in particular silver by the method described in wo 02 43743 the roll is stitched in the longitudinal direction with lines of stitching in tencel yarn the longitudinal lines of stitches are supplemented by transverse lines of stitching in the form of continuous angular zig zags which extend between adjacent longitudinal lines of stitches in this way stitch free gaps are left between columns of longitudinal stitching the roll is slit in the longitudinal direction in the stitch free gaps to form ribbons fig2 shows a nonwoven roll similar to that shown in fig1 except that the continuous zig zag of transverse stitches is made in a castellated pattern between the longitudinal lines of stitches and joins them together the roll is slit in the longitudinal direction in the stitch free gaps to form ribbons preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the following examples a wound dressing was made from a roll of gel forming fibers as described for the dressing of fig1 the roll had lines of longitudinal stitching spaced 5 mm apart the column width was 2 5 cm ribbons were cut from each roll by slitting in a longitudinal direction at the gaps between the columns in the transverse stitching an alternative wound dressing was made by superposing two rolls of gel forming fibers as described for dressing a and stitching as described for dressing a an alternative wound dressing was made by eliminating the transverse.