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I have 2 wool patchwork quilts and the wool was sewn exactly like cotton would be, except that it was cut into 4 inch squares and those were sewn together without sashing, but the colors of the wool were carefully considered and the quilts were wonderful blended shades of brown , grey, and taupe that graduated almost in waves through out the quilt. The seams are thicker because the fabric is thicker than cotton. My quilts were tied not quilted.The wool was not pretreated in any way.
I have never felted wool but plan to do it soon. A woman I know makes many things. Recently I saw her black dressy purse, a pair of mittens lined with fleece and a beautiful tote/purse. She says it is easy. All I know is that she could make some serious money if she wanted to sell her felted crafts. These items are so stylish, she adds flowers and beads.
i've been preping over-dyeing & felting recycled wool for years- i'm one of those who always de-constructs first- i remove all linings, buttons, zippers, snaps, cut away all seams (they are easier to remove before the felting process & then your felted item is more evenly felted- when the item is left intact it does not felt evenly-
with suit jackets, skirts, dresses ect you seldom have any really small pieces-they are all quite large.
i put everything (like colors unless i'm overdyeing) into a hot washer (i add water from my steaming teakettle) with a small amount of detergent and the regular aggitation cycle- i generally keep resetting the cycle & adding hot water for 3-4 full wash cycles (not letting the water drain-keep resetting until i'm happy with the felting) every 10 minutes or so i lift up a piece & check it to see how it's doing-some wools felt faster than others- when it has felted to my liking i let it drain- rinse in COLD water- then toss into a hot dryer. when the wools come out that are *meaty* - done shrinking- no edges will ravel- you can cut them up for any project / use - the finished project is washable- the wool is done shrinking- wool is wonderful to work with- in fact i'm doing some wool dyeing today
hiding away in my stash where i'm warm, safe and happy
I was buying a lot of used clothing for wool rugs and just threw them in the washer with regular detergent. Then I could take my time cutting them up and they were clean when I did it. I did not want bags of questionable used clothing sitting around. I was amazed just how little they changed after washing the whole suit or such. I can get more felting later if I need it but they are amazing to use as is.
I now only buy pieces that have fantastic color. Once found a hot pink wool skirt at a resale shop.
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