My name is Eva Camacho-Sánchez of Lana Handmade, and I am a fiber artist who creates nuno felt by combining fine silk and the finest merino wool.
I learned to create from my mother, who grew up in a poor, rural village, and had no choice but to make her own clothes, sheets and other textiles in the 1940s. Her passion for creating and the importance of self-sufficiency was instilled in me at an early age, though my artistic passion only came alive when, as an adult, I discovered the amazing qualities of wool and the wonderful art of felting.
Traditionally, felt is created by using water, soap, wool and agitation. Felting takes time, physical labor and patience. Most of my items are made with wool from local farms, using Icelandic and Romney varieties for housewares, and Merino for wearables. I buy the fleeces directly from farmers, then wash, dye and card them myself.
I usually start by hand-dyeing the wool (with natural dyes I have created myself from plant matter), which is then felted together with fine silk. To create patterns on the silk, I use techniques such as free motion embroidery, hand-stitching, beading and printing. My work is the result of the fusion of the ancient art form of feltmaking with modern techniques to create new and elegant styles.
Please visit this site to see Eva’s visual work: www.evacamacho.com
