Understanding Felt: A Comprehensive Guide to Felt History, Properties, and Uses
Introduction to Felt and Its Historical Significance
Felt is one of mankind’s earliest materials and has been in use for thousands upon thousands of years. It is a nonwoven fabric, made by matting, condensing and pressing fibers together until they become strong but flexible. While predominantly using wool as its base material, traditional felting techniques have incorporated other natural bases such as alpaca or cashmere — even synthetic ones too. In this guide we will know about what is felt and why it is used on various products of our daily life.
Materials Used in Felting
Felt making involves various materials, each contributing unique characteristics to the final product:
1. Wool:
The most commonly used type because it is easy to scale up production with this material and also interlocks well due to microscopic scales on fibre surfaces.
2. Synthetic fibres
These may include polyester or acrylics which are added for extra strength, durability and water resistance.
3. Natural fibres
Besides wool these could be anything from bamboo through silk all the way down to flax (and beyond) with their unique textures and characteristics being desired.
Key Steps in the Felting Process
Getting the Fibers Ready:
So as to put them in order, the fibers are cleaned and carded.
Layering: A solid structure is created by crossing fibers.
Layering:
A solid structure is created by crossing fibers.
Wetting:
The fibers are opened up by application of warm soapy water.
Agitation:
Cohesion is developed in the fibers through stirring them uniformly with pressure and movement.
Fulling:
This involves compressing the cloth by rolling and shocking it which makes it stronger.
Properties of Felt
Felt is a unique fabric in the textile world because of its properties:
Strength:
Strong and tough, able to resist being squashed or pulled.
Insulation:
Great insulator of heat and sound.
Waterproofness:
The oils that are natural to wool fibers make them not absorb water.
Flexibility:
Can be made into whatever thickness or density needed.
Uses for Felt
Various industries take advantage of felt’s versatility:
Fashion — Hats, shoes, and other accessories can all be made from this material.
Interior Design — Its attractive appearance combined with durability makes it perfect for upholstery, carpets, curtains etcetera.
Industrial Applications — Soundproofing; gaskets; filters etcetera.
Arts And Crafts — Decorative artists love using felt because it is easy to work with and has such great texture.
