A Long Summer Ends, a Busy Fall Begins
I have never needle felted so much in my life. Throughout the spring months, I was absorbed in my wool landscape series for my Fibers of the South exhibit at Art & Light, and ever since receiving word in late June that I was accepted to Indie Craft Parade solely for the Fiber Art category, I’ve been working with nothing but wool for several hours a day, for what feels like months on end.
Normally, I spend more time focusing on my jewelry line (it accounts for the majority of my business), and usually the fiber art is just what I do at the end of the day to unwind while watching a documentary or movie. Not this summer! Although I still have lots of jewelry orders to keep up with and fall shows to prepare for, I’ve been immersed in this medium which I have a love-hate relationship with.
I really do love needle felting (especially when I’m not actively doing it, like right now as I’m writing about it…) but it’s a somewhat frustrating medium to work with. If you’ve ever given it a try, you know it takes FOREVER to make anything, even the smallest pieces. With fiber art, things don’t start to really take shape - or look like anything decent - until you’ve put in a serious amount of time with the barbed felting needles, layering roving upon roving.
Working like this can be hard to accept as an artist. It’s not rewarding to work on something if it looks horrible for the majority of the time you’re working on it, right? Normally I have jewelry to switch off to, so it’s not so tedious, but this summer I doubled down and stuck to felting. Not my favorite way to spend the summer, but there’s always an upside to concentrating on specific skills for a season.
Being patient and keeping up with my felting goals paid off, and I’m thrilled to share these new fiber art additions at Indie Craft Parade here in Greenville, SC. The sold out VIP gala is Friday September 15th, and the show is open to the public Saturday the 16th through Sunday the 17th at the Huguenot Mill downtown.
So where can you find my jewelry, if not at Indie Craft Parade? My Etsy shop is always open, plus I have a FULL fall schedule that spans 12 weekends and 5 states. Mark your calendars!
September 16-17: Indie Craft Parade (Greenville, SC)
September 22-23: Jewelry Trunk Show at Urban Digs (Greenville, SC)
September 29-30: Made South (Atlanta, GA)
October 5-8: Jewelry Trunk Show at Custard Boutique (Greenville, SC)
October 13-14: Jewelry Trunk Show at The Urban Planter (Spartanburg, SC)
October 20-22: Brookhaven Arts Festival (Atlanta, GA)
October 28: BBQ Festival (Lexington, NC)
November 4: Crafty Bastards (Nashville, TN)
November 11: Greenville Classical Academy's Fall Festival & Holiday Market (Greenville, SC)
November 17-18: Made South (Franklin, TN)
*November 19: Retropolitan (Knoxville, TN)
November 30-December 3: Bizarre Bazaar (Richmond, VA)
December 8-9: A Craft Christmas (Hickory, NC)
*December 10: Crafty Feast (Columbia, SC)
*Starred dates indicate events I've applied to (and have participated in the past), but haven't heard back yet if I've been accepted. Fingers crossed these shows will in fact be on the tour!
