Artist in Residence: Devil's Fork State Park

I just spent a week staring at the most beautiful green lake. I hiked, I paddled, and I made lots of art! This was my third artist residency through South Carolina State Parks and this year I was assigned to Devil’s Fork State Park in the northwest part of the state, where I’m starting to think there are more waterfalls than people. The landscape was gorgeous and there was so much to explore. Although I had a very full week, I feel like I could have spent a year there!

Every day I got up before sunrise and headed out for a hike in a new place. I averaged 4-7 miles each day, usually on a trail that lead to a waterfall or two, and soaked up as much inspiration as I could. In the afternoons, I enjoyed the panoramic view of Lake Jocassee from my cabin porch, making needle felted landscapes and painted pendants inspired by my surroundings. It was so easy to find inspiration. Not only does Devil’s Fork boast a lake so clear and green it looks like pool water, but there’s the majestic Blueridge mountains at the horizon, and of course acres and acres of magical woodlands full of creatures and flowers. This place has it all.

I am so thankful to have the opportunity to get to know another State Park in this intimate way and it’s even more special this time because this residency is the one and only thing on the calendar for 2020 that didn’t get canceled. It was the one thing I got to keep, I got to look forward to almost a full year, and the experience did not disappoint in any way.

I hope you enjoy this short video recap of my time at the park! All needle felted wool paintings are available here, the one mixed media fiber art piece at the beginning of this post is available here, the painted landscape pendants can be purchased here, and the laser engraved pendants are here. Use coupon code JOCASSEE now through 10/15 to get 20% off your order of $50 or more at www.onceagainsam.com

Once Again Sam’s Nature Report:

• 6 Bald Eagles

• Countless monarch butterflies (on their way to Mexico)

• 1 Otter

• 4 Great blue herons

• Many fishies-a-swimmin’

• 5 Belted king fishers

• 1 Bear (possibly)

• 2 Deer

• Several chipmunks

• All the squirrels

• 17 Waterfalls

• 0 Snakes (hooray!)

The 50 States Project

I’ve been working on a big series of tiny art! The 50 States Project has been on my to-make list for several months and I just finished up the series. I really enjoyed researching different locations for each state, and it’s always a challenge to needle felt at this tiny scale. Each 3”x3” needle felted landscape features a landmark or representational scene from each of the 50 States, and the collection is available on my website.

Be sure to enter the giveaway on Instagram and Facebook! The winner will get their choice of any of the mini landscapes from the series. All you have to do is answer the following question on either of my social media feeds: What is your favorite state and why? Good luck! Winner will be announced 9/19 at 6pm EST (must be US resident to win).

Flat Out Under Pressure Competition

Every year in June the Metropolitan Arts Council hosts the Flat Out Under Pressure competition for local artists. It’s a fun thing the community looks forward to every year. We bring our surfaces to get stamped the morning of the competition, then have 24 hours to complete the work. This year, due to the COVID19 pandemic, the whole thing is virtual. Instead of getting our surfaces officially stamped at the MAC office, we signed and dated the blank piece before starting.

The last 2 years I have summited a needle felted wool landscape, but this year I changed things up just a bit. Since MAC is the whole reason I learned rug hooking last year (thanks to a continuing education grant) I thought it would be cool to show them what I have been doing with my new skills!

This year’s piece includes needle felting, rug hooking, and punch needle techniques. I used over 40 materials and colors, and 8 different tools for the 3 fiber art mediums. It’s SO much fun to combine materials like this! Here’s a look at my progress from yesterday - I took photos every few hours to show how the piece was coming along. It was really slow going at first. I only covered a few inches of my surface in the first few hours, but I kept at it and 12 hours later, I was happy with my finished piece. I did take a few breaks during the day so I think all in all I spent about 10 hours on the 16x16 piece.

The Flat Out Under Pressure exhibition will be virtual this year, and will begin on July 1. The winner of the competition will be announced Monday by noon, and of course all the runner’s up as well (which is also a pretty big deal!). There are quite a few other “winners” and they’ll get a cash prize plus the honor of having their work prominently displayed on one of Greenville’s recycling bins downtown.

My finished piece, plus 2 other test pieces I did prior to try out ideas and see how large I could go for the 24 hour competition, will all be available for purchase soon. I’m so glad I found out I couldn’t finish a 20x20 in the amount of time aloted BEFORE it was the actual competition. That would have been a pretty frustrating thing to learn when it mattered most.

My wrists are sore, but I’m so happy I was able to participate in FOUP2020 this year, even though there will be no big party to announce the winners as before. Even still, this has been a bright spot in my week!

Virtual Workshops

This has been months in the making, and I’m excited to finally share my first virtual workshops with you! I don’t know if or when I’ll be teaching again in-person this year due to the COVID-19 epidemic, so it was finally time to take my workshops to the virtual realm. Check out the new DIY section on my website!

I have always had students who live in other states and countries who were never able to participate in my classes, and I’ve also had local students who just can’t make the in-person workshops work with their schedules, so I hope this new option will be a good thing for everyone.

The first two virtual workshops I’m offering are my 2 most popular classes - Needle Felted Succulents and 2D Hoop Art. Both of these classes are beginner level so no prior experience is required, but you’ll work up to a more advanced project by the time you go through the lessons. I’ll also show you everything you need to know about tools, materials, and techniques, plus I’ll share some tips and trips I learned the hard way when I first started needle felting in 2009.

Enroll in cactus workshop

Purchase cactus kit

Enroll in hoop art workshop

Purchase hoop art kit

If you prefer to purchase your own supplies, or you already have some, that’s totally fine! I’ll let you know what you need for each class. However, if you need to purchase materials, I have kits available on my website that have exactly what you’ll need to follow along with the workshop. Enroll in the workshops and shop supplies in the new DIY section on my website.

What other classes would you like to see me offering in the future? Leave your ideas in the comments below or send a message through the contact form. I would love to hear from you!

My Favorite Needle Felting Resources

Here it is, you hit the jackpot! This is a comprehensive list of my favorite needle felting supply resources that has been in the making since I started felting in 2009. I will update this list regularly so check back in the future in case I’ve come across any new stores, websites, or fiber festivals.

And of course if you know of some awesome needle felting resources and want to share, please do so in the comments below!

Online suppliers:

I have been shopping at these first two websites since 2009 and get about 50% of my total yearly supplies from those two companies. They have consistent colors (and a huge assortment). They also carry needles, foam pads, and wool fabric. Kits are available as well. If you shop at the Felted Ewe, tell Tina that Once Again Sam sent you!

https://www.thefeltedewe.com/
https://www.weircrafts.com/
https://dorrmillstore.com/

https://bearcreekfelting.com/

Local Craft Stores:

Your local craft store may carry some needle felting supplies, but I find they're somewhat limited. They will most likely carry small 0.5 oz. bags of roving, which is fine for smaller projects. It’s a little more expensive to purchase this way, but if you’re just starting out and want to try out a few colors before you load up your craft room with pounds and pounds of roving, this is a perfectly fine way to go.

Craft stores often have combo packs of different roving colors and usually an assorted pack of needles as well. If you like to work from kits, they’re bound to have some of those too!

Micheals

Hobby Lobby

Joann Fabrics

Regional Supply Stores:

Both of these stores have roving by the ounce, which is fantastic. You just pull off the amount of the color you want, they weigh it, and you pay for that amount. I wish I could buy all of my roving this way.

Asheville, North Carolina: Earth Guild

Newport, New Hampshire: Dorr Mill

Fiber Festivals:

If you happen to be in a state that has a wool festival, go check it out in person! It's well worth the drive. You can buy everything you'd ever dream of having for your needle felting journey, including a pet sheep if you’re so inclined (and I am, believe me…it’s just convincing my husband that we can have a sheep here in the suburbs).

Most of these festivals also have classes and demos available. I can’t say enough about them - they’re incredible! This is a quick video tour from my last time visiting the Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair (SAFF).

These are a few fiber fairs I have personally attended and highly recommend. 

North Carolina: SAFF (Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair): https://saffsite.org/

North Carolina: Carolina Fiber Fest http://www.carolinafiberfest.org/

Maryland: The Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival ​​​​​​​https://sheepandwool.org/

Here’s a peek at some needle felting terminology, just so you know what you’re looking for (or googling). I wish I had know these terms when I first started out needle felting in 2009. I would have saved myself a lot of trouble!

Terminology:

Roving: wool fiber which has been cleaned, combed, and dyed. It’s used for the top layer in needle felting. Roving usually comes in a long “rope” that’s rolled into a ball. 

Batt or Core fiber: wool fiber that has been cleaned and can be dyed (though it can also be natural since it’s going to be covered up with roving). It’s used for building up a 3D shape and is typically fluffier than roving, so it’s great for adding bulk.  

Raw Fleece or “Locks”: unprocessed fiber that has maximum texture and curl. 

Photo by Eli Warren

Types of Fiber:

You can felt with fiber from sheep, alpacas, and even rabbit fur & dog hair. My favorite fiber for needle felting is coarse sheep’s wool, specifically from Corriedale and Blue Faced Leicester breeds. 

Tools: 

Needles: felting needles are specialized because they have tiny inverted barbs which agitate and pull the fiber tight with each poke. I usually stick with a 38 gauge needles. If you want a fine finishing needle, a 42 gauge is a good option, but these break very easily. Needles can come in a spiral, triangle, or star shape. I highly recommend using a spiral shape - the barbs are oriented in a twist around the needle shaft, and it helps grab more fiber every time you poke the needle into your workpiece. It’s a tiny short cut, but I love it!

Needle Holders: You don’t technically have to have one, but they can be useful and make felting more comfortable. I use my single needle holder daily, my 4 needle holder regularly, and I have holders for 6, 12, and 24 needles as well, but don’t use them as often unless I’m working on something huge. 

Feting pad: a dense foam worksurface you keep on your lap or table top while you felt. I recommend a felting pad that’s 2” thick. They come in many sizes - i have some that are 4x4, some that are 24x26, but I use my 8x10 the most. I also have a “felting pillow” I like from Bear Creak Felting & Design.

I teach many workshops a year (and virtual courses too!) so if I can help you in your needle felting journey, please reach out. I love this medium and I hope you do too! Be sure to checkout some of my process videos on YouTube so you can see how this magical medium works.