerning the difference of wet felt versus boiled wool felt (knitted and shrunk) and needle-felt. I included a chapter about these nonwovens in my book due out in the next year, and found that it is better to be a pluralist than a purist. Why should we limit what we do or exclude different members of our tribe?
One of the frustrations of being on the frontlines is the amount of education that is required to get people up to speed on what exactly felt is. No matter what you relate it to, it is hard for the general public to imagine since the process is so magical. People will recognize it based on what they are familiar with whether it is their boiled wool felt jacket or the felting projects their children are doing in school. Very few know wet-felt when they see it and are naturally mistrustful of this ancient and wonderful technique. It leads to many interesting comments that you hear from the public at shows.
One of the ones that bruised my ego the most was “Look! It’s made out of dryer lint!” Where do you start from there? The other day, though, I heard perhaps my favorite comment: “Wow, this is boiled wool! She has perfected the technique; you can’t even see the knitting!!”
There are so many possible directions and tools to use, whether they are knitting needles, felting needles or rolling machines. At the end of the day, we are all part of the flexible, wonderful world of nonwovens, known by the word “felt.” Perhaps there is much we can learn from these different ways of working with wool?
Once I met a woman who felted her dryer lint into boots: it took weeks and she had to borrow all the dryer lint that her neighbors produced, but she said it was worth it and it worked! I guess you can felt from dryer lint after-all 
Felt Combinations
Sunday, September 27, 2009
playing with combinations for a photoshoot…
New Ribbon Scarves
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
introducing our elusive new creation….drum roll please!
the Ribbon Scarf
New Rose Scarf Photos by Francis Willey
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Just got these romantic Rose scarf photos from the talented Francis Willey, photographer and all around artist extraordinaire. They are so captivating…
New Rose Scarf Photos by Darla Teagarden
Sunday, September 6, 2009
The incredibly talented Darla Teagarden used one of our Rose Scarves in her recent project!
You can see more images from this fascinating series at Darla’s Blog as well as images from her other projects!!
New Scarf Images by Gina Barbara
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Superfly Feather Felt Earrings!
Saturday, August 15, 2009
I just got these totally cute photos of Caitlin wearing the super-long feather felt earrings deluxe taken by Al Bar.
2 more San Franciscans who made the long journey East to NYC-we’ll miss you guys!
Inside the studio: rainbow day
Monday, August 3, 2009
I love making rainbow scarves: watching the colors blend together like brushstrokes as it shrinks, shrinks, shrinks…
SUMMER’S ARMIES
Some rainbow coming from the fair!
Some vision of the world Cashmere
I confidently see!
Or else a peacock’s purple train,
Feather by feather, on the plain
Fritters itself away!
The dreamy butterflies bestir,
Lethargic pools resume the whir
Of last year’s sundered tune.
From some old fortress on the sun
Baronial bees march, one by one,
In murmuring platoon!
The robins stand as thick to-day
As flakes of snow stood yesterday,
On fence and roof and twig.
The orchis binds her feather on
For her old lover, Don the Sun,
Revisiting the bog!
Without commander, countless, still,
The regiment of wood and hill
In bright detachment stand.
Behold! Whose multitudes are these?
The children of whose turbaned seas,
Or what Circassian land?
New Web Stuff
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Well, there’s a folder on my desktop called “Blog About” and it is starting to burst at the seams!
We’ll use a scattershot approach to cover some news and interesting sites for a veritable cornucopia of random felt information 
Also-I’m going to try to get better at identifying the types of felt nonwovens that are depicted, just to help demystify the tangled world of felt.
#1 Going Great & Green with Fiber & Textile Art by Gail Carriger’s Hail the Victorious Parasol
laser-cut flowers from industrial pressed felt by Lana
#2 Great Green Goods: GreatGreenGoods is a shopping blog. Everything featured is created from recycled materials . We find the ordinary as well as the unusual eco-friendly products created from previously used resources.
Helle Jorgensen (aka Gooseflesh) makes boiled wool felt jewelry from recycled tapestry wool from Great Green Goods’ post
#3 The Velvet Highway: a home for Canadian textile and fibre arts and writing coordinated by joe lewis
This piece by Denise Richards really caught my eye: Anemone (ottoman) handwoven boiled wool felt from The Velvet Highway’s Link
Hey Look: They were at the Entrepreneurial Textiles conference too!!
#4 Wearable Arts Blog (we love them!)
The Wearable Art Blog’s posting about Francoise Hoffman from Lyon, France was quite inspiring, showing her wet-felted wool (or possibly nuno felt or a boiled wool knitted felt) garments. It looks to be made from 2 pieces: look at how the sleeve emerges from an opening at the armhole! Too cool.
Hold one moment while we redirect you….
Thursday, July 23, 2009
….to an excellent blog all about wearable art and artists.
The Wearable Arts Blog is put together by a lovely woman who is really on the ball. I got an email from her many moons ago and had the delight of being one of her featured artists. I wish she had a bit more about herself on the site that I could share with you, but the blog itself is filled with her keen eye for art and a hands-on, personable approach to presenting the work. All those interviews and insightful text….and there is definitely a love for felt there!
Check out the recent posting on Finnish felt artists Elina Saari and Aki Leppänen
Or the post about Australian felt artist Katelyn Aslett:
The Wearable Art Blog is dedicated to building appreciation of the most talented jewelry and clothing designers from the U.S. and around the globe.
