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Nowadays felting is no longer just a craft. Based on the experience accumulated over many centuries, supplemented by modern creative developments and techniques that have expanded the scope of application of felt, it has moved to a new level and turned into art.

Over the past few decades, the hobby of felting has swept the whole world. And there is every reason for this. Learning how to roll is quite simple, and the result is visible almost immediately, which is very important for beginners. Beginners find themselves drawn into the magic of turning lumps of wool into beautiful canvases or decorative items, and this never lets them go. In addition, it is very pleasant to work with wool - it is soft, warm and can be painted in a variety of colors. Felting usually does not require complicated devices and huge spaces - a table and a set of simple tools are enough. You can do it anywhere, both in a megalopolis and in a small village. It's a job that's always with you. And besides, it is a wonderful opportunity to decorate yourself, your home, create original gifts for loved ones and even receive a steady income.

There is another very significant reason for the popularity of felt. In modern society, tired of the "benefits of civilization" and beginning to understand the need for careful attitude to nature, conscious consumption and eco-friendly fashion are becoming more relevant and attractive. Many brands try to use organic materials and eco-friendly production, and designers, when creating their collections, focus on high-quality natural fabrics and advocate the preservation of traditional ethnic technologies of all nationalities.

Felt perfectly matches this current trend. It is a natural material obtained without harming animals and has amazing properties. Felt products have thermoregulation, they are comfortable at any temperature, they are hygroscopic, pleasant to the skin, have a beneficial effect on the body, soothe and harmonize. The technology of making felt is the most ancient, traditional, which arose among many nationalities long before the appearance of spinning wheels, looms and knitting. But most importantly, it is made exclusively by hand and carries human warmth.

Felting (also called felting, from the English.felt felt) is not just a world of fascinating needlework, it is an abyss of opportunities for artistic expression, a hobby that can be both a hobby, therapy, and business. Occupation gives them relaxation, develops imagination. It allows you to realize a lot of ideas, opens up a huge scope for creative experiments. Someone creates paintings and art canvases that represent works of art, others make colorful and original shoes, felt boots and slippers, and someone specializes in funny toys and accessories. But aerobatics is the creation of exclusive clothing, striking in its beauty and at the same time comfortable, cozy, perfectly suitable for our climatic conditions. These are things that exist in a single copy, since one hundred percent repetition is technologically impossible. Each product is unique.

Modern felt has undergone significant changes. Today it's not just wool. Various natural fibers can be used in felting, from silk and viscose to nettle, hemp and banana, which, when combined with wool, form a completely new amazing man-made material. The inclusion of a variety of fibers in wool felt changes the properties of the felt itself. With their help, you can increase plasticity or stiffness, change the thickness and thermal conductivity, prevent creasing when wearing. The study of these properties and technological developments allow us to talk about such varieties of felted fabric that will satisfy any need of a comfort-oriented consumer. There is also a thin canvas –– «summer felt ». Weightless silk felted dresses from it contain only 5–10 g of wool, which is very practical during the summer-spring off-season.

In addition to changing the technical properties of the felted fabric, the fibers also have a decorative function. They can be painted in various colors and laid in places determined by the composition. When felting, a surface with different textures is formed, which cannot be repeated in textiles in any other way. Thanks to these textures and chiaroscuro effects, an individual pattern is created on the surface of the felted canvas.

In addition, wool fibers can be combined with natural fabrics: linen, cotton, silk, chiffon, organza, crepe de chine and others. Creating canvases that are unique in colors, pattern, textures, in the process of felting, they can be supplemented with embroidery, beads, lace and feathers, creating unique author's works. This technique is called "nuno-felting" (from the Japanese "nuno") and first appeared in 1994.

The possibilities of felt are huge, you can dump anything from the thinnest transparent summer dress to a warm winter fur coat. And feltmakers are constantly coming up with new techniques and methods of working with this wonderful material. Using them, you can bring to life any design idea – things can be both seamless, that is, seamless, and made using classical technology from felt cloth. Thanks to the plasticity of felt, you can achieve a perfect fit on any figure.

To be continued.

Photo: works by masters A. Pilin, E. Smirnova, E. Selezneva, I. Davydova, I. Spasskaya, N. Shcherbakova, L. Rudometkina.