How to make an Asian inspired felted wrap with button closure

Asian inspired wrap with cinnabar closure

I gathered my fabrics, wool roving and other supplies and materials. These include black silk, the Asian inspired cotton fabric shown in the foreground, metallic silk fabric, Uzbek white silk and a scarf with writing on it that I bought in San Gimignano, Italy last year. 

On my work table I placed a large piece of bubble wrap with the bubbles up. On the bubble wrap, I placed a piece of sheer black silk fabric and added one thin layer of white merino roving.  I wetted it out, covered it with another piece of bubble wrap, wetted the top bubble wrap and lightly pressed everything down.  I did this to make it easier to add additional fabrics. After that I added pieces of other fabric, strands of yarn, tussah silk and additional roving.  I covered the small thick pieces of fabric with sheer silk having the silk directly touch the roving underneath - known as the inclusion technique.

  

There are so many ways to wear this shawl - upside down, inside out and the holes can be used for the fun closure that I made.

The closure is made with two buttons that go through two holes in the shawl, one stays in the back hole and the other through the front.

I glued a small metal button shank to the back of a cinnabar bead making it into a button.  I used bead thread to add the silver bead, the black crystal drop and small black beads.  I used a jump ring to attach this bead button to a red shank button.

Nuno Felted Garment Workshop - February 2017 in Southern California