Non-Fiction Book Reviews

Book Review: Felting Fashion

By Sandy Amazeen Jan 8, 2010, 17:25 GMT

Crafters and fashionistas alike will go wild about this inspiration-packed book, which offers several ways to make felt and a wide range of patterns for stylish felt garments and accessories. The fashions include everything from hats to lavish full-length coats, and the instructions cover techniques for creating Nuno felt (a lightweight modern type that drapes) as well as traditional felts-plus methods for dyeing wool, ruching, and making cords, spikes, balls, ...more

While the materials necessary to create felt are simple, the results are endlessly fascinating as demonstrated in this stunning collection of garment designs that utilize a variety of felting techniques. The designs are fresh, funky and the general schematics are enough to point artists in the right direction. Don’t expect detailed, enlargeable garment patterns as this is meant to stimulate felt makers into creating their own vision rather then providing step-by-step construction details.

Drawing on nature as a source of inspiration, fashion designer Houghton shows how to use resists and templates, work with cords, balls, spikes, embellishments and create pockets. Perhaps most valuable is the explanation of nuno felt construction and its many uses. Especially nice to see are the finishing details that address using appropriate seaming techniques, godets, making maximum use of your felted fabric and incorporating recycled fabrics. This is not for beginning felt makers although the lovely garments would certainly drive one to learn as fast as possible, instead the eye candy and unusual construction of garments like the network-felt scarf will provide felt makers with new ideas for some time to come.