Nuno Felted Shawl

• Nuno Felting 1 – Intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyEfiUV40KQ
• Nuno Felting 2 – Laying out & rolling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eHUn9QxphE
• Nuno Felting 3 – Finishing & rinsing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTv_Aktac9g
• Adding Texture to Nuno Felting (by Suzanne Morgan: http://youtu.be/8772Pnjm5No

• 5 yards of 36” wide 3.5mm silk
• 30 grams of 18 micron wool
• Iron
• Towels for table
• .6 or .7 mil painter’s plastic
• Bubble wrap the length and width of the project
• Tulle or netting the length and width of the project
• Spray bottle or fertilizer sprayer
• Warm water
• Dishwashing liquid – the most natural possible without lanolin or lotion
• Finishing sander without vacuum tube (optional)

• Students will use color and texture to design a nuno felted composition
• Students will create nuno felt through manipulation of materials
• Students will create a garment that can be worn from their nuno felt

Step 1 – Begin by ironing the fabric, getting it as flat and even as possible. Then fold over approximately 3” on either side to form the ruffles. The cut edge of the fabric on either end will be finished with wool later. 

 

 

 

 

Step 2 – Carefully divide the wool into 8 long bands. Set aside. To make the ruffled edge, begin to lay out the horizontal bands along the inside edge of the folded fabric (see photo below), tugging on the wool to flatten it as you go. The wool will go through both pieces of fabric. One of the bands you split off should stretch to make one of the bands going the length of the shawl. Continue with the wool about 4” past the edges of the fabric to make the fringes or the edges.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 3 – Continue to lay out the long horizontal bands, splitting the area in the middle into 3 areas. There should be 5 long bands in all – each one should extend past the edges of the fabric about 4” to make the fringes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 4 – Next, begin to lay out the vertical bands along the cut edges, being careful to keep the wool on top of the silk. These bands also extend beyond the edges of the fabric about 4”. Lay out 5 or more vertical bands across the width of the fabric, just eyeing the spacing and making it fairly even as you go. The 5 interior bands should stop at the beginning of the horizontal band that makes the ruffled edge and not extend into the ruffle. These bands can be straight, or you can make them have some curves, or whatever shape pleases you. The bands on the sample curve a little bit on the last 1/3 of the band. There are 7 vertical bands in all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 5 – When you are happy with the layout, add your decorative finishes. In the sample shown, small thin pieces of silk and bamboo roving were spread across the piece. Tiny wisps of wool were added on top to secure the silk and bamboo roving.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 6 – Wet out your work, either by covering with tulle and adding cool soapy water, or use the fertilizer sprayer on the finest setting as shown in the photo. You do not have to cover your work if you use the fertilizer sprayer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 7 – Cover your work with the lightest weight painter’s plastic (.6 or .7 mil). Rub lightly with a scrunched up plastic bag to make sure the wool is flattened and the water is spread evenly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 8 – Roll or sand your work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 9 – When you are finished rolling or sanding and the wool is securely adhered to the fabric, begin to full your work. Scrunch, throw, roll etc. to shrink your work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 10 – Rinse the piece to get the soap out. Also rinse with white vinegar to restore the ph of the wool. Lay flat to dry. Iron it with a cool iron when it is dry. Enjoy!

• Shape an artistic investigation of an aspect of present-day life using a contemporary practice of art or design.
• Through experimentation, practice, and persistence, demonstrate acquisition of skills and knowledge in a chosen art form.
• Hypothesize ways in which art influences perception and understanding of human experiences.
• Document the process of developing ideas from early stages to fully elaborated ideas.

• Silk chiffon – a sheer fabric of silk in plain weave
• Wool roving – a roving is a long and narrow bundle of fiber. Rovings are produced during the process of making spun yarn from wool fleece, raw cotton or other fibers. Their main use is as fiber prepared for spinning, but they may also be used for specialized kinds of knitting or other textile arts.
• Prefelt – the first stage in the felting process in which the wool fibers begin to, but are not completely, bonded together,
• Fulling – the felting process continued until the fibers are completely bonded together.
• Ruching – a pleated, fluted, or gathered strip of fabric.

• Artist Suzanne Morgan – http://suzannemorgan.com/
• Felting Lessons from Terri Pike – http://www.feltinglessons.com/