Silk is probably the most commonly used other fibre in felting. There are a variety of lightweight fabrics which are perfect for nuno felting or incorporating into surface design. The weight of silk is measured in mommes or ‘mm’, as a rule, the lower the mm, the lighter the fabric. Silks below 8mm work well for felting.

There are also a number of silk products which are great for using in felting, especially wet felting. The most common is silk top, long lengths of lustrous fibres in natural shades or dyed in any colour imaginable. Other commonly used silk products include Silk noil, Silk carrier rods, Silk throwster’s waste, Silk hankies and even silk paper. Many of the silk products used in fibre arts are by-products or waste products of the silk industry, and therefore fairly inexpensive.

Silk is a protein fibre, however it is unique because it can be dyed in the same way as wool but also the same way cellulose fibres like cotton are dyed.

Click any photo for the carousel or click here for a gallery view with larger photos

Please visit our Silk Gallery for photos of silk products being used in felting.