OVERVIEW OF VARIOUS FULLING METHODS
Pat Spark, © 1996
Fulling can be done in several ways. Here is an overview of the most common methods.
1. KNEADING/TOSSING. Put the fabric on a waterproof surface. Pour on hot, soapy water and knead with your hands, much like you would knead bread. A variation of this is to roll up the fabric and knead the roll. Another variation is to bunch up the fabric and toss it down onto the table. The force of the fabric hitting the table helps the fibers to migrate.
2. RUBBING/WASHBOARDING. Put the fabric onto the washboard and pour
hot, soapy water on it. Rub areas of the fabric back and forth until they
shrink and harden. A variation is to roll the fabric and rub the roll on
the washboard. Some people use other surfaces to rub on, such as rubber stair
tread, a bamboo mat, etc. Anything with a similar texture to a washboard.
I prefer a glass washboard because it doesn't seem to make the felt pill
as much as a metal one does.
3. ROLLING. Roll the fabric, usually with some sort of support cloth
such as canvas. Put ties around it and roll it back and forth with your forearms,
your hands, your feet, etc. I prefer to use a bamboo shade for my support
because its stiffness seems to make a more even felt for me. Also, the texture
aids in the fulling process. Some people roll without a bar in the middle
of the roll and some roll with it. I prefer to use a rolling bar (PVC pipe
or wooden clothes closet pole) because it gives the center of the roll something
to hit against which seems to help the center full more quickly. When using
this method, people unroll after a time and roll the felt from the other
end to help keep the fulling even. I have heard it said that when you use
a rolling bar, the inside fulls more than the outside of the roll. But when
you don't use a bar, the outside fulls more than the inside of the roll.
In either case, the fabric needs to be turned periodically.