12/17/2025
The process of nuno felting:
Silk fabric: sari silk, known as Habotai
Extract fine merino fiber
Bits of silk “ribbons” from habotai and silk yarns
Bubble wrap
Plastic dropcloth
string
A towel
Two pool noodles
A sprayer or ball brause for wetting the work
Dish soap
The fiber is navy/dark blue, as is the silk. My kitchen lights arent the best. Once the piece is completely designed and wetted, it’s rolled up and tied. Rhen it must be rolled 1,000 times, unwrapped, and fulled (thrown/agitated) in cold soapy water 75 times or so, and then in hot soapy water. Rhis is when the wool fiber shrinks, causing the silk to pucker and lock the fiber to the silk fabric.
The final stage is blocking, steaming and sometimes embellishing with hand stitching and/or beads.
This process was invented in 1993 by Penny Stirling in Australia. There are may variations
to her process now. This is the process I have arrived at after several years of working in this medium.
Tomorrow I will post the finished piece.
