Gainesville, FL
I always loved clothes. I think late summer was my favorite time of yeat because it meant shopping for clothes for the new school year. I later learned to sew from my mother who made wonderful clothes and hats.And I had the very best collection of handmade doll clothes.I love the process of felting because it allows me to create the actual fabric. I can choose the combination of colors and design and importantly, the type of fiber. The days of synthetics are over now that we know the damage it can cause to the environment. The silk I use for the base of my felts is handmade in Uzbekistan.I purchase my wool and silk roving, yarns, and threads from indie dyers and spinners in the US, Canada, and the UK. Some of these fiber artists also raise their own sheep or have a relationship with small, independent farms. This is an important link in the chain becauseit means that these animals are raised under the best conditions and treated like pets. I usually don't have an idea in mind as to what type of garment I will make from my felt because I never know the size of the finished piece. As I'm rolling the piece, I sometimes find that more turns are required in order to get everything to adher. And more rolling of wool with water means more shrinkage. And I never have a concrete design in mind. Felting is a fluid process for me because I use such a wide variety of fibers in my pieces. I usually start by selecting a grouping of wool, yarns, and threads that give me a blending of color and a variety of textures but I often change the selection as I'm working on the felt.. My pieces are a bit different from traditional felting and many think that some parts of my designs are embroidered . The final outcome determines what the piece will become. If a piece is large enough, it may become an entire shirt, or, if I'm really lucky, a complete jacket. Longer, narrow pieces can become scarrves or maybe the lapels on a jacket. Left over pices are not discarded but used as a collar and/or cuffs on a garment. I like to use linen, silk, and organic cotton as the body of my garments because these are some of the most environmentally friendly fabrics. And as a final accent, I often add a vintage button from my growing collection of old buttons. Sometimes pieces have to wait awhile for "the" perfect button. I like to think of my pieces as both classic and timeless but with a definite aristic twist.
