Felt Matters

In this episode of Felt Matters, hosts Vivienne Morpeth and Heather Potten discuss the art of Nuno Felting. Vivienne shares insights into how she crafts her signature felt dresses. Early on in her felting career, she utilised inherited scarves and sewing patterns. However, she soon developed her own way of creating seamless dresses with hand-dyed silk and fibre, techniques she describes in her upcoming book. In contrast, Heather describes how she uses ready-printed silks to create texture and pattern on a 3D vessel for an exhibition called Holding Conversations.

In this episode of Felt Matters, hosts Vivienne Morpeth and Heather Potten explore Heather's deep-rooted connection to Orkney. Heather shares her fascination with her Orcadian heritage and jewellery from her childhood, specifically pieces by the innovative designer Ola Gorie. As they discuss their shared love of Celtic and Norse art, the conversation evolves into a felting project primarily inspired by these cultural symbols. The episode unfolds with tales of Heather's formative years in Orkney, weaving in elements of mythology, family, and creativity, resulting in unique felted pieces representing these rich influences.

In this episode of Felt Matters, hosts Vivienne Morpeth and Heather Potten discuss artistic collaborations, featuring an insightful interview with Lydia Needle. Needle, whose name serendipitously echoes her craft, shares her journey from teacher to needle felting artist. She elaborates on the ecological and artistic inspirations behind her ambitious 50 Bees project, which raises awareness about bee conservation. The episode highlights the vital role artists play in addressing global challenges through unique perspectives and collaborative efforts, emphasizing the power of informal, creative education in fostering change.To find out more about the Fifty Bees project, check out @fiftybeescic and @lydianeedlehttps://www.fibreartstaketwo.com/articles/lydia-needle

Join Heather and Vivienne in their virtual studio for a peek into the creative process of felting. Listen to their three guests, Liz Riley, Wendy Bailye and Ellen Silberlicht as each offers an insight into their process. Be inspired by tips on three-dimensional sampling with Liz, sampling, mixed media and the creative process with Wendy and the joy Ellen found through working with clay and felt.Ellen was the cover star of Issue 130 of our journal, Felt Matters and was interviewed by Louise Curnin in Hungary. Members of the International Feltmakers Association have full access to all our journals here: https://www.feltmakers.com/journal-archive/Members can also watch Wendy's talk, commissioned for our 2022 online AGM, (along with all our other commissioned videos and talks) here: https://www.feltmakers.com/talks/

In this 3-part episode of Felt Matters, Vivienne chats to feltmaker, Olga Exley, about her top tips for making the perfect slipper. Louise Curnin and fellow feltmaker, Jackie Stringer, discuss their impressions of the West Hungary Felt Tour run by Flóra Carlile-Kovács. And finally, Heather shares with us the fabulous workshop she attended with Janna Turner; working with Gotland fleece to make a luxurious seat cover.

In this episode of Felt Matters, hosts Vivienne Morpeth and Heather Potten welcome Louise Curnin, a key figure behind the International Feltmakers Association's Discovering Feltmaking courses. Louise explains the rationale behind focusing on foundational skills instead of solely project-based learning. She highlights the critical aspects of fibre variability, shrinkage rates, and the importance of sampling. This episode offers valuable advice for both novice and experienced felt makers, emphasizing how structured sampling and warm-up exercises can significantly improve one's felting technique and overall artistic output.For more information on our online courses, Discovering Feltmaking, go to https://www.feltmakers.com/discovering-feltmaking-course/

In this engaging podcast episode, hosts Vivienne Morpeth and Heather Potten of the International Feltmakers Association share their passion for felt making. They discuss the significance of their felting tables as Vivienne recounts her serendipitous acquisition of a perfect felting table, adding a personal touch to her crafting space. The discussion moves onto sourcing and dyeing silk and the joy of felting with raw fleece.Vivienne introduces her Felt on the Shelf section before looking more closely at the British Wool for Feltmaking book published by Crowood Press. This book provides listeners with a wealth of inspiration and practical tips. And finally, Vivienne shares her Top Tip for dyeing wool fibres.

Hosted by Vivienne Morpeth and Heather Potten, the Felt Matters podcast is a new and exciting addition to the felting world. The podcast aims to provide a platform for conversations about all things felting. Both avid felt makers themselves, our hosts share their experiences, tips, and inspiration, while also featuring conversations with other feltmakers. Listeners can expect to explore the art of felting from different perspectives, learn new techniques, and find resources and inspiration to fuel their own felting journey. Whether you're a seasoned feltmaker or just starting out, Felt Matters is a must-listen podcast for any felting enthusiast.