Page 40 - The Digital Cloth Issue 7
P. 40
Ever since I made my first felted piece, I Because I was so eager to learn more
was instantly addicted to felting. That was about this medium, I started training at the
almost 20 years ago. International Felt Academy. The
I had always been interested in textile Hungarian teacher and felt anthropologist
techniques, but the projects somehow Istvàn Vidàk taught us about the origin and
never worked out as I planned. In the historical background of felting and the
sewing, the sewing machine got stuck traditional felting techniques in
all the time. In knitting, my arms were Eastern Europe and Central Asia. At the
cramped. And then I made felt. I was so end of this three-year study, Istvàn Vidàk
surprised to feel how, under my bare took us to Kyrgyzstan to experience the
hands, the wool changed from loose origin of felting. It was a magical
fibers into a small piece of cloth. There is experience; we stayed in a traditional yurt
no need to use tools. Just hands, wool, while being surrounded by the most
water and soap can make almost beautiful traditional textiles, full of
everything. After that I made felt almost history. Vidák brought us in contact with
every day. The possibilities are endless. crags people like yurt builders, weavers
and felters. Surrounded by sheep, goat and
horses, and working outdoors beside the
river, we made a felt carpet. We worked on
