Thoughts on Making Samples for Felt Garments
After I wrote my previous blog on upsizing patterns for feltmaking, I
thought I should write about how I figure out the shrinkage percentages
to use when making the patterns bigger. First of all, the samples I
maker are really important to this process. Not only do they help me
figure out what colors and textures I want to use in the garment, but
they also help me figure out the shrinkage.
My biggest word of advice for sampling is to make it
large enough to get an accurate measurement. I make a minimum of a 20 inch (50 cm) square
sample using the types of textures, cloth and fiber I want to use in the final
felt garment. For me, if I make anything smaller, the shrinkage
is much more than if it is a larger piece. In the past when I did this, I
ended up with something that was way too big. I don't always lay the fiber both
directions in my garments, so I need to make my sample with the single layer.
Also, I have found that if I am adding cloth to the surface and other surface
embellishments, the shrinkage isn't as much as when I am just using a thin base
cloth and the fiber layer. When I've done a garment that has both flat areas
and large areas of texture, I make two samples, one just flat and one with the
textures I think I'm going to use in the garment. Then I estimate how much
textured area I'm going to have and how much flat area. If I'm just going to do
a small amount of surface texture, I will use the shrinkage from the flat
sample and it won't be affected too much. On the other hand, if I'm going to do
a lot of surface texture with very little flat area, I use the shrinkage from
the surface textured sample. But, if I am going to use about half flat and half
with surface texture, I average the two different samples. Side Note: I am
usually making a "sandwiched" felt textile in my garments. I put down
a base of silk gauze, cover that with a thin, single layer of wool fiber and
then put on the surface embellishments such as pleated or gathered bits of
fabric, ribbon, yarns, pre-felts, fiber locks, etc.
There are many different versions of the formulas for figuring out the
felt's shrinkage. People seem to have a hundred different ways to get to
the same place. My husband is a mathematician, so here are the
formulas he helped me come up with:
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| Formulas Needed for Making Your Pattern for a Felted Garment |
So let's say I want to make a sample which is going to be simple, with
no texture- just the ground cloth and the fiber on top of it. The sample
will start out at 20 inches (50 cm) square but I will only lay the
fiber in the vertical direction on top of the silk gauze ground. After
felting, the sample in the vertical direction is 13.5 inches (34.29
cm.) In the opposite direction it's 17.5 inches (44.45 cm.) Since the
fiber was only laid in one direction, it is not unusual that the
shrinkages in the two directions would be so different.
Figuring the Vertical Shrinkage Using my Husband's Formula:
A= 20 inches
B= 13.5 inches
A-B = 6.5
Divided by A = .325
Times 100 = 32.5% (Which I would round up to 33%- I try to round up so there's a little extra for the "just in case" factor.)
Figuring the Horizontal Shrinkage:
A= 20 inches
B= 17.5 inches
A-B= 2.5
Divided by A=.125
Times 100= 12.5% (Rounded up to 13%)
Now you have to figure out the size you will need to make your template
so that the felt made from it will shrink down to the size you want. As
stated in my previous blog entry, I have already made a paper pattern
either from an existing garment or from a sewing pattern. If I am doing
a seamless garment, I will usually work with just the back back piece
as I've mentioned in the previous post. I measure the widest and
tallest part of the pattern. I use these measurements to figure out how
much bigger the template pattern needs to be before shrinkage.
Figuring the Pattern Size Before Shrinkage
Vertical Size
C= .33
D (Desired Finished Vertical Dimension of Garment Back) = 28 inches
D divided by 1-C
28 divided by .67= 41.79 inches (rounded up to 42 inches)
So the beginning vertical size of the template is 42 inches. Yes, this
seems large, but that is why you need so much table space to make a
garment!
Horizontal Size
C= .13
D (Desired Finished Horizontal Dimension of Garment Back) = 22 inches
D divided by 1-C
22 divided by .87= 25.287 inches (rounded up to 26 inches)
The horizontal part of the template is only 26 inches wide because there
is so much less shrinkage in this direction. Remember, the fiber is
being laid out vertically.
The original paper pattern would have to be increased in the height and width to allow for the shrinkage calculated above. To do this, I usually take the desired size and subtract it from the size before shrinkage.
For the Vertical calculations above this would be 42 inches minus 28
inches. Which would be 14 inches. I would slice my pattern up and
separate it, spreading the 14 inches I need to add in small increments
across the whole thing. Since 14 divides nicely by 7, I would probably
make 7 slices and spread each one 2 inches apart to take up the 14
inches.
The Horizontal calculations would be 26 - 22, which would be 4 inches.
To spread this out, I would probably make 4 slices and spread each one
apart by 1 inch.
I try to be very careful in the shoulders, armholes and neck line to
remember to include enough slices that they will not be too small, but
also to not get them too big. This can be tricky, so I often try to
allow for the possibility that they won't fit exactly. If they are a
little too large, you can thread a strong, thin cord through the middle
of the felt in that area and tug it to slightly gather up the excess.
If there are any wrinkles, these can sometimes be smoothed away with a
steam iron. If the area is too small, you might be able to apply steam
(such as from a tea kettle) and stretch out the area while it is still
damp and hot from the steam.
Thoughts on Making a Felt Vest
How I Approach Making a Felt Vest
Pat Spark ©
2015
There are many different ways to plan a felt garment. I am a plus sized woman and to
get something that I would actually wear that fits me, I prefer to do the
following:
A sample of a sewing pattern from Rosemary Eichorn I
used to make the white felt vest below. She wrote a book on sewn mosaic
vests and the patterns she used in the book were quite good for "art"
vests. (The Art of Fabric Collage: An Easy Introduction to Creative
Sewing.
Unfortunately, her patterns are no longer made, but maybe you can find them on Ebay.
2. I cut the pattern out of an old piece of cloth (from an old sheet) and baste it together to see how it fits.
3. I make adjustments on the cloth pattern until it
fits well. I open up the cloth pattern
and make paper versions of the adjusted cloth pieces. I can then use these pattern pieces on felt
yardage and cut out the pieces and sew them together.
Or if I want to make a seamless garment I do the
following:
4. I make a 20 Inch (50 cm) square sample using the
types of textures, cloth and fiber I want to use in the final felt garment. I carefully take before and after
measurements of this sample so I can figure out the shrinkage. Since I often lay fiber in only one
direction, the resulting shrinkage will be greater in that direction and the
square becomes a rectangle.
5. Now that I know the shrinkage in each direction,
A.
I slash the paper pattern vertically and spread the pieces apart to allow for
the width wise shrinkage. I tape this
altered pattern to another piece of paper and cut around it.
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| Vertical Slashes |
B. Then I slash the new paper pattern
horizontally and spread the pieces apart to get the height shrinkage allowance.
These pieces are then backed with more paper to stabilize them.
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| Horizontal Slashes |
I redraw the pattern, smoothing out the contours.
6. If the pattern is a simple vest with straight or
slightly curved sides, I can use the back pattern piece to make a template for
the seamless garment. To do this, I just use the enlarged back piece and add to
the pattern at the neck, arm holes and the bottom. I do this so I have no chance of accidentally running over
the edge with some fiber and hooking together the front and back at these
places. The two overlapping fronts will
be done one at a time to connect onto the back.
But usually, I want a more shaped garment so then I
have another choice. I make an enlarged
template for each pattern piece. Then I lay out the fibers, textures, etc.
using the templates as guides. I felt
them down to size and sew them together. (Or use the Embellisher - needle felting
sewing machine - to attach them together.)
I usually extend the enlarged pattern pieces at the shoulder and the
side seam so I can overlap the back piece and have an interesting felted edge.
7. I haven’t tried the technique some people use which
is to make each of the enlarged pieces of felt but keep the seam edges
unfelted. When the pieces are at
pre-felt stage, you can overlap the unfelted seams and felt them together. Then continue to felt the whole garment. This looks as though it would allow a more
shaped look but still be felted together instead of sewn.
NOTE: In the following photos, the back pattern
piece was extended at the side seams, to overlap the front pieces, while the
front shoulders were extended to overlap the back piece. Complicated I know, but I do this to help
break up the vertical line caused by a sewn seam. Also, I LOVE irregular felted
edges and don’t necessarily like straight, cut edges.
“Roses, Ruffles and Ripples, Oh My!” Felt
vest by Pat Spark, ©
2013.
(Textures influenced
by Vilte Kazlauskaite.)
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| Vest from the Front |
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| Vest from the Back |
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| Side Seam, Back Piece is Extended to Overlap the Front |
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| Shoulder Seam, Front Piece is Extended to Overlap the Back |
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| Detail of Front |
