Beautiful treasures: unique felted scarves by Gaia Girard

I first discovered Gaia Girard's beautiful scarves on Pinterest, and then I noticed she has a shop on Etsy where she sells her creations. I was smitten right away. I contacted her and asked her about her work. Her story is a fascinating one.

Come to enchanting Rome with me, and step into the wonderful felted world of Gaia Girard.

Nuno felted circle scarf for spring

How did you discover that you liked working with textiles?

My mum and my grandmother used to knit, crochet and sew together. They made garnments for everyone of the family. I loved watching them. I soon became passionate about wool threads and fabrics. I could play all day with yarns and threads. Growing up, I started to knit and crochet myself, then I started to weave and to sew. I discovered felt 10 years ago and I never came back.
Also, I completed a Master degree in Oriental Art and Archaeology, during which I discovered and was deeply inspired by the magnificient techniques and colours of Indian, Japanese, Chinese and South East Asian textiles.

You live in beautiful Rome, one of the world's leading fashion cities. Does that influence your work?

Rome is such an amazing city! The light here is magical. I live in the city center and every day I walk through ancient buildings and roman streets, that are so inspiring, with their patterns and colours. People here are very fashion forward . It's not just all about brands, they know how to dress up, mix and match. They try to express themselves differently through colours and accessories, as a result of the combination of different cultures and history.

Which techniques do you use to create your items?

Having studied many tecniques (weaving, tapestry, dyeing, screen printing, macrame, sewing, felting) I love mixing them. I often handdye the fabrics, sometimes using the shibori tecnique, batik or screen printing. About ten years ago I discovered Nuno Felting, consisting of layering very small amounts of wool onto woven fabric. The basic fabric is usually silk or cotton. Through the felting process, the wool fibre migrates through the fabric. As the normal shrinkage from the felting process takes place, the fabric is pulled, creating unique textures in the product. I am fascinated with this medium. Everyday my imagination is fueled by its versatility. I am surprised that it can be manipulated in so many ways.

  3 in 1 nuno felted long sleeve poncho, shrug and scarf

When you start creating a scarf, do you have a pattern in mind beforehand or do you just let the textile lead you?

When I start creating, I always start from colour. I lay down the fabrics on my working table and let them speak to me. This is the part of the creative process I prefer. Having worked for many years as a paintings conservator, I am fascinated by colours, patterns and textures. I am always looking for interesting colour combinations.
Only after I am satisfied with the fabric arrangement, I start to lay the wool onto the fabric. 

Big nuno felted circle scarf

You work with merino wool. What are the advantages of that material?

I strongly believe in ethical and eco-friendly fashion. From this point of view, few fibres are as wonderful to work with and to wear as Merino wool. What attracts me most to this material is its versatility, its delicate composition and its natural properties.
Soft, comfortable and breathable, Merino is a highly efficient insulator, keeping the wearer cool and fresh in hot temperatures, and warm in colder weather. Merino also possesses antibacterial and anti-inflammatory qualities.

Can customers order a custom piece?

All my pieces are one of a kind. For each piece I make a new design. I often use vintage fabrics, that I only find in small quantities. For these reasons, the customer can only decide the color palette, leaving me the freedom to choose and arrange the fabrics to better suit the custom order.

How can customers keep their scarves beautiful? Are they washable?

Wool naturally repels dirt. Just airing them goes a long way, particularly in humid weather. The moist air takes dirt and bad odours with it as it passes through the garment.
If you wash by hand, make sure you do not leave them lying in water. Excess water should be squeezed out using a towel - never wring. Reshape them after they have been washed and spread them out to dry on a flat surface so they keep their shape.

Where can people buy your beautiful pieces?

My pieces can be found here on Etsy or in a few selected shops around Rome.

Apart from scarves, Gaia also makes felted tote bags.

Nuno felted tote bag

Click to visit Gaia's shop on Etsy 

Follow this link to visit her Facebook page 

Thank you Gaia, for a peek into your creative world!