Wool Felt

Yes, it's that simple. It can also be done with 100% wool sweaters or skirts. The hot water, agitation and a little bit of detergent does the work. The dryer finishes it off the job.

It's great to work with because it will never fray so applique is simple - no need to turn any under.

Howdy!

Yep. It's that easy. Friends have been doing that and selling the product at the local quilt shop since I was there a dozen yrs. ago. Try it, Patti. Let us know.

Ragm> I received the November / December issue of Fons & Porter's "Love of

Yes, it's that simple. It can also be done with 100% wool sweaters or skirts. The hot water, agitation and a little bit of detergent does the work. The dryer finishes it off the job. It's great to work with because it will never fray so applique is simple

- no need to turn any under.

Hi Sandy Now that I know it really is "that easy", I think I'll rush over to Goodwill today and see what I can find. I was just "sure" there was something else to the process, but this doesn't sound very difficult at all! I'll definitely let you know how it goes.

Patti Howdy! Yep. It's that easy. Friends have been doing that and selling the product at the local quilt shop since I was there a dozen yrs. ago. Try it, Patti. Let us know. Ragmop/Sandy

HI patti,thats how simple it is.I also put in an old tennis ball , last time, some old flip flops for agitation and use a hot wash.I dont have a drier but it still works for me!

Removing all the extras first does make it easier.

Howdy!

2 things keep me from doing this Goodwill today and see what I can find. I was just "sure" there was> something else to the process, but this doesn't sound very difficult at> all! I'll definitely let you know how it goes.>

hi Patti, i ruined at a sweater that way yrs and yrs ago when i'd never had a wool garment before. not in the dryer but put it thru the gentle cycle on the washer and thot it would be ok, oops. oh well, live and learn, eh. shame i didnt know bout this method back then, lol.

have you seen what you can do with needle felt technique? using a barbed needle, lay wool from the ball or if you've got some wispy, for lack of a better word at this early hour of the morning, then punch the needle in and out til the top yarn and background piece merge into one unit. hard to explain but it works on various background fabs. i got some needles and top wool at Houston but havent got round to trying it just yet. oh and you need something to lay it all on while doing it...like a brush or sponge that wont grab the needle but lets the needle pass in and out as its being punched. oh crap, someone else splain this better than i'm trying now, lol. sorry, too early here, brain not into gear yet. i'll try to find a website for ya. it looks a bit like painting with wool if you're clever enough with shading etc. they showed it on denim and sweatshirts at Houston, very clever use to embellish something plain. :)

the clover site. they show the multiple needle tool. i hope the single needles i got work as well just probly take me longer to achieve a similar result. oh well. another site with more pix using the same tool. a wee bit. have fun!cheers, jeanne

Estelle - Thanks for the tip! I'm in the process of "ripping apart" now, but I'll definitely throw in a tennis ball or two when I wash my finds!

Patti HI patti,thats how simple it is.I also put in an old tennis ball , last time, some old flip flops for agitation and use a hot wash.I dont have a drier but it still works for me!

Hi Sandy I know, I know.... I don't especially "need" another project either, but I'm one of those that likes to do smaller, quicker projects as "tweeners", so I can get some "instant gratification" between larger projects - and I've been seeing the wool felt stuff in SO many magazines, and I like it!! And since we've had nothing but horrible weather here in Seattle for the past couple of months, working with wool won't be a problem for me. But definitely not something I'd want to tackle in August!! Oh - and thanks for the link..... I've already read it, and I've got my first wool sweater washing and shrinking as I type!

Patti Howdy!

2 things keep me from doing this =A0

Hi Jeanne! I've just kind of "glanced" at the needle felting stuff...... haven't really read any tutorials on it, or seen anything demonstrated. But DO let me know when you try it... I'd like to hear "first hand" how difficult it is, and how it turns out. Have you tapped into your stash from "the States" yet????

Patti in Seattle

From: snipped-for-privacy@unpickit.com (nzlstar*) wrote:

hi Patti, i ruined at a sweater that way yrs and yrs ago when i'd never had a wool garment before. not in the dryer but put it thru the gentle cycle on the washer and thot it would be ok, oops. oh well, live and learn, eh. shame i didnt know bout this method back then, lol. have you seen what you can do with needle felt technique? using a barbed needle, lay wool from the ball or if you've got some wispy, for lack of a better word at this early hour of the morning, then punch the needle in and out til the top yarn and background piece merge into one unit. hard to explain but it works on various background fabs. i got some needles and top wool at Houston but havent got round to trying it just yet. oh and you need something to lay it all on while doing it...like a brush or sponge that wont grab the needle but lets the needle pass in and out as its being punched. oh crap, someone else splain this better than i'm trying now, lol. sorry, too early here, brain not into gear yet. i'll try to find a website for ya. it looks a bit like painting with wool if you're clever enough with shading etc. they showed it on denim and sweatshirts at Houston, very clever use to embellish something plain. :)

the clover site. they show the multiple needle tool. i hope thesingle needles i got work as well just probly take me longer to achievea similar result. oh well. another site with more pix using the same tool.http://www.betzwhite.com/blog/2006/08/needle-felting-new-tool.html hth awee bit. have fun! cheers, jeanne

I don't think I've ever rummaged through clothes at a 2nd hand store before, and I just had a great time! I'm amazed at the amount of clothing "out there", that has no tags! What's up with that??? Anyway, I found some wonderful pieces. A couple of lovely jackets, 3 sweaters, 2 skirts and 1, very long coat. I've cut the buttons off and have started the "ripping apart" process - and can I just tell ya - "Eddie Bauer" wool jackets are VERY well made!

Patti in Seattle

big snip here........

Thanks for all the info. I got a Babylock wool felter for Christmas, and have been scouring the net.........After I get through our annual New Year party I am going to spend a couple of days experimenting........the sites you posted really have helped me understand what can be done.......Many thanks. Pat

Every single time I do that, I come home and can't bear to cut up the clothes! I found perfectly good wool jackets! They don't fit me or anyone else I know, but I can't just cut them up. Same thing happened when I was hunting plaid flannel for a Santa Claus thing I had going on for awhile. Found tons of great flannel shirts! Ralph Lauren! Barely broken in. Nothing wrong with them! Will they ever be worn in my house? NO! Doesn't matter. Can't cut them up.

It's sad. It really is.

Cindy

Hi Cindy I couldn't believe how many "designer" labels there were! So - that's what I began looking for. Only..... I didn't struggle with ripping them apart. I came home and dove right in. The wool is beautiful. I ripped apart an Eddie Bauer and a DKNY jacket last night, washed them, dried them, and the wool is just as soft and pretty as can be. Amazing how much it shrinks!

Now - me thinks you should just maybe take ONE of those "finds", and rip it apart so it will find a good home, instead of sitting in your closet, wanting to be loved :-)

Patti Every single time I do that, I come home and can't bear to cut up the clothes! I found perfectly good wool jackets! They don't fit me or anyone else I know, but I can't just cut them up. Same thing happened when I was hunting plaid flannel for a Santa Claus thing I had going on for awhile. Found tons of great flannel shirts! Ralph Lauren! Barely broken in. Nothing wrong with them! Will they ever be worn in my house? NO! Doesn't matter. Can't cut them up. It's sad. It really is. Cindy

I got most of mine at the "Barn" flea market where I volunteer.....for a quarter a piece. A few times I felt bad about cutting them up........and then I reminded myself what I had paid. And if they didn't sell at the Barn, they would go to Goodwill or be tossed! We're not destroying them.....we're giving them a new life.

Betty in WI

Not to mention the newfound closet space it will give me. OK, I'll give it a go. It will be hard though.

Cindy

Wow, Betty! 25=E7 is quite the bargain!! I think I paid $4 for the jackets I bought, and I think the full length coat was $12 - still a bargain, but not as good as yours! I was amazed at the amount of interfacing, double interfacing, pellon and lining that came out of those things! And the shoulder pads! But after all was said and done, I still got quite a good bit of wool. I haven't tackled the full length coat yet - that will definitely be a "watch TV and disassemble" project, as I'm sure it will take the entire evening.

Patti I got most of mine at the "Barn" flea market where I volunteer.....for a quarter a piece. A few times I felt bad about cutting them up........and then I reminded myself what I had paid. And if they didn't sell at the Barn, they would go to Goodwill or be tossed! We're not destroying them.....we're giving them a new life. Betty in WI