Bio
At HeartFelt Fleece & Fiber, I create both timeless and trendy handcrafted, woolen wearables for women of all ages.
Over half of my life was spent living overseas in countries and on islands both exotic and remote. Living in that environment forced me to be creative and resourceful. It made me appreciate and recognize quality craftsmanship, traditional methods and heirloom pieces. I bring that insight and love of natural fibers to my studio, as I create both classic and modern styles using time-honored methods.
Years ago, as both a spinner and a weaver, I sought to learn additional ways to use my sheep's wool and llamas' fiber to make a product to sell. Fascinated by old-world crafting techniques, I found felting to be a natural path. I dabbled a bit, and as I became more proficient, I challenged myself to apply both needle felting and wet felting techniques to both wool and fiber and then compare the end results.
I was instantly mesmerized! There are so many different breeds of sheep and each breed’s wool behaves differently, has different properties. The wool I felt with is very soft and is able to be worn next to the skin. As I felt with it, the wool bonds together becoming more compact and dense; the colors become more vivid.
As a milliner, I know quality products begin with quality materials. Using soft wool with a high sheen, I create both classic and modern styled hats to appeal to women of all ages. From fascinators to pillboxes, fedoras to cloches, and berets to cossacks, I offer all women the opportunity to wear a quality handmade statement piece to accent their wardrobe. The needle-felted cossack and modified cossack are my most popular styles for both the young and young at heart.