Wollwalk - Wool fabrics

Walkstoff Wissen

What is boiled wool and what properties does it have?

Wool felt or alternatively felted cloth or felted loden is a wool fabric. Felt is a woven textile in its original state. It is often made using a plain weave or twill weave, traditionally only from sheep's wool. The surface is then worked on to achieve the well-known felted effect. This is done by so-called felting. These surface-changing manufacturing processes are carried out in warm and acidic or slightly alkaline baths. The wool woven fabric is felted and compacted by alternating and continuous pushing, compressing, pressing, pressing and kneading. The wool weave of the starting material is then hardly or not at all recognizable and the classic wool felted look is created. The difference to felt is that only woven fabrics are used to make felted loden. In the past, only pure wool fabrics were used for felting production. During the modern era, mixed fabrics were also used to make felted loden, although these must have a minimum wool content of 20%.

Boiled wool has many great properties that make this material the first choice, especially in the autumn and winter months. Due to its compact construction, boiled wool is usually windproof and therefore keeps the heat inside very well. Thanks to the natural fibers, the fabric of boiled wool remains breathable and is therefore able to balance moisture and temperatures well. In addition, boiled wool is very resistant to water and even dirt due to the wool fats used in the manufacturing process. The felting and thus compacting of the woven fabric gives the material a high level of strength and rigidity. Due to the raw material and the process, these textiles are very hard-wearing, robust, durable and, due to the manufacturing process, practically crease-free. Boiled wool is available in many different qualities from 200 g/m².

Tip: If you find that wool felt by the meter feels too rough or scratchy as a material, you can easily line the inside of your felt garment with a smoother or softer fabric to further increase comfort.

For which DIY sewing projects is boiled wool by the meter particularly suitable?

Walk fabric sold by the meter can be used for a wide variety of sewing projects. Examples of projects using walk fabric are:

  • Pants
  • jackets
  • Pillow
  • Dresses
  • coats
  • ponchos
  • sweater
  • skirts
  • cuffs
  • bags
  • towels

Processing and care tips for wool felt

What should be taken into account when cutting boiled wool by the meter?

Walk is a very easy material to work with because it does not roll up and does not slip much, which is why this material is also ideal for beginners to sewing. When cutting wool walk, you can use a sharp rotary cutter, zigzag scissors or your normal fabric scissors. Depending on how you go about it, you can cut as usual along your pinned-on pattern or along the cutting lines you have drawn with tailor's chalk. You can easily wipe or tap off any residue later. However, it is important to pay attention to the grain of the fabric, which is easier or more difficult to determine depending on the degree of felting, so that the garment falls beautifully and fits well and follows your shape in the end! It is not necessary to plan allowances for the hem with wool walk, as the material does not fray and therefore does not require an extra hem. Walk is therefore easy to work with an open edge. Clamps, clips and pins can be used equally well for pinning.

What should be taken into account when sewing boiled wool?

Boiled wool can be easily worked by hand or with a sewing machine. A medium universal needle is sufficient; special sewing needles are not required. However, as the fabric is very strong, the needle tips can wear out more quickly, so you should have enough sewing needles available depending on the size of the project. With regard to the stitch pattern and stitch length used, it is recommended to use a medium straight stitch or zigzag stitch. As the material is coarser and heavier, the stitch length should not be too short. As always, do not pull on the fabric when sewing, as this can cause waves to form on the edges of the garment, which look very unsightly; this also applies to boiled wool.

How do you properly care for felted cloth and what do you need to take into account?

It is best not to wash felted cloth at all, neither by hand nor in the washing machine. The structure of the matted wool fabric can be changed and even damaged by the use of temperature, water and soap. In the worst case, the felted wool may lose some of its great properties. Instead, impurities such as dirt and dust should simply be removed with a brush when it is dry. Carefully airing the garment out in the fresh air helps to remove foreign odors. If the dirt makes the use of water unavoidable, this should only be cold to lukewarm, as otherwise felted cloth can shrink. Spinning wool fabrics should be avoided.

Wool felt is completely unsuitable for drying in a dryer. It is best to dry wet felt in the correct shape on an absorbent surface in the fresh air.

One of the positive properties of boiled wool is that it is generally a very crease-resistant material. Ironing is therefore not necessary in most cases. If it does become necessary to iron the garment, this is generally possible. The best way to do this is to turn the garment inside out and iron it at a low heat, without using steam.

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