Felt Heaven

If you have just been bitten by the feltmaking bug and are experiencing the creative fever that can often ensue,  you might be wondering where on earth to begin.  It can be a daunting task to collect all the materials you will need to get started from the unruly tangle of the web.  There is perhaps no better, simpler, and more fun way to get started than at New England Felting Supply,  http://feltingsupply.com .

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NEFS has everything a feltmaker, whether beginner or professional, could possibly desire. From materials & tools to learning resources such as books and classes, NEFS is a wonderland of everything felt.  It is no surprise that this feltmaking mecca would be the natural culmination of years of feltmaking experience on the part of Christine White, whose book Uniquely Felt (often called “the felt bible”) is revered by feltmakers the world over and is the one we all recommend as the best way to get started in the medium.

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The range of materials available at NEFS is sure to impress.  They offer a vast range of wool as both roving and harder-to-find batts in an extensive range of dyed color combinations and undyed wools including unusual breeds and blends.   Their tools are the stuff that felter’s dreams are made of: brauses (sprinklers), nettings, & spraypumps.  They even have comprehensive Kits that combine everything you need to get started right (this Beginners Kit for $19.95 looks like a wonderful way to jump into the pool and is a great value for the cost).  They further offer a complete library of hard-to-find imported felting books such as Judit Pocs’ Gentle Threads  to domestic feltmaking books such as my own Felt Fashion: Couture Projects.

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About New England Felting Supply:

We’re celebrating our fourth year as the only retail store that caters specifically to feltmakers. Although roving is now available online and at a number of yarn stores, few can offer in-depth knowledge about wool characteristics and feltmaking techniques. The staff at NEFS is trained to explain details about the feltmaking process and to help customers choose the exact wool or blend for their project.

The entire store occupies the center of a 1920′s vaudeville theater in Easthampton, MA where hundreds of colorful wools are stacked from the floor to the balcony. Many fibers are sold “general store style” where you can choose whatever amount you like from barrels and bins. Other items are pre-packaged.

NEFS opened in May of 2007 when feltmaker Christine White of Massachusetts decided to divide her 7-year-old feltmaking studio business, Magpie Designs, into a separate retail store and a private art studio. White is the author of the best-selling Uniquely Felt, called “the feltmaking bible” by the Library Journal. The store has been modeled on the same principles found in the book which is to say, lots of information and plenty of examples.