Artist's new website to champion feltmaking in the UK

Article Added: 02/03/2009 16:20:16
Sara’s Texture Crafts www.sarastexturecrafts.com was established back in 2007 by feltmaker Sara Millis, with the aim of selling craft kits and supplies alongside her freelance work as a textile designer. However, the company grew more and more as time went on and it is now a central reference point for all those interested in felt making, spinning and fibre art, offering the chance to not only purchase project supplies but also find new techniques and meet some like-minded friends. The website now stocks a fabulous range of supplies including spinning wheel parts and maintenance kits, felting needles, boards, pads, olive soap, spindles and an extensive range of fibres.
 
In April 2008 Sara added another element to the website – a learning and resource centre for felt makers called Working with Felt http://workingwithfelt.ning.com/. The aim of this site is to encourage others to take up the craft and share new techniques, tips and resources, as well as show off their own creations and find workshops and classes in their area. Sara told me, “I don’t want the business to be just about the faceless supply of wools, fibres and equipment, I want to share and give back to the craft community … this is something that is very important to me.”

The most significant aspect of Sara’s new resource centre is that it breaks down the strands of feltmaking, allowing it to be completely accessible to the novice, while also providing new inspirations to those with more advanced skills. The site is free to join and each member will receive a page to include web links and a blog to share your tutorials, pictures, tips and advice.

Sara’s efforts to promote fibre crafts in the UK are especially significant when considering the research by New York City fibre artist Stanley Bulbach. Some of you may remember an article we published recently where we looked at the craft in both the UK and the US, in which Stanley reported very negative findings on the fibre field in America. He said at the time: “Since the late 1980s, the fibre field in the U.S. has atrophied. Courses in colleges were beginning to cut back and schools started permanently de-accessing their equipment. In general the fibre artists who had been able to survive economically – albeit modestly – as makers, teachers and writers were no longer able to do so. The fibre community was simply unable to compete successfully enough in the art and craft marketplace.”

Sara’s new website can only help increase the standing of the craft here in the UK by encouraging the emergence of new artists. So, how does Sara see the position of feltmaking over here? “I’m still fairly new to the UK craft scene, at least in a business capacity, but certainly it is correct to say that felt making has been on the rise in popularity over the last few years. Working with Felt certainly has many craft people who are starting to work with felt, or are expressing a wish to learn a bit more about the craft. Felt making is not a new craft, but there are many exciting new strands of the art form that are encouraging new interest, especially from those who enjoy mixed media. I think that this will continue to renew the craft’s popularity over the next few years, in the same way that knitting has very recently become popular again. How global this phase will become, I think depends on the influence of word of mouth and most importantly the rise of craft blogging on the internet. I am hoping that Working with Felt will provide another means to champion the art.”

One of the problems facing all artists, regardless of their chosen craft, is making a decent living out of their work. This was an issue that featured heavily in Stanley’s argument and is something most artists can relate to. Sara elaborates, “The biggest problem for artists really is knowing and understanding their place in the arts business and the value of their work. My advice would be to concentrate and focus on what it is that you ‘do’ and your own personal style, as well as to constantly research the market and keep an eye on consumer trends.”

You can read our article comparing the two fields in the UK and the US in full at http://www.thetextiledirectory.com/newsarticle/The-Field-of-Fibre---a-mystery-unravelled/. It explores some very interesting opinions and we would love to hear your thoughts too. Members of the site can login to leave their comments at the bottom of the article.

So, in terms of Sara’s future plans – where would she like to go next? “With time I am hoping that my website will also become a little more interactive than it is currently, that’s the one thing I miss about working on-line … interaction with customers and fellow artists! My first plan is for the launch of a few competitions and some simple craft tutorials. I would also love to work on a few new pieces for the gallery too.”

For those of you who would like to meet Sara in person this year you will find her at Woolfest in June 2009. If you would more information about Sara and the work she is doing please visit www.sarastexturecrafts.com