Seven Sisters
The seven Sharshembieva sisters remember watching their grandmother lay felted patterns down to make carpets as she explained the legends held in each design.
As nomads, the Kyrgyz used wool felting to depict totems of their tribe and keep yurts warm in the snowy mountains. The sisters took that heritage skill and innovated on silk, creating scarves and apparel which carry forward their rich past and employ women in the making of something new.
Sustainable Technique
Wet Felting
Wet felting binds loose wool fibers into a solid fabric using moisture and repeated pressure or movement. The fibers lock together as the wool is rubbed, rolled or pressed into shape.
Sustainable Technique
Nuno Felting
A wet-felting technique that bonds wool fibers to a lightweight silk fabric using water, soap, moisture, and friction. As the wool fibers shrink and interlock, they attach to the silk, creating a lightweight textile that combines the texture of felt with the softness and drape of silk. This technique is practiced by Kyrgyz artisans, including makers in Bishkek, to create scarves, clothing, and accessories.
