| Felt boots are very necessary for the Steppe | | | | go from the back to the front to place over the |
| Nomad Persona and are great fun to create. Let's | | | | holes. You should then cover the seam with tulle |
| see how to make it. | | | | and start gently wetting and pressing it, working |
| Instructions for felting a boot… | | | | your way down towards the bottom of the boot. |
| 1. Create a resist by tracing the outline of our | | | | |
| sock. Size that outline up by about 40% and then | | | | Fulling… |
| straighten the ankle portion up slightly. | | | | 1. Roll up your felt |
| 2. Cut out the resist and begin layering your wool, | | | | 2. Knead it like dough |
| horizontally then vertically uptil you have built up | | | | 3. Count to 25 |
| at least 6 to 8 layers of wool. Make sure to leave | | | | 4. Unroll it and reroll the opposite way |
| at least an inch of overlap past the end of the | | | | 5. Knead it like dough |
| pattern piece. This becomes your seam. The | | | | 6. Count to 25 |
| more layers the thicker and stronger your boots | | | | 7. Unroll and roll up a side |
| will be in the end. | | | | 8. Knead it like dough |
| 3. Wet the area of the piece that the resist | | | | 9. Count to 25 |
| covers with hot, soapy water. Place a piece of | | | | 10. Continue till you are happy with the hardness |
| tulle over this area after after removing the resist | | | | of the felt. |
| and began to felt using small, gentle circles. As | | | | Shrinking—the Final Part of Fulling |
| you work the area with your hands remember to | | | | Rinse your felt then either add soapy water to it |
| add more hot, soapy water if the wool trys to | | | | or rub it directly with your olive oil bar soap. |
| come up with your hands. Keep felting untill you | | | | 1. Roll it up, bring it up high then THROW it down |
| can pinch the area and the wool does not come | | | | as hard as you can. |
| up between your fingers. | | | | 2. Unroll and reroll a different way. Throw it again. |
| 4. Place the resist on top of your wool batt. Begin | | | | 3. Continue until the felt has shrunk to the correct |
| covering the resist horizontally completely then | | | | size and/or is the hardness you desired. |
| fold down the inner most layer of overlap batting | | | | 4. Rinse all soap out of your felt and lay out to |
| onto the horizontal layer. Next lay out a vertical | | | | dry. If desired you can lay it on a form. |
| layer and again bring a layer from the overlap and | | | | Custom Fitting your Boot! |
| place over the layer you just placed down. | | | | When you have felted down your boot to nearly |
| Continue for the same number of layers as you | | | | the same size as as your foot you can take it to |
| put down for the bottom batt. | | | | the shower or bathtub and fully customize it to |
| 5. Just as with felting a bag or a hat when you | | | | your foot. Sit on the side of the tub and run the |
| have laid on as many layers on the top as you | | | | water as hot as you can stand it. With your soap |
| had on the bottom you can now begin felting the | | | | in hand put the boot on your foot then scrub it |
| top layer. Cover with a piece of tulle and begin to | | | | with the soap and hot water. This will cause the |
| shake hot, soapy water down the center of the | | | | boot to felt down further onto the shape of your |
| design. Rub in gentle circles on top of the tulle and | | | | foot. |
| keep rubbing till the layers feel like they will not | | | | Finishing touches |
| pull apart easily. When you believe you may have | | | | -Consider shaving your felt or using an iron and a |
| sufficently felted it take the tulle off and pinch the | | | | cloth to steam it flat. |
| fibers. | | | | -Embroider it or add beads, bangles, plaques, or |
| 6. Carefully open the boot and gently place your | | | | feathers. |
| hand inside, supporting the seam which are still dry | | | | -Sew a piece of leather or fabric bias edging on |
| and unfelted. Make sure that you have even | | | | the opening for a finishedlook or a handsewn |
| coverage around the searm area as this is where | | | | blanket stitch. |
| you can ruin the piece by having holes appear. If | | | | Walking around in your boots inside is great, warm |
| you have uneven spots pull out some extra | | | | and comfortable. |
| roving and make little wool “bandaids” to | | | | |