Several years ago, I became friends with an extraordinary artist who happened to be holding small felting workshops at her home studio. I spent an entire day learning how to make a seamless felted purse and was very disappointed with the still-wet end result. I swore I'd never do THAT again. That night I dreamed of the pattern for another purse. I drew it with colored pencils the next morning. I called my friend and rented her studio, purchased materials from her, and created the purse I would then carry for the next four years. After that, the leap to nuno-felting (adding silk to the process) was short. By the fourth scarf, a different friend informed me I needed to make more of them. Then she informed me, "And you will sell them. As soon as you have ten, let me know and I'll invite over women I know who love scarves. We'll have coffee, dessert, and we'll shop." My first sales were at her house.
Over 200 sales later, I am just back to felting after a year hiatus (rocky times after a big move). I no longer felt in a cold, dank basement. The studio is still makeshift in our rented house, but it is sunny and warm. The walls are a lovely pale yellow. My mannequin heads watch over me like muses. And I no longer want to crank out scarves in quantity. Instead I intend to do a bit more experimenting with garment construction, felting techniques. Woolynns, the next generation.