Nuno Felted Purse

Materials:

merino wool roving (combed top)
mohair (kid mohair locks, dyed)
button and snap
magenta and lavender silk chiffon fabric
30" x 72" bubble wrap (or a solar cover for pool or spa)
30" x 72" nylon voile
swimming pool noodle
clear plastic (dry cleaner bags)
small bucket
mild detergent
water-soluble marker
knee high or leg from panty hose
large towel
needle and thread
scissors
large square sponge

1. From each fabric cut out a parallelogram that is approximately 45" x 20". Cut this on the bias, so that the raw edges don’t ravel. Square off one end of each piece by cutting off a triangle shape (figure A).

2. Lay bubble wrap (or solar cover) on a table with bubble side down. If you’re using a blue bubble wrap and find the color distracting, you can cover the table with clear plastic and transfer the project to the bubble wrap just before wetting.

4. Lay the wool onto the plastic. Gently pull small amounts of wool from the roving and lay them onto the plastic (figure B). If the wool is hard to pull apart, hold your hands farther apart.

5. Lay small amounts of mohair randomly on top of the wool.

6. Lay one piece of chiffon (magenta) fabric onto the wool (figure C).

7. Lay the wool down along the center of the fabric, approximately 11 inches wide (figure D). This is the area where the two fabrics will be felted together.

8. Put strips of plastic down on each side of this center wool (figure E).

9. Lay down the second piece of chiffon (lavender) fabric, with the triangular end at the opposite end from the triangular end of the first fabric.

10. Lay small amounts of mohair randomly on the second fabric (figure F).

11. Lay the wool onto the fabric as before. Mohair should have small amounts of wool laid over it. Mohair will not felt into the fabric by itself, but the wool fibers will trap the mohair fibers into the felted areas.