Marigold Scarf Wool and Silk Hand Dyed and Felted

Description

I dyed this piece of fine lightweight margilan silk back in the summer when there were plenty of marigolds available in my garden. I wrapped it up with some leaves, and simmered it in a pot of dye, so when examined closely, you can see some leaf prints which add some interest to the silk. It was the colour that I most enjoyed, a vibrant golden yellow, the absolute epitome of summer.

I then felted it with long strips of amber coloured fine merino wool, and added some sprinkled leaf shapes across it. There is delicious texture from curly locks and dyed soya fibres. It is incredibly lightweight yet warm and easy to style as an evening wrap or shawl or scrunched as a scarf.

I create pieces inspired by my local environment and love to play with combining colours. I begin by dyeing the silk fabric, then add fine layers of merino wool over it followed by soya fibres which add a lovely sheen. In the process of felting, the wool fibres penetrate the silk fabric and hold it in place, so that it softly ruches and gathers as the wool fibres shrink and mesh together. The whole process takes several hours of rubbing, rolling and kneading to create a fine fabric with good drape.

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) before hanging somewhere warm to dry completely. Finish off with a gentle steam iron to restore its shape and lustre.