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
