lives in Helena, MT where she is surrounded by beauty everywhere she rests her eyes. She has always loved color, texture, design, and kids. She began creating Woolsies in 2008 after working at a local toy store and meeting people who were having difficulty finding natural, safe, simple, and lovely toys for their loved ones. The eco-friendly, recycled, and hand-crafted nature of her animals is what inspires her imagination in THE MAKING OF A WOOLSIE…….
I am always on the hunt for well-loved sweaters made of natural fibers such as wool, cashmere, alpaca, angora, or a mix of these. The more loved the sweater is, the better.
My sources are varied: second-hand shops, yard sales, or the occasional friend who has accidentally machine-washed that lovely orange sweater vest from Aunt Emma….
I throw my finds into the washing machine and turn on the hottest water setting. It’s always a delightful mystery as to what I’ll find when the cycle ends.
Some sweaters require multiple cycles to achieve the felted look I prefer. Then, into the dryer they go for yet another heated experience….
I spread out a well-felted sweater and study it from every angle to determine what wee animal is eager to be freed at last. All my animals are made from my own designs.
H-m-m-m, is that bold gray, black and pink argyle waiting to emerge as an elephant with lacey white wings?……
After I sew the Woolsie together, I turn and stuff with care and just the right amount of Ingeo. Ingeo, which means “ingredients from the earth”, is an eco-friendly fiber derived entirely from corn—a renewable resource.
The final step is giving this wee creature some personality and character by hand-stitching a face. Now! LET THE IMAGINING CONTINUE………
it takes a whole crew of ideationists, designers, creatives, realists, technical wizards, not to mention someone who knows how to make a sewing machine sing!
