Kathie Briggs

www.kathiebriggs.com

My love of fabrics began when I made my own dress for a 7th grade party. Over the years I’ve enjoyed sewing fashion and home dec projects and designing fiber art dolls but my passion is creating textile artwork inspired by the flora and fauna of northern Michigan where every season bring new wonders.

I am fascinated by the interplay of color, form and texture.  My artwork sometimes includes tactile elements like beading and layering as well as dimensional components such as wired leaves.  I enjoy combining my own hand-dyed and painted fabric with a wide variety of commercial fabrics. 

My work has been exhibited in galleries, art centers and at national and international quilt shows; and has been featured in books and magazines. I am a member of, the Charlevoix Circle of Arts, the Crooked Tree Art Center, and the Jordan River Arts Center, and a professional artist member of the Studio Art Quilt Associates.

In addition to my artwork I offer a variety of art workshops including "Creating Strong Compositions" and "Capturing the Muse," as well as several art doll workshops.

Artist's statement:   It's the visual and tactile texture of fabric enhanced by the impression made by the stitch that induces me to create art with fiber.

 

Location:  Charlevoix, Michigan, USA

Blog:  kathiebriggs
Other social media:  LinkedIn 

Memberships:  

   Studio Art Quilt Associates
   Fiber Artists Coalition

Languages spoken:  English

"Polyphemus Moth", 40" x 28", by Kathie Briggs

"Heron on a Stump",  28"x 40", by Kathie Briggs

Tags:  Textile Art, Fiber Art, Art Quilts, Art Dolls, Nature, Layers, Seasons, Wildlife, Michigan

ColourSpun, Dana Biddle

www.colourspun.com

I'm a fibreholic - slightly off beat, dancing to my own tune, a whizz at multi-tasking - I juggle being a wife; mother; fibre artist; consulting editor - textiles for Stitches magazine; indie dyer and owner of “ColourSpun – Natural Designer Yarns”; creative workshop presenter; speaker; author of ""A Knitting Adventure with South African Yarn""... and anything else that takes my fancy.

My days are spent in my studio - dyeing, knitting, spinning, stitching, dreaming up projects for Stitches, making fibre art.... just generally having fun. I have my perfect life!

All my ColourSpun yarn is coloured by hand, so each skein is imbued with my creative energy and will have its own unique characteristics.  I only use the finest quality, locally grown merino wool roving and yarn, kid mohair and pure cotton: the dyes are the most earth friendly available and have excellent wash fast and light fast properties. My studio is a smoke free and pet free environment and I use methods that use the minimum amount of water and sun stoves to dye the yarn.

I am a member of Fibreworks and my work has been exhibited at home in South Africa, in the U.K., Brazil, Europe, U.S.A., Japan and New Zealand. I have work published in a number of books including Innovative Threads - A Decade of South African Fibre Art by Liza Gillespie and 1000 Artisan Textiles by Sandra Salamony and Gina M Brown.

Artist's statement:  I am not one of those artists who use their work to make profound statements. I don’t plan my work to express deep feelings or beliefs. Mostly, I am inspired by the beauty in things, sometimes in people, sometimes in nature and often in the materials I love to work with. The pieces I make often seem to create themselves as they develop and evolve into something completely different to what I have in mind at the start. I don’t follow rules but do believe that if something is worth doing it is worth doing well and stop if you’re not having fun.

ColourSpun's mission is to produce the best quality, natural, earth friendly fibre and yarn - filled with creative energy to give joy and pleasure to everyone who works with it.

Location:  Heidelberg, Gauteng, South Africa

Online shops:  ColourSpun, ColourSpun on Etsy

Blogs:  ColourSpun, The News Thread

Other social media: Linkedin, In 2 crafts, Ravelry, Twitter 

Memberships:  Fibreworks

Languages spoken:  English, Afrikaans

Hand-dyed eco yarns by ColourSpun of South Africa

Tags:   hand crafted, textiles, hand spun, fibre art, jewellery, soft sculpture, yarn, felt, knitting, hand dyed

Salley Mavor

www.weefolkstudio.com

I am a fiber artist and children's book illustrator. My fabric relief sculptures are photographed and reproduced in picture books. The books are not just for children--they're also used as art and reference books for all ages. I've also written the instruction book for adults, Felt Wee Folk: Enchanting Projects.

Salley Mavor

Artist's statement:  I have had a life-long fascination with little things and needlework. Toward the end of art school, I rediscovered my childhood delight in sewing and creating miniature scenes. Leaving traditional illustration mediums behind, but still interested in narrative work, I taught myself stitching and fiber art techniques, which I used in my class assignments. For me, manipulating materials with my hands with a needle and thread was so much more satisfying than rendering with a pencil or brush. I found that I could communicate my ideas more clearly this way and that my hands would direct me in a compelling way.

My early pieces were soft sculpture, and then turned flatter, with raised figures and objects on a fabric background. I came up with the term “fabric relief” in 1982 to better describe my evolving method. My 3-dimensional pictures resemble miniature, shallow stage sets, with scenery, props and characters telling a story. I embroider, wrap, appliqué and paint different materials and found objects to create scenes in relief, with figures imposed on an embellished fabric background. My work is decorative and detailed, full of patterns from nature, all stitched by hand.

For the past 20 years, I’ve been working in the field of illustration, making artwork which is then photographed and printed in children’s books. The original fabric relief pictures have a second life when they are mounted and framed under glass in shadow boxes, ready to show and sell as individual pieces. Through my books, I hope to inspire children as well as adults to see art in fresh and unexpected ways.

Location:  Falmouth, Massachusetts, USA

Online shops:  Amazon, Wee Folk Enchanting Projects

Blog:  weefolk

Memberships:  SAQA, SCBWI

Languages spoken:  English

Detail of Self Portrait by Salley Mavor: a personal history of fashion, fabric relief, 2007, 12”H x 12” W x 1”D

Click on the slide show images to go to Salley's books on Amazon:

Tags:  mixed media, found objects, wool felt, dolls, beads, wood, RISD

FibreHeart

 http://fibreheart.weebly.com/

I am a 34 year old mother of two. 
I am a jack of all trades kind of crafter.
I started needle felting a little over 2 years ago, but put it aside until now.
I have also been crocheting and knitting for many years.

I am a Felting artist.  I make custom and original needle felt sculptures and paintings for you. 

Needle felting is an involved process that was used over 100 years ago.  It involves taking unspun wool and poking it thousands of times with a special needle to make shapes.

I love the old school feel whenever I make a sculpture.  Even though the tools and techniques are more modern you can never shake that feeling:)

I research all commissions with your pictures and pictures from Google and Yahoo.  Nothing is copied.  Pictures are used for reference only.  Every piece is carefully handmade.  It is a long process but the results are the beautiful sculptures and paintings you see here.

Artist's Statement:  All things Fibre, Made from the Heart-FibreHeart.  

Location:  Ontario, Canada

Online shop:  firbreheart

Social media:  Twitter

Languages spoken:  English

Needle Felted Pets by FibreHeart

Tags:  Needle felt, dogs, wool, pet lovers, handmade, sculptures, OOAK, cats, pets, gifts

Dragon House of Yuen

www.dragonhouseofyuen.etsy.com

I have always loved animals and have spent my whole life with many wonderful friends so it was only natural for my art to feature my first love. I have a great affinity with hares, rabbits and all kinds of deer and antelopes.

I also love to write and have incorporated my short stories with my textile soft sculptures to give each one a positive and hopeful story.  My stories always carry some sort of sage advice or small wisdoms.

I create my sculptures so that they all come alive with endearing personalities and quaint traits and when you look into their glistening eyes you can feel that they are alive too.

To me the most important aspect of appreciating art is to enjoy and love what you see so all my creations come from my heart and hopefully will bring a smile to your face and will touch your heart.

My fine art is exhibited in local galleries in Scotland

-Annette Tait

Artist's Statement:  I am committed to making the world a better place by sharing my deep love of animals and hope that all who are touched by my work are also inspired to care for and love the animals of this fragile planet, and in turn protect and respect our planet.

I use as many vintage and not-new and thrift materials as possible in my work and recycle and reuse all my packing materials. I particularly love printed fabrics of animals and Scottish tweeds.

I am dedicated to my art and will only ever create positive works that spread love and hope and encourage others to do the same so that their lives and hearts may be enriched.

Location: Edinburgh, Scotland

Online Shops:

   dragonhouseofyuen  (Etsy)
   dragonhouseofyuen (web)
   hare-preservation-trust.co.uk/shop
       (Hare Preservation Trust's website)

Blog: dragonhouseofyuen

Membership: Artisan Gallery Team  (Etsy)

Languages spoken:  English, rusty Russian

 "Baby Squirrels", Soft Sculpture by the Dragon House of Yuen

Tags: hares,  rabbits, adorable, inspirational, caring, tweeds, vintage cottons, squirrels, soft sculptures, companions

Susan M. Hinckley

www.susanmhinckley.com

I'm a writer-turned-artist who stitches my stories full time using a needle and thread, felted wool, and a variety of mixed media embellishments.  

Artist's statement: I feel a strong connection to the domestic needlework tradition and am particularly interested in the role handwork plays in the lives of those who create it, be it practical, expressive, or therapeutic.

My pictures depict glimpses of everyday (well, sort of) people and animals, combining a love of words, folk art and fiber.  Simple shapes, bright colors and a word or two tell the story, inviting the viewer to engage in an exploration of the ordinary made extraordinary through the use of a little imagination and a lot of tiny stitches.  But my work is as much about the process as it is about product. 

My pieces are 100% hand-stitched.  I love the feel of the wool and the slow pace at which the picture is revealed.  Using repurposed and hand-dyed felted wool, I sew and embroider each layer, incorporating beads, vintage trims, found words and phrases.  I take delight in giving discards a new life.

My education is in creative writing.  Perhaps that explains my need for words to complete the picture.  Most often my words are cut from vintage magazines of the 1920's - 1950's.  Quirky colors and fonts and the hunt for just the right letter add to my enjoyment of the process and ensure that each piece is truly an original. 

Location:  Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA

Online shop: smallworksinwool

Blogs:  

   small works in wool
   the world is so full

Membership: 

   FAMM (Fiber Arts and Mixed Media)

Languages spoken: English

 "Dreamgarden" by Susan M. Hinckley

Tags:  self-taught, hand-stitched, vintage, embroidery, applique, narrative, folk art, embellishment, wool, felt  

Yermit

http://www.yermits.com/

Yermit Art Dolls

Each Yermit softie is a hand crafted, unique stuffed animal. Plush cats, vampires, bears, people, zombies, spacemen, art dolls and whatever else I can come up with.

I am addicted to fabric and notions. I'm inspired by colour and texture and motion.

The Yermits surface out of whatever is in me that day that needs expression. I never use patterns, but I will sometimes have a vague idea in my head of  the statement I want to make. Sometimes I have a a vision of the finished product but often I'm just drawn to a piece of fabric and just start sewing.

I studied to be a children's book illustrator so I'm drawn to characters and story.  I like to use dolls as an artform because I think there is always an interesting narrative behind them. I love that when people fall in love with one of them they will think of it as a friend, with a personality of its own.

-Jenny Croal

Location: Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Online shop: Yermit

Blog: Yermits

Social Media: Twitter

Languages spoken: English

 Yermit Softies

Tags:  handmade, doll, art doll, softie, plush, fabric, unique, stuffed, one-of-a-kind, yermit

Auntie Em Dolls

www.AuntieEmDolls.com

 Auntie Em Dolls were first created to give a smile to a child in need. Over the years of developing my talents, I have given away over 400 dolls to friends, family, and special acquaintances that just needed a smile.

“I create dolls as a way to relax from the stresses of life. Using my creativity, I enter the world of my creations and become best friends and allies in turn affecting the final outcome of the doll. I have been creating dolls for over 15 years, finally coming up with a unique design and look. I create each doll by hand, averaging over 3,500 hand sewn stitches per doll. (I can’t believe I counted either!!!) No patterns are ever used in the creation of a doll, making each design one of a kind.”

Artist's Statement: Auntie Em Dolls is dedicated to the creation of fiber sculpture that shows excellence, uniqueness, and brings out the smile with in! Auntie Em Dolls offers artistic excellence through fiber sculpture and visual art education. 

Location: Parowan, Utah, USA

Online Shops:  

   Auntie Em Dolls (website)
   Auntie Em Dolls (Etsy)

Brick and Mortar: Art Studio, Parowan, Utah

Languages spoken: English

Dolls by Auntie Em

Tags: fiber, sculpture, art, dolls, wool, handmade, unique, custom order, doll

Colin's Creatures

www.colinscreatures.com

Colin's Creatures is a collection of hand carved, lifelike, fine porcelain wooly animals, primarily sheep figures (approx 5" tall).

I make the head, legs, horns and such out of porcelain for its detail. The body is a cast stone for stability with a wonderful substantial feel and the fur is a woven fabric of wool, mohair or alpaca from the same German source that Steiff teddy bears uses.

Artist's Statement:  My customers tell me that my creatures speak to them and put a smile on their faces. That has become my mission.

Location: Asheville, North Carolina, USA

Online Stores: Colin's Creatures, Etsy

Languages spoken: English

 Porcelain and wooly sheep by Colin's Creatures

Tags:  sheep, lambs, sculpture, wool, farming, animals, children, clay, figurative, agriculture