Old clothes in disguise

I make new garments from old saris and discarded clothes- I call these  Castaways.

After 40 exciting years in bio-science, latest as head of a biotech department, I decided to try something new. I love textiles and decided to use the nuno-felt technique to fuse  discarded garments into new creations. I visit thrift stores, and have a supply of old discarded silk saris. The saris are colorful and can be used on their own or as supplements to other bits and pieces from dresses, blouses and scarves.

The nuno-felt technique: I place a thin layer of carted merino wool, tops, on the desired textiles. The wool fibers are then teased through the material using a shaker or by rolling after application of a thin soap solution.

I then throw the fabric to start the felting process, where the wool fibers interact and pull the fabric together to give a crinkled surface.

I use thin textiles made from all natural materials: silk, cotton, rayon, hemp and flax. Sometimes overlap between textiles can merge the different pieces but sometimes a bit of stitching prior to felting is required.

The philosophy is to make original garments mainly for everyday use.  Shapes and sizes vary as every every garment is unique. And there are always irregularities as the felting process has a life of its own. You need to try on the blouses. So contact me if you are interested in a Castaways creation at castawaysdk@gmail.com

Henriette Giese

Houtvedbakken 2, Stinesminde, Hobro.