ShishLOOKdesign | Mr X Stitch

One of the things I love most about needle felt is its versatility. With a little practice, it is possible to shape wool felt into any number of things - from hyper realistic miniature animals to illustrations translated into sculpture. It’s always exciting to see something new, and as I am particularly fond of the strange and surreal, I’m dedicating this column to the “wonderfully weird.” Natasha Krajacec (Croatia) uses needle felt and clay to create one of a kind jewellery pieces. A love of nature and animals is clearly evident in these sweet creations, which are completely wonderful, but my favourite pieces are the ones that are a little weird! Animal heads in little cups! See more in her shop, ShishLOOKdesign. Cristina Toro (Chile) creates needle felt sculptures with a fantasy theme. Cat people, little troll-like creatures, and other oddities come together to form her own magical world. I particularly love her “Peludithyums” (third photo above), which she says were inspired by a local legend. See more in her shop, Feltíriums Bazar. Jocelyn Gayle (USA - New York) is the artist behind a wonderful menagerie of needle felt animals. Charming in their own right, what makes them really special is that they double as finger puppets! Seeing this wild assortment, each riding high atop a human finger, is just about as weirdly wonderful as it gets! See more at Petit Felts. Happy Felting! ----- Zoë Williams creates needle felt sculptures based on spirits, sacred creatures, and dreams. Her work is concerned with the intersection of the (inner) realm of the collective unconscious and the (outer) kingdom of nature. She lives and works in New York City.