Page 44 - JOA August 2020

The Felting Craze: A Craft to Collect Now

hether you have observed needle-felted first explorers. While the British and
figures or wet-felted works of art while European makes of felt hats and
Wout and about, this new twist on an old clothing were losing business,
material is taking the art and craft world by fire. America’s textile industry became
more established and thrived.
History In 1820, J.R. Williams invented
Felt is an ancient textile created as far back as the first industrialized way to make
5000-4000 BC. Sheep had been domesticated felt. Mechanically made felt hats
another 2000 years previous to that date. and flat felt for making other
Mesopotamian tribes living outside the large centers products soon created their own
of civilized life made and used felt to create things Artist Zoe Stainton working on a nee- strong marketplace.
dle-felted rabbit sculptures
such as rugs, sacks and bags, clothing, and began to
“brand” themselves with certain colors and patterns. From Industry to Art
Over the centuries, the practice became more refined and spread across Fast-forward to Mid-Twentieth century and fiber artists turned to
Europe. According to Patricia Spark, “Feltmaking in North America is of feltmaking for creative fulfillment. Even though the U.S. did not have a
relatively new origin. There is no known evidence that the original peoples folk art tradition in feltmaking, these artists were free to experiment with
of this continent ever made felt prior to European/Scandinavian contact. the use of the wool to created felted art. Said Spark, “The fiber experi-
It is known that the Spaniards introduced felt hat making into Central and menters began with the making felt by abusing the wool; i.e. doing to
South America. This tech- wool fiber what you had been taught never to do to a wool garment.
nology is still used today in Things like plunging it into boiling water and then into icy cold water, or
those areas, but it was not stomping it with their feet between these plungings. Some people threw
until the French and English the fleece batts into their washing machines, which resulted in a tangled
explorations of North mass of felted streamers.”
America began to take place More recently, needle-felting has come forward as a way to create a
that feltmaking become sturdier structure for making figures and intricate 3-D works. Wet-felting
important here.” grew to include more colorful options through the wetting/designing/
Early on in North shrinking of wool felt to bring forth a fabric to use or a picture to frame.
America, fur pelts were sent
back to Europe so the under- Collecting Felt
coat could be used to make Artists working in the realm of needle- or wet-felting are
Felt covering of a saddle cover with felt for hats. As settlements getting shows at galleries across the country. Pieces on display
“mouflon” (wild sheep). Just one of many amazing items were established across the can range from a 3” chick to a life-size tree and more. Pricing
excavated in the mid-20th century in the Pazyryk area of country, the felting industry for smaller figures range from $50-$100+ and larger works
Southern Siberia. can bring thousands of dollars. Look for things that speak to
Collection of the State Hermitage Museum, became a “civilized” business
St Petersburg, Russia. for those who came after the you and your sense of beauty.

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42 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles