Nuno Felting and Silk Dye

So its hitting 95 and up, and I don't have an indoor studio! Who cares! I'm refusing to let it stop me; so I have been outside sweating buckets on my porch. I ordered some silk and some acid dyes hit youtube and google for some instructions and fearlessly plunged ahead. Dyeing isn't that hard I think I'm getting the hang of it. I also think its helping that I'm dyeing small pieces and I'm using a second hand microwave to steam set my silk.

Nuno felting a laminating technique that involves marrying silk and wool into this new luscious creation. I'll probably be explaining this process later on in detail with pictures... I mostly want to show you my first result. The silk is the base fabric and the wool is mostly along the edges as well as stretching delicately across the center of the piece. I dyed the silk lilac, purple and yellow to match the hand dyed wool roving I had. I include some mohair locks too provide luster and interesting texture. This is a scarf that start out approx 18" x 72" and shrank down to around 15" x 60". The wool fibers are actually driven into the silk so that they come out the other side.. it makes the silk wrinkle and pucker in the where ever the wool is. The silk is glossy and smooth between. This piece reminds me of the inside of irises.