Penguin Books Australia

My textile life started at school when I embroidered a pear on the pocket of my school apron. I love decorative sewing, but have avoided practical sewing ever since. I joined the Embroiderers' Guild of Victoria in my early 20s where I immersed myself in both traditional and contemporary embroidery techniques. In 1989 I enrolled in a Wearable Art course at the Canberra School of Art and had my introduction to feltmaking. It wasn't until 1997 that my path led to a class with Jeanette Appleton from the UK, who taught me the art of making fine felt in a tidy manner with very little water, and showed me the endless possibilities offered by this ancient form of textile. Next I joined the Victorian Feltmakers Inc. and discovered a wonderful sharing group that welcomed and encouraged me. The most lasting influence has come from the tutors I have worked with, including Martine Van Zuilen, Molly Littlejohn, Jeanette Appleton and Beth Beede. After years of attending workshops, entering my work in exhibitions and experimenting with various feltmaking techniques, I started to teach basic feltmaking classes for the Victorian Feltmakers Inc. I set up my business Felt Good, primarily to teach feltmaking, and secondly to promote and sell my work.

I get excited about colour and pattern in my work, and I love working with wool. I love to see the build-up of a design and the possibilities of layering and building in stages that is so intrinsic to felt and collage. I get a big buzz from being part of the current trend in promoting feltmaking as an art form - to witness an ancient craft being reborn and to see the fabulous things that people are creating is very exciting. Working with adults and children who come up with new ideas and techniques to explore is also very rewarding.