Nic Cremona Felt and Dandy – Needle Felting Journey

1️⃣ How did you first discover needle felting, and what was the first thing you made?

Alison, my wife, first discovered needle felting about fifteen years ago after seeing some pieces in a Cotswold art gallery. She was hooked immediately, and because the craft was virtually unknown in the UK, she had to teach herself from pictures in Japanese needle felting books. She could not read Japanese and there was very little information online in those days!

I spent the next few years in a grump while she filled the house with fluff and fibres. It was only about eight years ago that I picked up a felting needle myself and realised how much I loved felting too. I have not stopped since!

2️⃣ What kind of projects or subjects do you most enjoy creating now?

I am dog crazy, but I love all creatures of farm, forest and field. The more character I can give them, the better. When I see a dog looking up at me with its head cocked to one side and an inquisitive look, I know I want to capture that moment and expression.

3️⃣ What materials or tools are you loving at the moment?

My favourite wools are the classics — Perendale, Corriedale, Jacob and others — which have enough body, when used carded, to build bold 3D shapes relatively quickly with a standard 38 gauge triangular needle. If I only had one needle, it would be a 38 triangle!

I love finer twisted and star needles for top-layer finishing work, where needle marks need to be kept to a minimum. But nothing beats seeing a creature emerge from fluff.

4️⃣ What inspires your work or keeps you motivated to felt?

I love being challenged to felt or design workshops for creatures that I have never made before. Finding a way to capture distinctive shapes or markings, and developing that technique for repeated use, is great fun.

5️⃣ What advice would you give to someone just starting out in needle felting?

Enjoy each make individually and keep honing your skills. Do not expect perfection straight away — just enjoy the experience of felting and the charm of each creation. They will get better and better over time.

6️⃣ What have you learned or improved on recently that has made a real difference?

Layering colours, and then pulling an underlying colour through with a reverse needle, is a wonderful way to bring undertones, highlights or lowlights into your felt. Getting more tones into your work gives much more interest and life than using single, solid colours.

7️⃣ Where can people see more of your work or connect with you?

You can see what we are up to on our Felt and Dandy Facebook page.