Felting YoYo's Online - Yes it is Possible

Covid has create a limitation on the possibilities to get together and Felt, so instead of letting that hinder me, I proposed we do an online felting class on the Zoom platform for the guild members.

Well, luckily 7 guild members joined me, on a Wednesday evening and I was able to figure out the technology required for them to see me and my hands.

Yoyo's come from the quilting realm and are also called Suffolk puffs.

Yo-Yo Quilts were most popular from the 1920s through the 1940s. Tiny circles of fabric were gathered up at the edges and sewed together to create a three-dimensional effect. Yo-yo quilts were popular for a number of reasons. Women could carry the little circles of fabric with them and make yo-yos whenever they had a free moment. Also, during the Great Depression, because they were made from small scraps of fabric, yo-yo quilts were more affordable to make and whatever fabric was on hand could be used.

The original technique is simple. We did it a bit differently. We made the fabric with the nuno-felting technique using silk and fiber. I made mine with sari silk and merino prefelt, and others used merino top, corriedale and batts. Since the felt is a bit bulkier than just cotton fabric, we embellished the centre with various designs.