Wool and Felt

by Lucy
(Penwortham)

For my Textiles homework, I have to draw a care label for my two optional items of clothing. I have chose wool and felt and now i just need to draw them. I have searched the internet and I thought maybe you could help me.

Editors answer 14/12/2010

There are a few signs that are used to denote when a garment is made from new wool, it looks a bit like a multi stranded celtic knot with the words "Pure New Wool" on them, I will upload a photo for you.

The care labels for wool will include all the elements of the washing drying and finishing by using the system as can be seen in my wash care Labels Quick Guide page, to be found on one of the buttons on the top left of my site navigation bar.

As regards to felt, I'm not sure that it is not similar in that a felt hat or beret made from felt from the felted fibres of new wool, but some felt is made from rabbit fur but all need to be treated with care otherwise more felting and shrinking will occur due to the temperature or mechanical action of the wash process.

Felt was once a large part of the income from rabbit farms in that after the meat had been sold the skin was used as the basic ingredient of "Rabbit Skin Glue", (which was used for the art process called "egg tempura" where the glue was mixed with paint and applied to a board and sanded and polished for the egg based colours to be applied on top of the shiny surface)these practices are quite rare now but are still carried out by a few folk in the art world.

The fur having been removed first to provide the fibres for felt to be made.

Thank you for for your question and please do not hesitate to make further contact. Regards Brian