Felting is one of the oldest textile technologies in human history. In this three-hour workshop, participants will explore both wet felting and needle felting while learning why wool fibers lock together. The workshop connects the science of wool with the traditions of fulling, waulking cloth, household felt making, and decorative fiber work.
Participants will first work with loose wool on Blue Thistle’s commercial felting table, then use barbed needles to create a small flat or sculptural felted piece.
Participants will learn
- why wool felts
- how the microscopic scale structure of wool affects the process
- the historical role of fulling and waulking in Scots-Irish textile traditions
- practical uses of felt in Appalachian households
- the difference between wet felting and needle felting
- how water temperature, soap, agitation, and pressure influence felt
- how to recognize the fulling threshold
- how wet-felted grounds and needle-felted details can be combined
Wet-felting activities
Participants will:
- weigh and lay out wool fiber clouds
- arrange consistent fiber layers
- wet and agitate the fiber on the commercial felting table
- observe how water temperature and soap affect the process
- recognize when the fibers have locked into stable felt
- assess density, surface, durability, and shrinkage
- begin shaping flat felt or a simple three-dimensional form
Needle-felting activities
Participants will:
- learn how barbed needles lock fiber without water
- practice flat needle felting by building layers and color
- explore basic sculptural shaping
- create a small felted object or sample
- learn how needle-felted designs can be added to wet-felted fabric
What is included
- natural and naturally dyed wool fiber
- one needle-felting kit per participant
- felting pad
- assorted barbed needles
- wool samples
- a finished felted piece
- printed cultural-history handout
- supplies and instructions for continued practice at home
Who should attend
This workshop is suitable for beginners, fiber artists, embroiderers, quilters, textile artists, costume makers, and anyone interested in creating fabric or form directly from wool.
What to wear
Wear comfortable clothes and closed-toe shoes. Participants will work with water and soap, so an apron and hand towel are recommended.
Workshop details
Date: April 24th, 2027. Time: 9:00 am – Noon. Duration: 3 hours
Capacity: 15 participants
Location: Blue Thistle Fibers, 314 Main Street, Gauley Bridge, WV
Experience level: Beginner
Materials and take-home kit: Included
Scholarship seats
Two free community scholarship seats are available, with priority given to residents of Fayette and Nicholas counties. Contact bluethistlefibers@gmail.com to request a seat. No essay is required.
This project is made possible by Mid Atlantic Arts’ Central Appalachia Living Traditions program.
