An investigation on compressed felt products in terms of traditional and modern designs in the beginning of 21st century

In this study, development of kicking felt art from past to present is considered. According to the results obtained from questionnaire forms consist of 27 questions applied to five craftsmen who pursue felt profession in İzmir, Tire and five designers in Ankara, and documented 100 product information forms;While craftsmen learned kicking felt art from their father and grandfather as a family tradition, designers learned from prominent artisans in several cities. Craftsmen use traditional patterns in their products. On the other hand designers use modern pattern beside traditional ones. Craftsmen use sheep lamp wools, paint wools using mostly synthetic colors, and obtain kicking felt products by simple tools and machine power. Designers use New Zealand wools together with sheep lamb wools, and obtain kicking felt products by simple tools and human power. While craftsmen produce mostly ground cloth, hall rug, door mat and animal felt, and in diminishing values, cushion, shepherd?s felt cloak and prayer rug, designers produce mostly board, shawl, bag and ornaments, and in diminishing values, ground cloth, door mat, hall rug, clothes, pillow, slipper, sandal, bootee and hat. Craftsmen mostly use vegetable and geometrical, and in diminishing values, figured, symbolic, objected and written decorations subjects in their products. Designers mostly use vegetable, and in diminishing values, figured, geometrical and stylized from the nature, objected and symbolic decorations subjects.At the end of the study, suggestions revealed by the researcher based on the determined issues are given.