Learn About Felt

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Benjamin Boster.

Today's episode is from a Wikipedia article titled,

Felt.

Felt is a textile that is produced by matting,

Condensing,

And pressing fibers together.

Felt can be made of natural fibers such as wool or animal fur,

Or from synthetic fibers such as petroleum-based acrylic or acrylonitrile or wood pulp-based rayon.

Blended fibers are also common.

Natural fiber felt has special properties that allow it to be used for a wide variety of purposes.

It is fire-retardant and self-extinguishing.

It dampens vibration and absorbs sound,

And can hold large amounts of fluid without feeling wet.

Felt from wool is one of the oldest known textiles.

Many cultures have legends as to the origins of felt-making.

Sumerian legend claims that the secret of felt-making was discovered by Ornaman of Lagash.

The story of St.

Clement and St.

Christopher relates that the men packed their sandals with wool to prevent blisters while fleeing from persecution.

At the end of their journey,

The movement and sweat had turned the wool into felt socks.

Most likely,

Felt's origins can be found in Central Asia,

Where there is evidence of felt-making in Siberia,

Altai Mountains,

And northern Mongolia,

And more recently evidence dating back to the 1st century CE in Mongolia.

Siberian tombs,

7th to 2nd century BCE,

Show the broad uses of felt in that culture,

Including clothing,

Jewelry,

Wall hangings,

And elaborate horse blankets.

Employing careful color use,

Stitching,

And other techniques,

These felt-makers were able to use felt as an illustrative and decorative medium on which they could depict abstract designs and realistic scenes with great skill.

Over time,

These makers became known for the beautiful abstract patterns they used that were derived from plant,

Animal,

And other symbolic designs.

From Siberia and Mongolia,

Felt-making spread across the areas held by the Turkic-Mongolian tribes.

Sheep and camel herds were central to the wealth and lifestyle of these tribes,

Both of which animals were critical to producing the fibers needed for felting.

As nomads traveling frequently and living on fairly treeless plains,

Felt provided housing,

Yurts,

Tents,

Etc.

,

Insulation,

Floor coverings,

And inside walling,

As well as many household necessities from bedding and coverings to clothing.

In nomadic peoples,

An area where felt-making was particularly visible was in trapping for their animals and for travel.

Felt was often featured in the blankets that went under saddles.

Dyes provided rich coloring and colored slices of pre-felts,

Semi-felted sheets that could be cut in decorative ways,

Along with dyed yarns and threads,

Were combined to create beautiful designs on the wool backgrounds.

Felt was even used to create totems and amulets with protective functions.

In traditional societies,

The patterns embedded in the felt were also imbued with significant religious and symbolic meaning.

Felt-making is still practiced by nomadic peoples,

Such as Mongols and Turkic people,

In Central Asia where rugs,

Tents,

And clothing are regularly made.

Some of these are traditional items,

Such as the classic yurt or djer,

While others are designed for the tourist market,

Such as decorated slippers.

In the Western world,

Felt is widely used as a medium for expression in both textile art and contemporary art and design,

Where it has significance as an ecological responsible textile and building material.

In addition to Central Asian traditions of felting,

Scandinavian countries have also supported felt-making,

Particularly for clothing.

In the wet felting process,

Hot water is applied to layers of animal hairs,

While repeated agitation and compression causes the fibers to hook together or weave together into a single piece of fabric.

Wrapping the properly arranged fiber in a sturdy,

Textured material,

Such as a bamboo mad or burlap,

Will speed up the felting process.

The felted material may be finished by fulling.

Only certain types of fibers can be wet felted successfully.

Most types of fleece,

Such as those taken from the alpaca or the merino sheep,

Can be put through the wet felting process.

One may also use mohair,

Goat,

Angora,

Rabbit,

Or hair from rodents such as beavers and muskrats.

These types of fiber are covered in tiny scales,

Similar to the scales found on a strand of human hair.

Heat,

Motion,

And moisture of the fleece causes the scales to open,

While agitating them causes them to latch onto each other,

Creating felt.

There is an alternative theory that the fibers wind around each other during felting.

Plant fibers and synthetic fibers will not wet felt.

In order to make multicolored designs,

Felters conduct a two-step process in which they create pre-felts of specialized colors.

These semi-completed sheets of colored felt can then be cut with a sharp implement,

Knife or scissors,

And the distinctive colors placed next to each other as in making a mosaic.

The felting process is then resumed and the edges of the fabric attached to each other as the felting process is completed.

Sherdack carpets,

Turkmenistan,

Use a form of this method wherein two pieces of contrasting color are cut out with the same pattern.

The cutouts are then switched,

Fitting one into the other,

Which makes a sharply defined and colorful patterned piece.

In order to strengthen the joints of a mosaic-style felt,

Felt makers often add a backing layer of fleece that is felted along with the other components.

Felt makers can differ in their orientation to this added layer,

Where some will lay it on top of the design before felting and others will place the design on top of the strengthening layer.

The process of felting was adapted to the lifestyles of the different cultures in which it flourished.

In Central Asia,

It is common to conduct the rolling friction process with the aid of a horse,

Donkey,

Or camel,

Which will pull the rolled felt until the process is complete.

Alternately,

A group of people in a line might roll the felt along,

Kicking it frequently with their feet.

Further fulling can include throwing or slamming and working the edges with careful roll.

In Turkey,

Some baths had areas dedicated to felt making,

Making use of the steam and hot water that were already present for bathing.

As felting grew in importance to a society,

So too did the knowledge about techniques and approaches.

Amateur or community felting obviously continued in many communities at the same time that felting specialists and felting centers began to develop.

However,

The importance of felting to community life can be seen in the fact that,

In many Central Asian communities,

Felt production is directed by a leader who oversees the process as a ritual that includes prayer,

Words,

And actions to bring good luck to the process.

Successfully completing the creation of felt,

Certainly large felt pieces,

Is reason for celebration,

Feasting,

And the sharing of traditional stories.

In Turkey,

Craft guilds called Ahi came into being,

And these groups were responsible for registering members and protecting the knowledge of felting.

In Istanbul,

At one time,

There were 1,

000 felters working in 400 workshops registered in this Ahi.

Needle felting is a method of creating felt that uses specially designed needles instead of water.

Felting needles have angled notches along the shaft that catch fibers and tangle them together to produce felt.

These notches are sometimes erroneously called barbs,

But barbs are protrusions,

Like barbed wire,

And would be too difficult to thrust into the wool and nearly impossible to pull out.

Felting needles are thin and sharp,

With shafts of a variety of differing gauges and shapes.

Needle felting is used in industrial felt making,

As well as for individual art and craft applications.

Felting needles are sometimes fitted in holders that allow the use of two or more needles at one time to sculpt wool objects and shapes.

Individual needles are often used for detail,

While multiple needles that are paired together are used for larger areas,

Or to form the base of the project.

At any point in time,

A variety of fibers and fiber colors may be added,

Using needles to incorporate them into the project.

Needle felting can be used to create both two-dimensional and three-dimensional artwork,

Including soft sculpture,

Dolls,

Figurines,

Jewelry,

And two-dimensional wool paintings.

Needle felting is popular with artists and craftspeople worldwide.

One example is Ikuyo Fujita,

A Japanese artist who works primarily in needle felt painting and mogul,

Pipe cleaner art.

Recently needle felting machines have become popular for art or craft felters.

Similar to a sewing machine,

These tools have several needles that punch fibers together.

These machines can be used to create felted products more efficiently.

The embellishment machine allows the user to create unique combinations of fibers and designs.

Felt is used in a wide range of industries and manufacturing processes,

From the automotive industry and casinos,

To musical instruments and home construction,

As well as in gun wadding,

Either inside cartridges or pushed down the barrel of a muzzleloader.

Felt had many uses in ancient times and continues to be widely used today.

Felt is frequently used in industry as a sound or vibration damper,

As a non-woven fabric for air filtration,

And in machinery for cushioning and padding moving parts.

Felt can be used in home furnishings like table runners,

Placemats,

Coasters,

And even as backing for area rugs.

It can add a touch of warmth and texture to a space.

During the 18th and 19th centuries,

Gentleman's headwear made from beaver felt were popular.

In the early part of the 20th century,

Cloth felt hats such as fedoras,

Trilbies,

And homburgs were worn by many men in the Western world.

Felt is often used in footwear as boot liners,

With the Russian valenki being an example.

Many musical instruments use felt.

It is often used as a damper.

On drum cymbal stands,

It protects the cymbal from cracking and ensures a clean sound.

It is used to wrap bass drum strikers and timpani mallets.

Felt is used extensively in pianos.

For example,

Piano hammers are made of wool felt around a wooden core.

The density and springiness of the felt is a major part of what creates a piano's tone.

As the felt becomes grooved and packed with use and age,

The tone suffers.

Felt is placed under the piano keys on accordions to control touch and key noise.

It is also used on the pallets to silence notes not sounded by preventing airflow.

Felt is used with other instruments,

Particularly stringed instruments,

As a damper to reduce volume or eliminate unwanted sounds.

Felt is used for framing paintings.

It is laid between the slip mount and picture as a protective measure to avoid damage from rubbing to the edge of the painting.

Felt is commonly found as a preventative measure on paintings which have already been restored or professionally framed.

It is widely used to protect paintings executed on various surfaces,

Including canvas,

Wood panel,

And copper plate.

A felt-covered board can be used in storytelling to small children.

Small felt cutouts or figures of animals,

People,

Or other objects will adhere to a felt board,

And in the process of telling the story,

The storyteller also acts it out on the board with the animals or people.

Puppets can also be made with felt.

The best-known example of felt puppets are Jim Henson's Muppets.

Felt-pressed dolls,

Such as Lensy dolls,

Were very popular in the 19th century and just after World War I.

As part of the overall renewal of interest in textile and fiber arts,

Beginning in the 1970s and continuing through today,

Felt has experienced a strong revival in interest,

Including its historical roots.

Polly Sterling,

A fiber artist from New South Wales,

Australia,

Is commonly associated with the development of nunofelting,

A key technique for contemporary art felting.

German artist Joseph Beuys prominently integrates felt within his works.

English artist Jenny Cowern shifted from traditional drawing and painting media into using felt as her primary media.

Modern-day felters with access to a broad range of sheep and other animal fibers have exploited knowledge of these different breeds to produce special effects in their felt.

Sheep's locks are classified by the Bradford or micron count,

Both which designate the fineness to coarseness of the material.

Fine wools range from 64 to 80 Bradford,

Medium 40 to 60 Bradford,

And coarse 36 to 60 Bradford.

Merino,

The finest and most delicate sheep fleece,

Will be employed for clothing that goes next to the body.

Claudie Youngstra raises traditional and rare breeds of sheep with much hardier coats,

Drenth,

Heath,

Gutland,

Shoonbeak,

And wensleydale on her property in Friesland,

And these are used in her interior design projects.

Exploitation of these characteristics of the fleece in tandem with the use of their techniques,

Such as stitching and incorporation of other fibers,

Provides felters with a broad range of possibilities.

Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials,

Including fibers,

Yarns,

Filaments,

Threads,

Different fabric types,

Etc.

At first the word textiles only referred to woven fabrics,

However weaving is not the only manufacturing method,

And many other methods were later developed to form textile structures based on their intended use.

Knitting and non-woven are often popular types of fabric manufacturing.

In the contemporary world,

Textiles satisfy the material needs for versatile applications,

From simple daily clothing to bulletproof jackets,

Spacesuits,

And doctor's gowns.

Textiles are divided into two groups,

Consumer textiles for domestic purposes,

And technical textiles.

In consumer textiles,

Aesthetics and comfort are the most important factors,

While in technical textiles,

Functional properties are the priority.

Geotextiles,

Industrial textiles,

Medical textiles,

And many other areas are examples of technical textiles,

Whereas clothing and furnishings are examples of consumer textiles.

Each component of a textile product,

Including fiber,

Yarn,

Fabric,

Processing,

And finishing,

Affects the final product.

Components may vary among various textile products,

As they are selected based on their fitness for purpose.

Fiber is the smallest component of a fabric.

Fibers are typically spun into yarn,

And yarns are used to manufacture fabrics.

Fiber has a hair-like appearance and a higher length-to-width ratio.

The sources of fibers may be natural,

Synthetic,

Or both.

The techniques of felting and bonding directly transform fibers into fabric.

In other cases,

Yarns are manipulated with different fabric manufacturing systems to produce various fabric constructions.

The fibers are twisted or laid out to make a long,

Continuous strand of yarn.

Yarns are then used to make different kinds of fabric by weaving,

Knitting,

Crocheting,

Knotting,

Tatting,

Or braiding.

After manufacturing,

Textile materials are processed and finished to add value,

Such as aesthetics,

Physical characteristics,

And increased usefulness.

The manufacturing of textiles is the oldest industrial art.

Dyeing,

Printing,

And embroidery are all different decorative arts applied to textile materials.

The word textile comes from the Latin adjective textilis,

Meaning woven,

Which itself stems from textus,

The past participle of the verb texera,

To weave.

Originally applied to woven fabrics,

The term textiles is now used to encompass a diverse range of materials,

Including fibers,

Yarns,

And fabrics,

As well as other related items.

A fabric is defined as any thin,

Flexible material made from yarn,

Directly from fibers,

Polymeric film,

Foam,

Or any combination of these techniques.

Fabric has a broader application than cloth.

Fabric is synonymous with cloth,

Material,

Goods,

Or piece goods.

The word fabric also derives from Latin,

With roots in the Proto-Indo-European language,

Stemming most recently from the Middle French,

Fabrique,

Or building,

And earlier from the Latin fabrica,

Workshop,

And art,

Trade,

A skillful production,

Structure,

Fabric.

The noun fabrica stems from the Latin fabere,

Artisan who works in hand materials,

Which itself is derived from the Proto-Indo-European dab,

Meaning to fit together.

Cloth is a flexible substance typically created through the process of weaving,

Felting,

Or knitting,

Using natural or synthetic materials.

The word cloth derives from the Old English,

Cloth,

Meaning a cloth,

Woven,

Or felted material to wrap around one's body,

From the Proto-Germanic,

Kleithas,

Similar to the Old Frisian,

Kleth,

The Middle Dutch,

Kleed,

The Middle High German,

Kleid,

And the German,

Kleid,

All meaning garment.

Although cloth is a type of fabric,

Not all fabrics can be classified as cloth due to differences in their manufacturing processes,

Physical properties,

And intended uses.

Materials that are woven,

Knitted,

Tufted,

Or knotted from yarns are referred to as cloth,

While wallpaper,

Plastic upholstery products,

Carpets,

And non-woven materials are examples of fabrics.

Spindles themselves are too fragile to survive across millennia.

The tools used for spinning and weaving make up most of the prehistoric evidence for textile work.

The earliest tool for spinning was the spindle,

To which a whorl was eventually added.

The weight of the whorl improved the thickness and twist of the spun thread.

Later,

The spinning wheel was invented.

Historians are unsure where,

Some say China,

Others India.

The precursors of today's textiles include leaves,

Barks,

Fur felts,

And felted cloths.

The Banton burial cloth,

The oldest existing example of warp ikat in Southeast Asia,

Is displayed at the National Museum of the Philippines.

The cloth was most likely made by the Native Asian people of Northwest Romblon.

The first clothes,

Worn at least 70,

000 years ago and perhaps much earlier,

Were probably made of animal skins and helped protect early humans from the elements.

At some point,

People learned to weave plant fibers into textiles.

The discovery of dyed flax fibers in a cave in the Republic of Georgia dated to 34,

000 BCE suggests that textile-like materials were made as early as the Paleolithic era.

The speed and scale of textile production have been altered almost beyond recognition by industrialization and the introduction of modern manufacturing techniques.

The textile industry grew out of art and craft and was kept going by guilds.

Between the 18th and 19th centuries,

During the Industrial Revolution,

It became increasingly mechanized.

In 1765,

When a machine for spinning wool or cotton called the spinning jenny was invented in the United Kingdom,

Textile production became the first economic activity to be industrialized.

In the 20th century,

Science and technology were driving forces.

The textile industry exhibits inherent dynamism influenced by a multitude of transformative changes and innovations within the domain.

Textile operations can experience ramifications arising from shifts in international trade policies,

Evolving fashion trends,

Evolving customer preferences,

Variations in production costs and methodologies,

Adherence to safety and environmental regulations,

As well as advancements in research and development.

The textile and garment industries exert a significant impact on the economic systems of numerous countries engaged in textile production.

Most textiles were called by their base fiber generic names,

Their place of origin,

Or were put into groups based loosely on manufacturing techniques,

Characteristics,

And designs.

Nylon,

Olefin,

And acrylic are generic names for some of the more commonly used synthetic fibers.

The related words fabric and cloth and material are often used in textile assembly trades such as tailoring and dressmaking as synonyms for textile.

However,

There are subtle differences in these terms and specialized usage.

Material is an extremely broad term,

Basically meaning consisting of matter,

And requires context to be useful.

A textile is any material made of interlacing fibers,

Including carpeting and geotextiles,

Which may not necessarily be used in the production of further goods,

Such as clothing and upholstery.

A fabric is a material made through weaving,

Knitting,

Spreading,

Felting,

Stitching,

Crocheting,

Or bonding that may be used in the production of further products,

Such as clothing and upholstery,

Thus requiring a further step of the production.

Cloth may also be used synonymously with fabric,

But often specifically refers to a piece of fabric that has been processed or cut.

Grise goods,

Textiles that are raw and unfinished,

Are referred to as grise goods,

After manufacturing the materials are processed and finished.

Piece goods were textile materials sold and cut pieces as specified by the buyer.

Piece goods were either cut from a fabric roll or made to a specific length,

Also known as yard goods.

Textiles are various materials made from fibers and yarns.

The term textile was originally only used to refer to woven fabrics,

But today it covers a broad range of subjects.

Textiles are classified at various levels,

Such as according to fiber origin,

Natural or synthetic,

Structure,

Woven,

Knitted,

Nonwoven,

Finish,

Etc.

However there are primarily two types of textiles.

Textiles have an assortment of uses,

The most common of which are for clothing and for containers such as bags and baskets.

In the household,

Textiles are used in carpeting,

Upholstered furnishings,

Window shades,

Towels,

Coverings for tables,

Beds,

And other flat surfaces and in art.

Textiles are used in many traditional handcrafts such as sewing,

Quilting,

And embroidery.

Textiles produced for industrial purposes and designed and chosen for technical characteristics beyond their appearance are commonly referred to as technical textiles.

Technical textiles include textile structures for automotive applications,

Medical textiles such as implants,

Geotextile,

Reinforcement of embankments,

Agrotextiles,

Textiles for crop protection,

Protective clothing such as clothing resistant to heat and radiation for firefighter clothing,

Against molten metals for welders,

Stab protection,

And bulletproof vests.

In the workplace,

Textiles can be used in industrial and scientific processes such as filtering,

Miscellaneous uses include flags,

Backpacks,

Tents,

Nets,

Cleaning rags,

Transportation devices such as balloons,

Kites,

Sails,

And parachutes.

Textiles are also used to provide strengthening and composite materials such as fiberglass and industrial geotextiles.

Due to the often highly technical and legal requirements of these products,

These textiles are typically tested in order to ensure they meet stringent performance requirements.

Other forms of technical textiles may be produced to experiment with their scientific qualities and to explore the possible benefits they may have in the future.

Threads coated with zinc oxide nanowires when woven into fabric have been shown capable of self-powering nanosystems,

Using vibrations created by everyday actions like wind or body movements to generate energy.

Textiles are all around us.

The textile is a component of basic needs like food and shelter.

Textiles are everywhere in our lives from bath towels to spacesuits.

Textiles help humans by comforting,

Protecting,

And extending their lives.

Textiles meet our clothing needs,

Keeping us warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

There are several applications for textiles such as medical textiles,

Intelligent textiles,

And automotive textiles.

All of them contribute to the well-being of humans.

The term serviceability refers to a textile product's ability to meet the needs of consumers.

The emphasis is on knowing the target market and matching the needs of the target market to the product's serviceability.

Serviceability or performance in textiles is the ability of textile materials to withstand various conditions,

Environments,

And hazards.

Aesthetics,

Durability,

Comfort,

And safety,

Appearance,

Retention,

Care,

Environmental impact,

And cost are the serviceability concepts employed in structuring the material.

Fibers,

Yarns,

Fabric construction,

Finishes,

And design are components of a textile product.

The selection of specific components varies with the intended use.

Therefore,

The fibers,

Yarns,

And fabric manufacturing systems are selected with consideration of the required performance.

Textiles,

Textile production,

And clothing were necessities of life and prehistory intertwined with the social,

Economic,

And religious systems.

Other than clothing,

Textile crafts produced utilitarian,

Symbolic,

And opulent items.

Archaeological artifacts from the Stone Age and the Iron Age in Central Europe are used to examine prehistoric clothing and its role in forming individual and group identities.

Artifacts unearthed in various archaeological excavations inform us about the remains of past human life and their activities.

Dyed flax fibers discovered in the Republic of Georgia indicate that textile-like materials were developed during the Paleolithic period.

Several textile remnants,

Such as the Inca Empire's textile arts remnants,

Which embody the Inca's aesthetics and social ideals,

Serve as a means for disseminating information about numerous civilizations,

Customs,

And cultures.

There are textile museums that display history related to many aspects of textiles.

A textile museum raises public awareness and appreciation of the artistic merits and cultural significance of the world's textiles on a local,

National,

And international scale.

The George Washington University Museum and Textile Museum in Washington,

D.

C.

Was established in 1925.