Damson Gold Merino Wool and Silk Handmade Felt Scarf

Description

Damson Gold: an elegant lightweight handmade felt scarf which is different on each side. One features pieces of cerise sari silk and pale pink botanically dyed habotai silk with gold silk thread spirals. On the other side is a swirl of viscose fibres  in soft pink and lilac and gold which have a lovely soft sheen. Warm and elegant, for women who enjoy wearable art, with a multitude of ways to style.

Measurements: 180cm x 32cm

Fabric Care: it is best to wash this scarf by hand if you can, or use the handwash setting on your machine with nothing else in it. The process of making felt involves warm water, soap and agitation. This is exactly what your washing machine does. There is a risk of further shrinkage if you agitate it further in hot soapy water. Using natural soap also helps it to keep its lustre and drape.
It can be spun to extract most of the water, or rolled in a towel and pressed (stand on it or ask the kids to jump up and down on it!) before hanging somewhere warm to dry completely. Finish off with a gentle steam iron to restore its shape and lustre.

My process: I create pieces inspired by my local environment and love to play with combining colours. I choose the silk fabric and complementary wool colours first based on my inspiration. In the process of felting, the wool fibres penetrate the viscose fibres and hold it in place, so that it softly ruches and gathers as the wool fibres shrink and mesh together giving a lovely crinkly effect. The whole process takes several hours and a whole lot of energy to agitate the wool fibres until they mesh together as a piece of fabric.  It has a lovely drape and feels soft against the skin.