Vilene Tips

I would like information about the various states of solubility you can achieve with it. If I have felted with wool roving, how to I successfully remove all of the stabilizer?

When I want to remove all of the Vilene from needle felted roving, I first, cut away any excess stabilizer. I then run the felt under warm water with a couple drops of dishwashing detergent. I rub the felt a bit, as well, because I find that it helps to remove the holes that are sometimes left in the felt. I keep the felt under the water until there is no more foaming. I then set the felt out to dry.

If I want my creation to be flexible, but not limp and not hard, what is the best method to achieve that?

When I want the felted piece to be flexible but not limp, there are two things that you need to consider. First, you need to be sure that the felt is thick enough to hold its shape. When well needle felted, it should be just less than 1/8^th of an inch thick or thicker. Otherwise, the felt is most liable to drape instead of just be flexible. Second, wash the Vilene from the felt using warm water but don’t use the dishwashing detergent. You can still rub it a bit. Stop when you can no longer see any of the stabilizer, probably around 30 seconds for a 4 by 6 inch piece of felt.

When I want the felt to retain a shape after it has dried, I run it under cold water for about 30 seconds for a 4 by 6 inch piece of felt. I don’t rub, but rather just let the water run through/over the felt. I then shape the felt and let it dry. If it is not hard enough, you can dissolve some Vilene in water (save the extra pieces that you cutaway for this). It does not take much water for some pieces to dissolve. Mix until you have a consistency like white glue. You can now paint the dissolved Vilene on the felt and it will become harder. The Vilene mixture dries clear and does not have much, if any, gloss.

And is there a way for me to get the wool-vilene mix to be sticky and flexible so that I could use it to wrap something and adhere to the object once it has dried?

I don’t think so. I have not found Vilene to be particularly sticky even when I have just dissolved it in water. I would suggest the use of Fabric-Tac or Gem-Tac as an adhesive applied to the damp felt.

Yes, in fact, I have had great success using Vilene when needle felting silk roving. You can produce a silk “fabric” that is very similar to “silk fusion.” I intentionally leave the edges of the “fabric” very feathery. It leaves the silk “fabric” with edges similar to torn mulberry paper, but it is much more difficult to tear than mulberry paper.

To create the silk fusion fabric, pull the silk roving apart and muss up the fibers so that they are not all going in the same direction. I use a size 42 needle on my Embellisher and needle felt the silk until I can clearly see it on the reverse side of the Vilene. I then remove the stabilizer as described above. I have gotten a hard silk fusion fabric and a reasonably flexible fabric. I have not tried to get a fabric that drapes using this technique.

I know Vilene is water soluble but would it also be appropriate to leave it in to stabilize the project if you didn't expect the item to be washed?

If I am making something like a bowl or wall art (neither of which I expect to be washed), I rinse the Vilene from the item with COLD water and NO detergent. The result is that there is still some stiffness left in the felt and you can block/shape the item and then let it dry. The item will be stiffer than it would have been without the Vilene, but will still be soft to the touch. I really like this because a bowl can get smashed in my trunk show bag and it goes right back into shape with just a shop of steam and a few minutes of shaping (if that). I also think that it gives the wall hangings more structure. They are not stiff like when you use a textile medium or a fiber varnish (I think the stiffness alters the texture and to me fiber art is ALL about TEXTURE.)

If I was making a garment, even one I never intended to wash...such as something that would be dry cleaned...I would definitely remove the Vilene. I would hate to get caught in the rain and have the stabilizer melt away on me. Same thing would go for a hat or a purse. In these cases, I use WARM water and a drop of dishwashing detergent to remove all of the Vilene. I squish the water through it for a few minutes while the tap is running. I then block the item. If the item needs a stabilizer, then I use one that is appropriate to the project. I like Deco-Bond for purses, combined with a plastic canvas frame if I have punched into a fabric backing. Using a fusible when you have punched (fabric or roving) into a fabric foundation adds just a bit of extra protection to hold the fibers and fabrics in place. At times, I even reinforce the Deco-Bond with an added layer of Stitch Witchery.

With garments (vests being my main experience there), I use a knit fusible stabilizer on the felted fabric and since the vests are lined, you cannot see the stabilizer. That allows the vest to hang very nicely and to have a very soft feel while still having some drape. My preference for the knit fusible is Pellon 906F Easy knit fusible interfacing because it is very stable, yet drapes well. I also use this as an iron-on to the reverse of machine embroidery that I do where the reverse would be rough against the skin.

As far as hats go, I am not really proficient at how to get a felt hat to hold its shape. If this is what you are making, I would definitely wash out the Vilene, and I would most likely use Jo Sonja Textile Medium diluted with water. It is stiffer than I like for most things, but it does have the advantage of being waterproof when it is completely dry. But, please take that recommendation understanding that hats are not my forte.

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