Everything fascinates me. So when I see a new medium I have to try it and needle-felting is just the best kept secret. I’d previously appliquéd with felt but really didn’t know much about it – like what made felt. . .felt? Felt, simply put, is wool that’s been compacted. And that’s the essence of needle-felting. Needle-felting is the process of adhering fiber to fiber using a barbed needle, and practically anything that can be found in a yarn store, spun or raw, can be used. The pieces I’d created previously had been large abstract wall-hangings appliquéd in felt, but one day I began to wonder how the art of 17th century Japanese woodcuts would look using this technique. As I went in search of yarn that might be incorporated into my work, I discovered, tucked away in the nook of my local yarn store, a few items labeled “Needle-felting”. Intrigued, I purchased a few things, took them home, and was instantly hooked. That was two years ago. And now, every nook and cranny of my workroom is overflowing with wool. It’s spilling out of baskets and bursting out of my armoire; and every trip to the yarn store or online search brings home more. I’ve used almost every medium there is and I have to say needle-felting is the most versatile and forgiving. It’s allowed me to experiment like never before because I can simply remove a mistake by plucking out the wool. And what other medium lets you paint and sculpt and needs no cleanup? If you go to my website, you’ll see I’ve got eclectic tastes. Right now, I’m working on a series of Japanese women wearing surreal hats.
Languages spoken: French and Spanish
Taki and Katsu Brave the Rain by Stacy Polson
Matilda and the Fairy by Stacy Polson
Tags: wool, felting, art, wall hangings, fiber art, needle-felting, needle-felted, crafts, handcrafted, figurines
