Meet Jane Frances

Having spent the first half of my life in England, I now call Winnipeg, Canada my home. After working in the beauty industry on both sides of the Atlantic for many years I was looking for a new challenge. I have always had an interest in arts and crafts, including paper arts and polymer clay, but little did I realize that the skill of knitting, taught to me by my grandmother, would lead me to the fascinating world of felting.

After reading the ‘how to’ of felting in a magazine I knitted and felted my first bag and, even though it was less than perfect I was hooked. Felting is an art, not an exact science, when a bag is felted minor variations will show up in the size or shape, resulting in a unique piece every time. With every bag I felt I learn something new. Some of my most successful pieces have been the result of a near disaster and for me that is what makes the whole process so exciting.

My bags are knitted by hand using 100% wool. I use different wools, including, Merino, Icelandic, Mohair and Aran. Each kind of wool produces a different finish to the felt. After felting in a washing machine the handbags are rinsed, blocked and air dried. Embellishing each one with either felted flowers, ribbon or beads completes a truly unique piece of wearable art.

About Felt

Felt has been in existence for thousands of years. Nomadic tribes in Central Asia, Siberia and China are known to have discovered it’s protective qualities. Fleece from sheep was placed under saddles and around the feet for warmth and comfort. Moisture from sweat coupled with heat and friction resulted in the first felts.

Many cultures through the ages have used felt. The Greeks used it under their helmets and Roman Centurions are known to have placed it under breast armor for warmth and comfort. The Turks made wonderful carpets and still do to this day. In Western Europe felt has been used for a variety of things including capes, hats and boot liners. Felt is extremely warm, moisture resistant and is also fire retardant. For centuries felt making was a manual skill until the invention of the wool card in 1748 and the hardening machine in the middle of the nineteenth century brought about the ability to mass produce felt.

For many people today ‘felt’ is the fabric covering a pool table or the ‘stuff’ found under piano keys to prevent wood and metal banging together. However, handmade wool felt is a much different material than the mass produced variety. Both the flat felting method or the knitted method take hours of attention to detail to ensure a quality product.

Carrying a felted bag is a link to our ancient past combined with today’s modern style.