How to Make Crazy Wool Art Fabric
Crazy wool fabric makes a useful base for bags, make-up bags, and garments. It can be made from leftover materials, including yarn unravelled from an old sweater. Uneven yarn with knots and tiny leftover balls can all be used.
Materials
- A base layer: quilted batting, firm knit fabric, or terry cloth. Avoid a very thick base so the finished piece does not become too heavy.
- Yarn from an unravelled knitted item. New yarn also works; lay it out loosely in waves.
- Tulle or organza.
- Sewing thread that matches the coloured yarn.
Make the Crazy Wool Fabric
Lay yarn across the base in fairly dense, loose rows, working from top to bottom and back again to form a curly textured layer.
Once the base is covered, arrange patterns in coloured yarn or add simple stripes.
Cover the yarn with organza and pin the layers densely. Orient the pins in one direction so they stay clear of the stitching path; keep hands clear of pin points and the machine needle.
Quilt the layers with a free-motion foot or a regular sewing machine using decorative stitches. Match the thread to the coloured elements. Quilting can be worked in different directions, but it may shrink the fabric by a few centimetres in both length and width.
The finished fabric is dense yet soft and holds its shape well, ready to be cut into a project.
With enough fabric, make garments such as a vest, jacket, or coat.
The idea for this art fabric came from the Odarka channel.
This fabric is also used for stoles, scarves, snoods, capes, and even coats—not as whole garments, of course, but in sections over a base fabric. It is not to my taste, but many makers are seriously interested in the technique.