Laura McWhorter

Laura creates her woven felt artwork by partially felting flat pieces of felt using her signature surface design techniques, and then cutting the flat felt into strips and weaving the strips in various patterns. The woven strips are then re-wetted and the felting and fulling process is completed, creating unique effects for 2-dimensional textiles.... For most of Laura's work, the felt is just the foundation for the piece, with additional details and embellishments added using handspun yarn made from the same fibers as the felt. Laura does most of her spinning wherever she happens to be, which means using a drop-spindle, which is small enough to travel in a handbag or pocket. The handspun yarn is plied to provide additional color effects, as well as strength and abrasion-resistance for embroidering and sewing onto the felt. Laura has developed her own technique for picking up stitches onto a knitting needle, which allows her to add knitted edgings, embellishments, and structural elements to her work. She also uses the handspun yarn to add embroidered elements. Hand-beading adds the final touches to the work. Laura uses a variety of glass and natural material beads to complement the felt. When complete, the felt may be reinforced using the traditional method of impregnating the felt with shellac. This adds stiffness and water-repellency to the felt, if desired.Read More