Outback Fibers Felting Instructions for beginning to advanced felters.

Instructions
How to work with needled prefelts (Felting Fabric)

(800) 276-5015

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Special Products

Treetops Wool & Silk
-Merino Harmonies
-Tussah Harmonies
-Tussah Solids
-Bombyx Silk
-Silk Hankies
-Throwster's Waste

Merino Superfine / Extrafine
Superfine Mixed Bags
Needled Prefelts Felting Fabric
Felt Bead Kit
Mixed Bags
Spiral Dyed Wool
Spiral Dyed Silk
Wool Batts
Color Palette
Felt Kit
Felting Needles
Spinners Gift Box
Books on Felting
Workshops

Throwster's Waste

Spiral Dyed Silk

Silk to match the spiral dyed wool roving (below)

Spiral Dyed Roving

See our new Merino roving-- Spiral dyed in a myriad of colors

Wool Felting Batts

Felting Batts! We now stock Merino-Corriedale batts in 6 natural colors.

Feltmaking Kit

New felter?
Felt teacher?
Felt classes?
Try our NEW Felt Kits!!!

Color Palette Take a look at the entire color palette of our 100% merino roving

This palette is available NOW! Approx 1lb and contains approx. 22" of all colors. Buy Now

Mixed Bags

Mixed Bags are a great way to try a number of colors.

Spinners Gift Box

Wool Scarves

Check out this page showing some beautiful scarves and jackets. If you would like a workshop for scarves, let us know

Needle Felting

Order wool and needles from us!

Outback Fiber Names
What's in a name? Take a look!

Sheepskins
The Wool Shed is now selling imported Australian sheepskins. Look at the colors! These are great as throw rugs.

Felting Instructions

Needled Prefelt Wool Batting imported from Australia

Wool Prefelt Batting, also called Felting Fabric, is a lightweight, needled pre-felt yardage that can be used in a variety of ways.

Produced in a 60”x80” sheet, it can be cut into specific designs and applied to the surface of your fibers or fabric. It can then be needled or wet-felted into the background. It can be used in single or multiple layers.
Applied to sheer fabrics such as silk, cotton scrim, chiffon etc it will readily penetrate the fabric since it is a superfine 20-micron merino. It can be applied as an entire sheet, or may be cut into strips for a lattice design, or random shapes for individual design. After rolling, use the tossing method to develop the texture in the laminated felt. A few minutes in the dryer on medium heat can produce even more intense texture at the end.
A single layer can be wet-felted by rolling for a very sheer, flexible scarf-weight felt.
A single layer of our prefelt batting can be topped with a single fine layer of merino roving and silk fibers for a perfect weight for scarves, shawls and wraps. Shrinkage will be about 35% using this method.

To create felt yardage in less time, and with less effort than you thought possible, take a full or half-size sheet and unfold it carefully into a single thickness. Carefully dunk it in warm, sudsy water. Gently squeeze out some of the water and drop or “toss” the wet prefelt batt into the bottom of your sink or on your work surface. A total of 40-50 drops will stabilize the prefelted batt to a stage where it can now be over-dyed or resist-dyed. Open up the piece after every 8-10 tosses and check to make sure the edges are not rolling in and felting together. Peel apart gently if they have, and continue tossing. If dyeing is not desired at this stage, place the batt loosely in the drum of your dryer. Tumble on medium heat for 15-20 minutes, checking every 4-5 minutes to keep it tumbling loosely. At each check, remove the prefelt and gently stretch in both directions before returning to the dryer. Shrinkage can be up to 50% by this method, but can be varied by stretching more in a single direction

To incorporate surface design on felt yardage, tumble the prefelt in dryer only long enough to stabilize the felt. Using your needle-felting machine (or hand-punch) add surface fibers to create desired effect. Needle in well. Return to warm water to wet through. Squeeze again and return to dryer.

This prefelted batt may be cut and/or slashed before felting to create open spaces. Cut into strips, it can be woven together in multi-colors, inserting pieces of silk fabric for additional interest.

Making yardage from Felting Fabric

Making a Scarf from Felting Fabric

Workshops

Jill is available for teaching Outback Felting Workshops to a group or privately. Please call or email for more information.

Outback Fibers
from the Wool Shed
312 Oak Plaza Cove
Georgetown, TX 78628

Phone orders: (512-869-6438) or (800) 276-5015
International: (512) 869-6438
Fax: (440) 575-6316
Email orders: Email Orders