Karen Stewart. Beige & White Teardrop Bag

Leicestershire-based felt maker Karen Stewart, has been designing and making with textiles for as long as she can remember, but it was only in 2015 that she was introduced to feltmaking and was immediately drawn to the incredible versatility of felt as a medium. Wool felt can be thick and insulating as in a warm winter coat, or it can be soft and flowing as in a summer scarf. It can even be used in sturdy art sculptures. It can be shaped, steamed and easily manipulated to form all sorts of shapes and dimensions and it was this malleability that attracted Karen to start making woollen felt handbags.

The wool trade used to be a thriving industry in the UK but has rapidly declined since the 1950s and many sheep farmers are now forced to discard their fleeces because they cannot sell them. Like many felt makers, Karen started out using merino wool, but since learning about the plight of UK sheep farmers, she made the decision to start using British wool in her bags. British wool is often quite coarse because of the climate and when felted it becomes extremely strong, so is ideal for bags. Wool is also naturally water resistant, stain resistant and hardwearing. This collection of bags uses at least 50% British wool.

All my items are wet felted.

Wet felting involves laying out wisps of wool in different directions, sprinkling them with warm soapy water and then gently rubbing and rolling them until all the fibres have completely bonded together – this often takes several hours! During the process, other fibres and materials can be incorporated, such as silk threads and fabrics to decorate the surface of the felt. Felt made this way is lightweight, but very strong. You can crush it and it will just spring back into shape and it will never fray or come apart. It is also water-resistant to an extent and can cope with a normal light rain shower without the water soaking through to the inside. Just give it a shake and the droplets of water will shake off. Most dirt can also be brushed off or sponged clean. If you do need to wash it, follow the steps below.

Washable with care – this item can be very gently hand washed in warm soapy water, but please do not rub vigorously, or wring or twist it, as this will distort the felt. Roll it in a towel to squeeze as much water out as possible and either air dry, or dry flat in a warm place (e.g an airing cupboard). It can also be gently reshaped whilst wet (if needed). DO NOT use hot water, the washing machine, or tumble drier as it will distort the felt!