Felting Mulberry papers, Part 2: taking our lines of ink for walks

I got together with artist Lee Goller to play with her papers and inks. Lee and I have been engaged in a conversation for several months, with the view and hope that it will lead towards a collaboration for exhibition. But if it doesn't, it matters not, as we like hanging out with each other.
It can be scary to make your first mark on paper. Let alone papers that have taken a while to felt by hand. Lee was the perfect guide.

Joni's ink doodles on paper

We started off using some ink on water-colour paper just to get started – and then into the flow – using black ink, some pens with nibs and brushes. At first it reminded me of school and learning to use a fountain pen. I was rather a messy filler and user of ink pots– requiring lots of blotting papers. But I liked the way, and still do, that the nib would scratch the page. Inevitably, my pages of writing at school would include splotches and blots. Here, as well, I would fill my nib, and then bring it to the paper and lo – behold – a splotch of ink. Oops. Thankfully those days of school, scolds and guilt are long gone – and those accidents can be made into ‘something’ artistic – as much as doodles are artistic. 

Before long I had taken out the felted papers, sharing them with Lee. I noticed that Lee had a book of drawing by Paul Klee open on the table. We chatted while doodling with the inks. We felt hungry and Lee served up bowls of soup. I was mindful not to dip my nib into the soup… It occurred to me (because our conversation in the past had included the theme of ‘the mad-woman in the attic’) that these papers could very well show the marks that the madwoman would make, when offered papers and inks. The thought was strangely satisfying. 

The textured papers require more ink

Getting out the felted papers

Lee reminded me of Klee’s idea of drawing as ‘taking a line for a walk’. Sure! I said,  and I like John Berger’s variation on that theme – that writing is ‘taking a line of words for a walk’, which had inspired me many moons ago while I was writing a Master’s thesis. Here we were with our lines on a walk and happy for the companionship, with each other and the art materials. It occurs to me much later that the mad woman (for instance Bertha in Jane Eyre) would hardly muse about Klee or Berger, while drawing. 

Lee's drawings inspired by Klee

Lee's left-handed flourishes

'This is fun!'

Lee remarked that while these meandering lines were fun, she hoped to reach the stage in drawing of making ‘mindful’ lines and marks. Yes, all well and good for Lee who has a degree in drawing, but not just yet for me, (who never fulfilled a childhood dream to learn to draw the figure properly). Let me be content with my splotches and the unconscious gestures. 

Joni's splotches

Felting Mulberry Paper samples, Part 1

Post the Fiona Duthie workshop (Fibre, Paper, Ink: Illuminated), which I attended in Dunolly, I attempted to purchase Hanji overseas but when I realized it would cost over $70 US for a few sheets of paper to be freighted, I decided to look for local suppliers of mulberry papers. 

Neil Wallace Printmaking Supplies and Melbourne Etching Supplies were my first stop. Well, Neil’s first, and was told that the two shops had merged. Melbourne Etching Supplies (MES) has the better supply of Mulberry paper, I was informed. I sourced a Mulberry Tissue (Code P339-09111), which is an archival restoration paper, but which can also be used for print making. This is available in 10 gsm, 25 gsm and 30 gsm. I purchased it in 30 gsm as it was closest to the weight (35 gsm) of the paper we used in the workshop. 

Fiona Duthie had mentioned Dairing as a possible source of paper and when I contacted Stephen, he sent me several small samples of Mulberry papers made in Thailand.  

Following Fiona’s instructions, I felted all papers by hand, and using 23 micron merino wool. I didn’t want to introduce another unknown by way of using the Gentle Roller (something Philip has taught me). The papers were enough unknown materials. Happily, all papers felted well. Stephen had marked his papers in biro (which I went over with a fine Sharpie pen), and as you can see the marks didn’t fade too much during felting. 

Random papers from Dairing

Random piece - PW-2

Random piece PW-1

Very fine tissue, almost disappeared into merino

MES Mulberry Tissue 30 gsm

Rougher random Mulberry PB-1

Rougher random piece PB-2

The Benefits of Using a Second Drive Roller

I often contemplate the reality that using The Gentle Roller has neither made me a more prolific nor a faster felt maker. The Gentle Roller was never intended to produce faster felt. It was intended to replace manual rolling and, in that regards, it suits me fine. But I know that there are some who think or feel that you could be working faster particularly when you’re not doing the rolling yourself and time seems to be spent “waiting”. There are just so many cups of coffee you can have while The Gentle Roller is doing all that hard work for you 😉.

Showing the GR in back and second drive roller at left

I am not usually having cups of coffee, or reading, as the GR advert suggests. And because the shed where I work is a long way from the rest of the house, I tend to just sit around waiting for the cycles to complete. Often, I use the time to daydream about future projects, draw or write, or informally do inventory of my fibres and fabrics. Things changed when I started testing the super soft roller for Nuno Felt. I discovered that having more than one drive roller can change your production quite dramatically. It helps for instance when I am laying a garment. As I don’t use a resist but lay my pieces separately, I can now roll the front and back pieces concurrently. Having laid out the back and front pieces I can take each up on a separate drive roller (it’s less difficult/heavy than folding back to back and trying to roll the whole piece at once). While one bundle is rolling, I can wet down, soap, inspect the other piece, then sandwiched in plastic, take it up on another drive roller. When the rolling cycle finishes for the other bundle, I can simply switch them over.

You can work this way with making multiple scarves at the one time, or with different parts of a garment. When I work with two drive rollers I’m no longer sitting around in a daydream (even though I consider this being creative too). I’m in constant motion inspecting, wetting, hand touching, preparing; and as I ready one piece, the rolling cycle of the other is just coming to an end (or it is waiting) and I swap and continue. The Gentle Roller won’t be rolling any faster, but you will find yourself working much more productively and efficiently (if that is your objective) and your “waiting” time will reduce dramatically.


From March you will be able to purchase an additional drive roller under the shop section in 'accessories'.  You will also be able to choose from 'general purpose' and the 'super soft' for very fine Nuno-felt. The Gentle Roller team continue to work hard to ensure your felting is a lot less laborious.

© The Gentle Roller