Morna Crites-Moore * Wicked Waif

http://www.mornacrites-moore.com

There is a soft spot in my soul for old and worn items, especially textiles. I find great pleasure in recycling abandoned articles of clothing into new works of art. I have a special kinship with old woolens, particularly old sweaters, which I turn into felted wool through a fulling process of repeated agitation in hot, soapy water. The resulting wool felt is thick, luxurious, and available in all the  rich colors which seem to find their way to me via thrift stores, yard sales and caring friends.

My household motto, passed down from my grandmother, through my mother, and now from me to my daughter, is waste not, want not.  I find it very difficult to throw anything away because I can imagine a potential use for almost any object. My studio overflows with stuff waiting, ever so patiently, to be used. It can be overwhelming at times to have so much in the way of raw materials. I actually work best when I have a limited amount of materials to work with. Nonetheless, when I handle my many vintage textiles - velvet, silk, lace, wool - often incorporating found objects, metals, jewels, and antique buttons into the creative process, I am quite happily in my element.

The making becomes a meditation and I become lost in the process.

The outcome runs the gamut from small art quilts, to penny rugs, garlands, ornaments, flags, purses, pincushions, scarves, cuffs, small samples of sewn folk art, dolls, and so on. I never know what direction I’ll head for . . . it’s a mystery.

Artist's statement:  I'd like to set dreams free - yours or mine. I'd like to create things which are so meaningful they may just break my heart, or speak to your soul. Through my work, I hope to know us both better ..... to become closer to my core truth, to meet you (and you, and you), to learn about and honor this earth we all share.

I like it when my work speaks as well as when it listens.


Location:  Redding, Connecticut, USA
Online shop:  Wicked Waif Fiber
Blogs:  
   mornacrites-moore
   mornacrites-moore (tumblr)
Social Media:  LinkedIn
Memberships:
   SAQA - Studio Art Quilt Associates 
Languages spoken:  English

FLYING GEESE - recycled wool sweaters 

and vintage buttons, 16” x 16.5”

Tags:  "recycled sweaters" "felted wool" "vintage textiles" "buttons" "flags" "dolls" "little quilts" "penny rugs" "make do" "wicked waif"

Kathie Briggs

www.kathiebriggs.com

My love of fabrics began when I made my own dress for a 7th grade party. Over the years I’ve enjoyed sewing fashion and home dec projects and designing fiber art dolls but my passion is creating textile artwork inspired by the flora and fauna of northern Michigan where every season bring new wonders.

I am fascinated by the interplay of color, form and texture.  My artwork sometimes includes tactile elements like beading and layering as well as dimensional components such as wired leaves.  I enjoy combining my own hand-dyed and painted fabric with a wide variety of commercial fabrics. 

My work has been exhibited in galleries, art centers and at national and international quilt shows; and has been featured in books and magazines. I am a member of, the Charlevoix Circle of Arts, the Crooked Tree Art Center, and the Jordan River Arts Center, and a professional artist member of the Studio Art Quilt Associates.

In addition to my artwork I offer a variety of art workshops including "Creating Strong Compositions" and "Capturing the Muse," as well as several art doll workshops.

Artist's statement:   It's the visual and tactile texture of fabric enhanced by the impression made by the stitch that induces me to create art with fiber.

 

Location:  Charlevoix, Michigan, USA

Blog:  kathiebriggs
Other social media:  LinkedIn 

Memberships:  

   Studio Art Quilt Associates
   Fiber Artists Coalition

Languages spoken:  English

"Polyphemus Moth", 40" x 28", by Kathie Briggs

"Heron on a Stump",  28"x 40", by Kathie Briggs

Tags:  Textile Art, Fiber Art, Art Quilts, Art Dolls, Nature, Layers, Seasons, Wildlife, Michigan

JML Studios

http://janeleblanc.etsy.com

I love making things! My artwork runs the gamut: collage, painting, drawing, assemblage...

But my old love of textiles has resurfaced! I'm loving feltmaking, wet and dry, and hope to meet others who like feltmaking as well.

Location:  Deering, New Hampshire, USA

Online shop:  janeleblanc

Blog: janeleblanc

Memberships:  I belong to various Etsy teams: New Hampshire Team, Mixed Media Art, and Business Topics.

Languages spoken:  English

 Felted Orb by JML Studios

Tags:  felting, craft, wet felting, feltmaking, critters, vessels, needle felting, wool applique

Hofmonsters

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Hofmonsters

Hi!  My name is Vanessa Orantes. I make recycled-sweater monsters, called Hofmonsters.  I have always made things with my hands. I love making and collecting  jewelry, I crochet, and sew. I love material, especially natural fibers. Hofmonsters came out of this love.

I started collecting natural fiber sweaters, going to all my local antique stores to find vintage and antique buttons, and I started sewing!

I want kids and adults to have toys that they will remember (and hopefully keep) their whole lives. Toys that are as unique and individual as they are. All Hofmonsters are made of 100% natural fiber recycled sweaters. They are stuffed with Eco fiber fill (made from corn!). All buttons are either vintage or antique .

 Mission:  To make Eco-conscious, earth friendly toys for children and adults.

Location:  Willits, California, USA

Online shop:  Hofmonsters

Language spoken:  English

Hofmonsters, All Recycled with Eco Fiber!

Tags:  recycled, natural fiber-sweaters, vintage buttons, monsters, fiber art doll, Eco fiber fill, one of a kind, handmade, GREEN

Green Baboon Designs

www.greenbaboondesigns.etsy.com

After the birth of my son, something shifted inside me.  A longing to create a home full of softness and comfort.  A safe haven for him free of harsh chemicals, toxic plastic toys, and commercialism.  A place where he could play gently, use his imagination, and engage in his surroundings and in nature.  

It was in that line of thinking, and with my husband's urging that I opened my Etsy store, Green Baboon Designs in November of 2009.   I wanted all my materials to be as natural as possible consisting of items that came from the earth, the plants, and the animals.   My hope was for all my creations to be things I would gladly place in my home, and that I would be proud to send to others' homes as well. 

I specialize in needle felted acorns, needle felted soft sculpture figures and paper star lanterns.  All items that are eco-friendly, biodegradable, safe for little ones and Big Ones who care for them.  

I draw upon my fine arts background to guide me through a new design process and gather my inspiration for new creations from my son - experiencing the world and all her mysteries through his eyes. 

-Danita Berg

Mission: At Green Baboon Designs we specialize in felted acorns, paper star lanterns, and natural and felted toys. Green Baboon Designs creates unique, eco-friendly items for your home in the Waldorf tradition using only the finest wool paper products.  All of our items are inspired by nature and made with love.

Location:  Portland, Oregon, USA

Online shop:  greenbaboondesigns

Blog:  homemadeserenity

Membership:  Crafting in Color Team on Etsy

Languages spoken:  English

 Needle felted dolls by Green Baboon Designs

Tags:  felt acorns, felted acorns, needle felted acorns, needle felted mama dolls, felted pregnant dolls, felted figures, paper lanterns, Waldorf Star Lanterns, felted toys

Ames Douces

www.amesdouces.com

Ames Douces (fr. Ah-meh Dooseh) is French for ""gentle souls"".  These dolls are not dolls you would typically find in a toy store.  Rather, they quietly accompany adults and children alike on their journeys through life.  These gentle souls are worry dolls. They are talismans or mascots of sorts to help you wade through the difficulties you might encounter as you go about your daily lives.  They were created to do your worrying for you. Make one your personal hero.

I also sell vintage lettering and other supplies in my Simon et Cie shop on Etsy.


Artist's Statement:  My mission is to make people happy. I am a worry wart by nature and it has often gotten in the way of enjoyment and happiness in my life.  One day, I decided to stop worrying. I found myself having difficulty with this. I felt that someone had to worry lest things go wrong everywhere. I had once heard about Guatemalan worry dolls and set off to find out more about them.  It seemed amazing to me that something so simple could actually work so I decided to create my own worry doll that I could project my worries onto before resting my head on my pillow.  Lo and behold, although it took a little practice (worriers always tend to want to hang onto things), lo and behold, I feel more free to enjoy life than ever.

My mission is to help those who need a little help to stop worrying. We all need a little rest from that now and then so that we may live life to its fullest!

-Vicky

Location:  Petaluma, California, USA

Online shops:   

   amesdouces 

Simon Et Cie

Blog:  coffeemonkeymusings

Languages spoken:  English, French, Spanish

 "Sebastian", Art Worry Doll by Ames Douces

Tags:  art, doll, handmade, yarn, sculpture, softie, fabric, embellished, worry doll, talisman

FiberFelter

http://raven333.etsy.com

My artwork and business are very eclectic.  Wet felting is my favorite medium but I also love to play with my embellisher and make fabric collages, fabric pieces to add to clothes and fiber jewelry.  I would love to meet like minded fiber artists in my area for playdays with dye, felt or fabric.

Artist's Statement:  Getting inspiration from dreams, I have been an artisan for 20 years. Incorporating elements of collage, rubber-stamping and found object art, my work is both abstract and representational.

I am a designer of art dolls, felted items, as well as a serious fiber artist.

Fabric art is my primary medium now. Besides pouches, pins and wall hangings, I combine the color and texture of fabric arts with my expertise in felting in order to create dynamic
scarves and shawls.

-Elizabeth White

Location:  Alpharetta, Georgia, USA

Online Shop: raven333

Blog:  fiberartisttoo

Other Social Media:

   Southern Belle Marketing
   EstyFast Team

Memberships:

   Georgia Farm Girls
   North Georgia Fiber Art Guild
   SouthEastern Fiber Guild

Languages spoken: English

 Heart Pin by FiberFelter

Tags:  felting, wool, fiber, fabric, dye, embellish, paint, sew, quilt, weave

Dragon House of Yuen

www.dragonhouseofyuen.etsy.com

I have always loved animals and have spent my whole life with many wonderful friends so it was only natural for my art to feature my first love. I have a great affinity with hares, rabbits and all kinds of deer and antelopes.

I also love to write and have incorporated my short stories with my textile soft sculptures to give each one a positive and hopeful story.  My stories always carry some sort of sage advice or small wisdoms.

I create my sculptures so that they all come alive with endearing personalities and quaint traits and when you look into their glistening eyes you can feel that they are alive too.

To me the most important aspect of appreciating art is to enjoy and love what you see so all my creations come from my heart and hopefully will bring a smile to your face and will touch your heart.

My fine art is exhibited in local galleries in Scotland

-Annette Tait

Artist's Statement:  I am committed to making the world a better place by sharing my deep love of animals and hope that all who are touched by my work are also inspired to care for and love the animals of this fragile planet, and in turn protect and respect our planet.

I use as many vintage and not-new and thrift materials as possible in my work and recycle and reuse all my packing materials. I particularly love printed fabrics of animals and Scottish tweeds.

I am dedicated to my art and will only ever create positive works that spread love and hope and encourage others to do the same so that their lives and hearts may be enriched.

Location: Edinburgh, Scotland

Online Shops:

   dragonhouseofyuen  (Etsy)
   dragonhouseofyuen (web)
   hare-preservation-trust.co.uk/shop
       (Hare Preservation Trust's website)

Blog: dragonhouseofyuen

Membership: Artisan Gallery Team  (Etsy)

Languages spoken:  English, rusty Russian

 "Baby Squirrels", Soft Sculpture by the Dragon House of Yuen

Tags: hares,  rabbits, adorable, inspirational, caring, tweeds, vintage cottons, squirrels, soft sculptures, companions

Orit Dotan

 

www.etsy.com/shop/oritdotandolls

I am a Waldorf handwork and crafts teacher, doll artist and art therapist.  I teach sewing, knitting, needle felting, weaving, wet felting and wool painting, using soft, natural materials in my creations.  I recently discovered a love for buttons and started to use them in my work as well as selling them.  (See my second Etsy shop.)

I used to teach at Waldorf schools and at the seminar for training Waldorf teachers in Jerusalem.  I recently opened a private school where I work with young teachers, children, mothers and grandmothers.

As a teacher, I believe I have to be the example of how to create so I practice with making every single item I teach.  In this way, teaching and creating handwork and crafts in the Waldorf tradition are both my inner development and my occupation too.  I have taught for over 30 years now and needed a change.  So, I started my first e-shop as a hobby, as a way to study new skills [computer and English].  I was amazed to see that people liked what I created!  It encouraged me to go on with it-  and here we are...  Now I am a seller, too.  You never know what tomorrow will bring or where your destiny will lead you.

Artist's statement:  I believe Waldorf dolls provide healing forces for the child.  The love and warmth which is involved in the creation of these kinds of dolls streams to the doll in the process of creating and the child can feel it.  I can tell you from my experience that hyperactive children who did not sleep well began to sleep all night when their mothers created a waldorf doll for them. Also, the process of creating these dolls is therapeutic for the adults, as it is a process that requires forces from the soul which are different from any other creation i know...  It calls the creator to be in touch more deeply with their own inner powers.

Location: Israel

Online shops: oritdotandolls, oritdotan

Memberships: 

    Naturalkids team on Etsy
    Needlefelters team at Etsy
Languages spoken: Hebrew, English

 Waldorf Natural Dolls by Israeli Artist, Orit Dotan

Tags: Waldorf, dolls, felting, needle felt, sewing, painting, wool, buttons, vintage, hand painted

Magpie Artworks

www.magpieartworks.com

I have always had a strong affinity with fibre and fabric and feel blessed that my life in the textile industry has ultimately led me to the wonderful world of soft sculptured figures. Textiles and colour inspire me. In the right combination, they stir up my creativity and encourage touch and imagination. Great fabrics can send me to a very happy place and can touch me deep within. Creating an art doll affords me the opportunity to mix colours, fibres, textures to my heart’s content and often results in some outrageous combinations because I throw away the rules!

The art doll feeds my personal need to amuse and to be entertained and the perfect vehicle for it is the jester. I derive tremendous pleasure creating them and bringing each of them to life; their noisy chatter is exhilarating! I hope you will stop by the nest for a visit!

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Blog: magpieartworks

Membership: Cloth Doll Artistry

Languages spoken: English, some Spanish

Jester Art Dolls by Magpie Artworks

Tags: OOAK ART DOLLS, CLOTH DOLLS, BEADS

Margaret C. Wheeler

"Silk Fusion" by Margaret C. Wheeler
www.margaretcwheeler.com

Nothing is more pleasing than to find someone who connects with my work, is moved by it and wants to take it home. Creating is only half of the equation. It must be seen and appreciated to complete the process. My misson is to find ways to connect with a bigger and bigger audience. 

Article about Margaret on Subversive Stitchers: Women Armed with Needles

Artist's statement:  I work in fiber. I have been doing things with fiber of some form for the last 45 or more years. My love of fabric/fiber was nurtured by my Mother who made all our clothes and had at one time aspired to be a designer. The opportunity never came. I think I decided I would try to do what she could not. I first started by making my clothes wearing them a short time and then selling them so I could buy fabric for the next garment. Soon I was sewing for friends. I was given the opportunity to design costumes for a play and ended up spending the next 25 years designing and sewing costumes. I worked alone and loved the experience. It was very hard work but I found I had a natural understanding of design, color, and construction. I had no trouble getting work.

We moved from the area I was working in to a more rural area and I decided I was not a gypsy so I retired. During the years of costuming I had been studying weaving. I had purchased several looms and thought I would spend my time creating new fabrics and designing wearable art. I sadly developed severe allergies to most of the fibers so started looking for other ways to express myself. I have always taken lots of classes in things like color study, embellishment, and of course weaving but one day at a conference I saw a short seminar on Silk Fusion by Karen Selk from Salt Spring Island, BC. I took it and fell in love with the technique of making sheets of silk by bonding them together. I have combined my weaving and embellishments knowledge with the silk fusion to create one of a kind art pieces.

I also love paper and a friend convinced me to join the NorthWest Collage Society and I now also work in collage. As a child I always loved paper but did not know that I could create art with it other than drawing. Imagine how excited I get now when I am working with it. That same friend got me to join the Contemporary QuiltArt Association even though I had only made one small wall quilt for my granddaughter. I have found that they are all much related in the way I approach them. It doesn’t matter if it is fabric or silk fiber or paper. When I am working in one of these three mediums I always think “Oh, this is the one I love most.” But I actually love all three and will continue to explore all of them. I now made four more small art quilts. Quilt making uses all those years at the sewing machine. I think I could sew blindfolded.

My studio is next to my house so it is a short walk to my haven. I never get tired of working there. It seems the rest of life gets in the way of my work but that is okay. I have been married for 50 years; have 4 sons and 4 daughter-in-laws and 7 grandchildren and one great grandson. All these things influence my work and why I work. I want to leave something more than the usual for my descendants. I want to leave a legacy of a creative spirit. On my web-site I have written “Creating is not an option, for me it is a passion, it is my life." 

Location:  Leavenworth, Washington, USA

Memberships: 

   NorthWest Collage Society

   Seattle Weavers Guild

   Contemporary QuiltArt Association

Languages spoken: English

"Desert Rhapsody" by Margaret C. Wheeler

Tags: weaving, beading, bowls, silk, paper, yarn, ribbon, quilt, paints, dolls

Yermit

http://www.yermits.com/

Yermit Art Dolls

Each Yermit softie is a hand crafted, unique stuffed animal. Plush cats, vampires, bears, people, zombies, spacemen, art dolls and whatever else I can come up with.

I am addicted to fabric and notions. I'm inspired by colour and texture and motion.

The Yermits surface out of whatever is in me that day that needs expression. I never use patterns, but I will sometimes have a vague idea in my head of  the statement I want to make. Sometimes I have a a vision of the finished product but often I'm just drawn to a piece of fabric and just start sewing.

I studied to be a children's book illustrator so I'm drawn to characters and story.  I like to use dolls as an artform because I think there is always an interesting narrative behind them. I love that when people fall in love with one of them they will think of it as a friend, with a personality of its own.

-Jenny Croal

Location: Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Online shop: Yermit

Blog: Yermits

Social Media: Twitter

Languages spoken: English

 Yermit Softies

Tags:  handmade, doll, art doll, softie, plush, fabric, unique, stuffed, one-of-a-kind, yermit

Auntie Em Dolls

www.AuntieEmDolls.com

 Auntie Em Dolls were first created to give a smile to a child in need. Over the years of developing my talents, I have given away over 400 dolls to friends, family, and special acquaintances that just needed a smile.

“I create dolls as a way to relax from the stresses of life. Using my creativity, I enter the world of my creations and become best friends and allies in turn affecting the final outcome of the doll. I have been creating dolls for over 15 years, finally coming up with a unique design and look. I create each doll by hand, averaging over 3,500 hand sewn stitches per doll. (I can’t believe I counted either!!!) No patterns are ever used in the creation of a doll, making each design one of a kind.”

Artist's Statement: Auntie Em Dolls is dedicated to the creation of fiber sculpture that shows excellence, uniqueness, and brings out the smile with in! Auntie Em Dolls offers artistic excellence through fiber sculpture and visual art education. 

Location: Parowan, Utah, USA

Online Shops:  

   Auntie Em Dolls (website)
   Auntie Em Dolls (Etsy)

Brick and Mortar: Art Studio, Parowan, Utah

Languages spoken: English

Dolls by Auntie Em

Tags: fiber, sculpture, art, dolls, wool, handmade, unique, custom order, doll

Deborah Grayson Studios

"Bird Woman" by Deborah Grayson

www.graysonstudios.com

Grayson Studios is the dreamworld created by Deborah R. Grayson.  An artist, author and scholar, Grayson has made art in one form or another for as long as she can remember.  Deborah became involved in making one-of-a-kind  art quilts and dolls in 1993 when her work evolved from simply painting on canvas to dyeing, painting, and printing on all types of fabric and paper.  In her work, Deborah hand paints, dyes and prints both fabric yardage and paper.  She uses Procion fiber-reactive dyes, acrylic paints and ink to produce exquisite handmade dolls, prints and painted and quilted images.

Deborah has taught quilt-making and doll-making for numerous organizations and community centers throughout the southeastern United States.  She regularly participates in both juried and invitational shows.

Artist's Statement:  I have long been interested in how individuals create, use and process visual images.  A central focus of my work is about the spiritual and metaphysical links between human beings and their surroundings.  What causes me to develop a particular image is never on thing but a confluence of activities and events.  The images in my quilts and prints have evolved from a life time of looking, listening, touching and daydreaming.  Because I am inspired by the natural beauty of the human figure, a great deal of my work features people.  I also enjoy the design aesthetics of geometric patterning and shapes. I attempt to portray the the complexities of all of these elements and their influences by layering the historical, political and cultural experiences of everyday life in my work.  My hope is that when you look at my work that you learn and feel something about life, love and spirit.


Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Online store: Grayson Studios
Blog: Grayson Studios
Memberships:
   Studio Art Quilt Associates
   Professional Art Quilt Alliance -- South
   Women's Caucus for Art/Women's Caucus for Art Georgia
Languages spoken: English and limited Spanish

 "There is Hope" by Deborah Grayson

Tags: Studio Art Quilts, Design, hand dyed textiles, printmaking, textile painting, handcrafted, art dolls, dollmaking, surface design, color, abstract, figurative art

Judy Jordan

http://judyjordanart.com/

I am a mixed media artist.  I often use fiber as my medium of choice in portraying a female figure in a biographical way with some emotive content.  My love of fiber has led me to placing my figurative images on fabric using various transfer and printing methods.  I have also used stitching, collage, painting and quilting in these works.

Location: Annapolis, Maryland, USA
Memberships: SoWeBoArts
Languages spoken: English, Some Spanish

 

Controlled by Judy Jordan

Two Sided Black and White by Judy Jordan

Tags: feminine imagery, wall hangings, womens issues, figurative, mosaic, birds, nature, stained glass, folk art, sculptures