History of . . . Felted Wool
Felted wool is considered to be the oldest known textile. The process dates back thousands of years and is believed to have originated in central Asia. In Turkey, the remains of felt have been found which date back to at least 6,500 BC.
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Producing felted wool takes the finest, purest, carefully prepared wool and blends it to produce strong fabric. Being a completely natural fabric, felted wool is very comfortable and breathable. It is also windproof and rain will tend to run off it.
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Being such an ancient process, it's completely chemical free and as such, organic and natural, which makes it an ideal fabric. Given the intricate simplicity of the production process, the method has not changed for centuries.
Here at Estambul Atelier, I use the wet felting method which involves taking fine wool fibres and using natural pure olive oil soap and warm water, The wool fibres, once carefully laid out in two or more layers, are covered with a light mesh and gently agitated with the soap and warm water to create the felt fabric. The more layers of wool will increase the thickness of the finished fabric.
Needle felting is a more modern process which allows intricate designs to be added to felted wool fabric, It uses the same pure wool. A special needle is used to create the desired pattern. The process locks the wool fibres in place. No adhesive or stitching is required.
