British Wool
Every one of my sculptures is made from British Wool and I truly love working with it.
My particular favourites include Shetland, Blue Faced Leicester, Corriedale, Jacob and Herdwick wool. Each one has unique qualities and will give your felted creation a different quality and finish.
I try to use as many British suppliers and natural materials as i can for my sculptures. I strongly believe in supporting British industry and local farms.
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Proud member of the campaign for wool which aims to further the sustainability of wool production and to promote wool use globally. Please see their website for further info:
British Wool is exceptional, BUT sadly, IT’S very underappreciated. DUE TO THE RECENT FALL IN WOOL TRAde PRICES, MANY BRITISH FARMERS CANNOT AfFORD TO SELL THEIR WOOL AND HAVE NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO DISPOSE OF IT! SO WE HAVE DECIDED TO SUPPORT AS MANY LOCAL BRITISH FARMS AND BUY FLEECE DIRECTLY FROM THEM TO HELP THIS STRUGGLING INDUSTRY.
About Needle felting
The very second I tried needle felting I was hooked! I love the process of taking natural, hand combed raw wool and sculpting it using a barbed needle. It's a bit like working with candy floss (but without being sticky). The tiny barbs near the tip of the needle snag the fibres and pull them down, interlocking them.
I begin each sculpture by making a ball from wool, and then shape it into a basic shape by repeatedly ‘poking' the wool with a felting needle. With every 'poke' it becomes a little firmer, and eventually I am able to sculpt a 3-dimensional design.
Sometimes a single character can take me days to complete and will literally be poked thousands of times with a felting needle. It’s a time consuming process, but is very therapeutic and a great deal of fun!
100% Handmade
I do not use any templates, patterns or internal structures, nor do I use any stitches to hold the wool together.
True needle felting instead relies entirely on your own artistic ability and imagination.
Original designs and quality
All of my creations are based on my own original drawings and designs, and I spend a lot of time designing each different character. I enjoy making designs that are detailed and life like, and so prefer to make firmer sculptures that hold their shape. This means I have to felt each piece for a very long time, adding substantial detail to the mouth and eyes, and also giving each character a cheeky little smile.
Fudge and Mabel by Michelle Onderstall
artist/ designer/ maker. I started Fudge and Mabel a few years ago after completing my first set of boxing hares, called 'Fudge' and 'Mabel'. I now specialise in 3-dimensional needle felted sculptures, wool supplies and kits.
Each piece is designed and made by me, sometimes taking weeks to complete, so I prefer to make one-of-a-kind sculptures.
Please visit my contact page for more info on commissions.
