Craft:

Moxie of Made by Moxie has been featured here on the CRAFT blog a number of times for her cool needle felting action. I'm excited that we finally get a chance to chat online and soon we'll get an opportunity to meet at the Maker Faire. Moxie and Brookelynn (who did our cover project of needle felted fruit for CRAFT: 02) will be hosting the Needle Felting Playground. Find out here what cool needle felting action they've got planned to show you! But first, let's talk to Moxie and get the skinny on why needle felting has changed her life.

Pictured above (top to bottom, left to right): Needle felted billard balls, flower cuff, purple guy with propeller, and Moxie herself holding one of Brooklynn's needle felted finger puppets.

Nat: Why are you so passionate about needle felting?

Moxie: Crafting is something I've always done. I've stumbled through every project and genre I could find, and enjoyed an aspect of all of them. Then, I met needle felting, and my life changed. There is something about the colors and textures of fiber and the transformative power of that one, extremely sharp needle. That I can use this simple industrial tool to make wool turn into so many things is deeply fulfilling to me. It's magic, or science. I get them confused.

Nat: Please tell me about the Needle Felting Playground you'll be doing with Brookelynn Morris at the Maker Faire?

Moxie: Brookelynn and I have a mutual passion, not just for this art form, but for sharing it with the people. The Playground was born out of our desire to create an open-ended, participant-driven felting experience. We're going to create a comfy gathering place for collaboration and experimentation. I'm looking forward to the joyfulness, and to watching Brookelynn do her thing. She is like none other.

Nat: How do you plan out the design of your needle felted goods?

Moxie: It varies a lot. I am terribly impatient so I don't like to sketch things out. The finger puppets and accessories often start with me choosing specific colors I want to play with. Sometimes my design develops as I work...sort of like doodling with my felting needle, and sometimes I have a clear concept in my head. When it comes to the sculptured pieces, I keep a running list of ideas in my notebook. I have a ton of ideas for life-size needle felted replicas of everyday objects that I intend to explore over time.

Nat: What have been some of your favorite projects you've created?

Moxie: That's so hard! My very first real life object was the turquoise deco ashtray, and I still love how it turned out. I'm also completely obsessed with my finger puppet friends. When I'm working on their faces, they come alive for me and I'm often giggling to myself as I finish them.

Nat: What's a special needle felting tip you can share with crafters?

Moxie: One helpful nugget is that I often use two needles as one. I hold them together when working on smallish details, closing seams and shaping sculptures. It's cool because they grab more fiber and speed the process, but you still get a lot of control over small areas of your project.

Nat: What are your upcoming projects for the coming summer?

Moxie: In the small world that exists for me beyond felting, I'll be teaching art to kids all over Seattle. As for needle felting, Brookelynn got me thinking about working with wire armatures, which would allow pieces to be posed and re-posed. I'm gonna try that out while sipping crushed ice beverages on the porch with my pals.

Related:
CRAFT Interview with Crafter Brookelynn Morris - Link.