Featured seller: The Adventures of Alex O & Co
Auckland-based Alex O’Connell of The Adventures of Alex O & Co named her crafting venture after the adventure of her own crafting journey…
Auckland-based Alex O’Connell of The Adventures of Alex O & Co named her crafting venture after the adventure of her own crafting journey…
Jack Faulkner of The Cabin Supply Co hails from Scotland, first coming here for a ski season six years ago. Constantly thinking about the next thing to make and learn, Jack’s so far dabbled in silversmithing, ceramics and letterpress (and leatherwork of course!) – and the back pocket of their jeans always has a stash of bits of paper with doodles on them.
Joe McMenamin describes himself as an an obsessive doodler. “I doodle everywhere. I even doodled on my arm and had it tattooed. The organic flowing doodle pattern that I use in most of my work has represented many different things, from birdsong to Darth Vader’s thoughts!”
Sarita Muir’s love of animals is very apparent in her creations and in her day-to-day life, as she divides her time between design for her label Evelyn Rose Design and rescuing unwanted rabbits and guinea pigs. Sarita finds it an exciting time to be a designer-maker, saying “The digital printing age has really embraced small businesses, creating new opportunities to print small runs of fabric.”
Kay Katherley of Satherley Silks (known as Kiwisilks on Felt) produces her vibrant work in a rustic shed that’s cold in winter and hot in summer, but she still enjoys every minute of it. Kay reckons that painting silk is a heap of fun and she never tires of it, even though she’s painted and sold well over a thousand pieces!
Jo Drysdall may be familiar to many in the Felt community as Felt’s support desk operator, but she also has a horticultural alter-ego which manifests as Big Bunny, the long-eared proprietor of a Felt shop specialising in organic seeds and gardening goods, grown in her suburban Christchurch garden.
Natasha Courtney came here from the UK in 2001, backpacking with a working holiday visa. “The first place I went to was Waiheke Island, thinking I’d stay for a few days, but I ended up staying there for 10 years.” After a brief stay in Nelson she now lives on the beautiful Coromandel Peninsula…
Holly Dark of Little Laneway Design is a designer and print artist based in Hamilton. From her home studio she produces a range of uncluttered and cheerful New Zealand-inspired designs, which she turns into lovely decor and homewares.
Deborah Sax of Piccalilli takes vintage wool blankets, haberdashery and accessories, and turns them into impeccably tailored and beautifully finished children’s clothing. Deborah combines these vintage finds with contemporary fabric to make beautiful and robust modern day heirloom garments.
Talented yarn wrangler Jina of White Noise Maker (known on Felt as Houseshoes) produces gorgeous made-to-measure crochet slippers for men and women, as well as very snuggly mittens. Her robust construction techniques, combined with interesting ornamentation and vibrant colour schemes mean her creations are practical and attractive – just the thing for these chilly winter days!