Every material has its secret language. With wool, I learned to listen through touch, rhythm, and patience.
When I began working on my final-year collection at RMIT, I wanted to explore wool beyond its softness — to test its strength, to see how far I could push its natural structure. That’s when I discovered fulling, an age-old process that reshapes the very nature of the fibre.
Rediscovering an Ancient Craft
Fulling is a traditional finishing technique that uses heat, moisture, and agitation to compress and strengthen woven wool. Historically, it was done to make fabrics more durable, but I was drawn to it for its sculptural potential — for how it allows a textile to shift, resist, and evolve.
During my experiments, I worked with a classic herringbone weave. As I applied heat and motion, the pattern began to blur, edges softened, and the weave transformed into something more fluid and dimensional. What had once been clean geometry became organic — almost alive.
A Dialogue with the Material
What fascinated me most was how responsive wool became. It wasn’t just following my direction; it was participating. Every step — every wash, every fold — changed the rhythm of the surface. The fabric absorbed intention and returned something unexpected.
That moment taught me that working with wool isn’t about control, but collaboration. It’s a partnership between hand and fibre, where both shape the outcome.
Reflections
This process deepened my appreciation for wool’s intelligence — its memory, its ability to transform under touch, and its refusal to remain static.
In fulling, I found not only a technique but a metaphor: creation through resistance, refinement through change.
Next in the series: Episode 3 — Beyond the Seam | Needle Felting and Surface Sculpture.
Australian Merino Worsted Wool Gabardine - Herringbone - Dark Grey
Continuing the Conversation
Fulling reminds us that true craftsmanship is never static. It lives in motion, in process, in the willingness to let material and maker grow together.
Next in the series: Episode 3 — Beyond the Seam | Needle Felting and Surface Sculpture.
