Does anyone have any tips or tricks for felting?

Any and all information would be helpful.

Thank you.:D

HOw do I wash something to felt it?

Are you supposed to just throw it in the washer? Or certain cycle or setting?

I did find the following. Looks like it needs to be done in hot water. There is more information on the link below. I hope that this is helpful to you! :)

From: Felt - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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This "wet" process utilizes the inherent nature of wool and other animal hairs, because the hairs have scales on them which are directional. The hairs also have kinks in them, and this combination of scales (like the structure of a pine cone) is what reacts to the stimulation of friction and causes the phenomenon of felting. It tends to work well only with woolen fibers as their scales, when aggravated, bond together to form a cloth.

Felting is done by a chemical process in industry. It is also sometimes done with special felting needles, which grab individual fibers and drag them against their neighbors, thereby binding them. Felting may also be done in a domestic washing machine on a hot cycle.

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You're awesome, Clough... always helpful... I will try it in hot water...

Thanks, Momma!

Now, you know that I am by no means experienced at what you are trying to do. There may be others who come along who are experienced who will have first-hand knowledge as to what you are wanting to do. I just found something on the Internet. But, I have been concerned because people here overall have not been responding to your craft type questions. And, that surprises me. So, I try to take a stab at your questions like that if the information that I find is from a good source and looks reliable.

To felt an item, wash it in the washing machine with hot water, use a lot of detergent and throw in an old pair of jeans or fabric that you knot up. It needs to be "beat" in the washer. If you can still see the stitches when you take it out, it has not been washed enough. Plan on having your item shrink, and it must be wool. Good luck!

Me again, I forgot to tell you to lay it flat to dry, you don't want to put it in the dryer.

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Originally Posted by mammaclaus

Me again, I forgot to tell you to lay it flat to dry, you don't want to put it in the dryer.

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Thank you, and why can't you put it in the dryer?

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Originally Posted by ChihuahuaMomma

Thank you, and why can't you put it in the dryer?

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I think because depending on the amount of actual wool fibers in the felt, and how hot the dryer is, that whatever is made of felt and put into a hot dryer, will shrink considerably.

When I was a child, I remember that one time my mom washed and put a wool stocking cap of mine in the dryer on a hot setting. We both got quite a chuckle out of the fact that, upon removing the cap from the dryer, it had become a more suitable size for a doll's head than a human one! :p

What is quoted below is from the following site: Wool Felt Squares - Erica's Craft & Sewing Center Please note the text that I have made italic.

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Here's some info: Wool felt will shrink when washed in warm or hot water. Often a pattern suggests felting the wool before using. This is done by washing in hot water, rinsing in cold, then drying. You can do this all by hand (easier for smaller pieces) or in the washing machine (for large pieces). Please note, if using the washing machine, use a gentle cycle as the wool felt will shrink quite a bit and become rather "lumpy". The lumps can be smoothed by ironing. Be sure to allow extra material because of the shrinkage.

If doing the process by hand, you can control the texture more easily, removing your pieces from the hot water as soon as you reach the desired effect. If you use the dryer to dry, tumble in air only as the hotter settings will shrink the piece quite a bit. You can set the piece out on a towel to dry, turning over every so often to help the process. If the item you're using it for will be washed in the future (like a sweatshirt), try to wash it either by hand or in the gentle cycle, using cool water. It would probably be safest to let it air dry, as the wool might shrink more, even though it was previously washed (I'm sorry, I have made wool felt pieces for the store, and felted the fabrics before using them, but haven't tried washing any of it after the fact. It would probably be safest to use the gentlest methods you can.)

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The way it has been explained to me is that even though you wash the wool in very hot water, you are too them take it out and shape it. When a wool item is wet, you still have control of it's shape and to a point its size. If you dried it in the dryer, most likely it would not dry flat and may not be the shape you want, (rectangular, etc.)

It is also a good idea as mentioned above to check the item several times before the washing cycle is complete. The reason for this is there are various degrees of felting. Mild were you don't see the stitches to extremely rough and worn looking.

Good luck on your project!

Fantastic... Thank you guys.