FAQs:

Q: WHAT IS NEEDLE FELTING?

 

A: Special needles are used to stab and poke wool roving (what wool is before it is spun into yarn) until it becomes solid. With a single barbed needle, the fibres become entangled and matted each time you poke. The more you poke, the more matted the fibres become thus the more solid the piece. This is a VERY therapeutic art form. 

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Q: WHAT TOOLS DO YOU USE?

 

A: There are a few essential tools needed to needle felt successfully. First, you need your wool roving which comes in a massive array of colors and styles. You can felt with sheep's wool, Alpaca, Llama, Yak, Mohair...the list goes on and on! Second, you need special needles. These needles are incredibly fragile and come in a variety of gauges (coarse, medium, and fine to name a few). They have several notches cut into the length of the needle tip. These notches, called "barbs", catch on the wool fibres and intertwine them which causes the wool to become matted and solid. The last tool you need is a high density foam pad to protect your needles from breaking as you poke. Oh! It also protects your table surface from poke marks! Other tools, such as needles and thread, embellishments, beads, etc., can be used but aren't necessary. I like to sew the limbs of my animals to the bodies for extra security and add beads for eyes.

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Q: HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO MAKE A PIECE?

 

A: This is a hard question to answer. It really depends on the artist, their needle felting abilities, and their patience level, as well as the amount of details and size of the piece. I'm not going to lie, the process can be tedious, time consuming, and full of disappointments (and successes!). There is usually a great deal of trial and error in creating a sculpture. In short, a piece can take anywhere from one hour to more than twenty four hours to complete. I'd say on average I can finish a sculpture within 4-6 hours.

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Q: WHAT ARE YOUR PRICES?

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A: As an artist, this is one of the most difficult tasks to accomplish. You really have to be conscious of the market and artists selling/creating items similar to your own. If you price too high you probably won't see too many sales. Price too low and you hurt the value of your work and other artists who work in similar mediums. It's a delicate subject in which many artists struggle. The last thing you want to do is devalue your own work. It's more than just getting paid for the supplies you used. Think about all the times you tried and failed at making a piece and had to start over. Your time and effort are worth more than you know. When people purchase an item from me, they are not only paying for the supplies and my time, they are also paying for a hand crafted piece of my heart! For now, I seem to have found a good price point for my work. My items range from $15 (cards) to $85...the average being about $65 per item. Of course, prices depend on how demanding the sculpture design is and how much time is put into that sculpture.

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Q: DO YOU DO COMMISSIONS?

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A: The short answer is YES. The long answer is possibly. I will create a special one-of-a-kind piece for you on a case-by-case basis. It's not that I don't want to make something special for you. It's just sometimes my confidence level is a lot lower when a client comes to me asking if I can create an exact likeness of their beloved pet, for instance. It can be hard for me to just look at a couple of pictures and create a spectacular version of your pet. If I was able to meet these animals in person and get to know their personalities, I'm all in for creating a likeness of them. However, if they have passed away I only have pictures to go by. As a known "people pleaser" I am plagued by the possibility of disappointing my client. I'll admit I haven't had a disappointed client yet, but there is always that chance! Don't be discouraged though. Drop me a line and we can discuss your ideas for that super special piece.