Rustic Fiber Academy

The 2027 theme has been chosen.

Stories Untold

The funny thing about a theme like this is that once you hear it, you start seeing possibilities everywhere.

In a weathered face.
A childhood memory.
An abandoned building.
A wild animal.
A family tradition.
A moment nobody else noticed.

The best stories aren't always written down. Sometimes they're carried through generations. Sometimes they're hidden in plain sight. Sometimes they're waiting for someone to tell them.

I can't wait to see where artists take this theme.

And yes... submissions don't open until April.

That doesn't mean your brain won't start working on it tomorrow.

There was a point where I almost quit needle felting.

The funny part is it wasn't at the beginning. It was after I had already figured out that I absolutely loved it. I was felting all the time. If we were in the car and I wasn't driving, I was probably felting. Any little pocket of time I could find, I was working on something.

Then something happened and I pretty much decided I was done.

I won't get into what happened, but I remember thinking, "Well, I guess I don't needle felt anymore."

And I meant it.

It wasn't one of those moments where I was upset for an hour and then got over it. It stuck with me for a bit.

Thankfully, I had people around me who basically told me that was a stupid idea.

Turns out they were right.

Every once in a while I think about how different my life would be if I had actually walked away from it.

What's interesting is that I think most people have something like that in their lives. Maybe it's not needle felting. Maybe it's something completely different. But I think a lot of us have had a moment where throwing in the towel seemed like the logical thing to do.

Truthfully, I still have those moments now and then.

Not because of the felting. I love the felting part.

It's all the other stuff that comes along for the ride. Sometimes things get frustrating. Sometimes things don't go the way you planned. Sometimes you spend a whole lot of time on something and wonder if you're making life harder than it needs to be.

Then I go make a bird or a mushroom or whatever random thing has captured my attention that week and realize I'm probably not going anywhere.

Anyway, I'm really glad I didn't quit.

Today I'd like to introduce you to the artist behind this year's winning piece, *Otters in Love*.

When our jurors reviewed 120 pieces from fiber artists around the world, Catherine Beddall's *Otters in Love* stood out for its technical skill, attention to detail, and the story it told through fiber.

Catherine discovered needle felting in 2022 after seeing the work of another fiber artist online. She ordered a beginner kit, gave it a try, and was instantly hooked.

Animals have always been at the heart of her work. Her realistic sculptures often take 20 to 30+ hours to create, and she spends countless hours studying reference photos and imagining poses before ever picking up a felting needle.

One of my favorite things about Catherine's story is that she doesn't work on just one piece at a time. Her studio is often filled with several works in progress, each waiting for its turn. Right now that includes a polar bear, moose, Dall sheep, octopus, and mountain lion.

Please join me in congratulating Catherine Beddall of Birds of a Felter, winner of the 2026 International Fiber Art Exhibition.

I've included a selection of her work in this post so you can see the incredible craftsmanship and storytelling that made her piece stand out.

Which piece is your favorite?

One of my favorite things about creativity is that it can still surprise you.

Back in March, I was attending an artist residency where each artist was asked to contribute a page to a collaborative art book. As I sat there thinking about what to create, I found myself staring at a blank piece of paper and wondering whether needle felting directly onto it would work.

I had never tried it before.

There wasn't a plan behind it. I wasn't thinking about courses or products. I was simply trying to create something interesting for the book.

So I gave it a try.

To my surprise, it worked beautifully.

What started as a single page for an art book ended up opening an entirely new line of thinking for me. Suddenly I was imagining greeting cards, journals, and other ways of combining wool with paper.

Over the last few months, I've been experimenting with the process, refining it, and creating new designs. That journey eventually became a new course inside Rustic Fiber Academy.

The Felted Greeting Cards course includes a Balsamroot, Morel Mushroom, and Black-capped Chickadee, and I'll walk you through exactly how I create felted artwork directly on paper.

Sometimes the projects that excite us the most are the ones we never planned to make.

The details are in the comments if you'd like to take a look.

It's open.

The first International Juried Fiber Art Exhibition is officially live.

When I first started planning this exhibition, I wasn't sure what would happen. Would artists enter? Would there be enough interest?

What happened exceeded every expectation I had.

Artists from around the world submitted work, and I was continually amazed by the creativity, skill, storytelling, and originality that came through those entries. Looking through the submissions only reinforced how much needle felting and wet felting deserve recognition as art.

A huge thank you to our jurors for lending their time, expertise, and thoughtful consideration throughout the selection process.

And to everyone who submitted work, thank you.

The judges had some incredibly difficult decisions to make. There were so many beautiful, thoughtful, and creative entries, and more than once I wished there was room to showcase even more of them.

If you submitted, I hope you're proud of what you created. You should be.

The gallery is now open with thirty selected works from artists around the world, including this year's Juror's Choice winner, Catherine Beddall's Otters in Love.

I'd love for you to take some time to explore the exhibition, read the artists' stories, and discover a few new favorite fiber artists.

You'll find the exhibition details in the comments below.

Every summer I have to relearn how life works.

Not because summer changes.

Because Jordan does.

Every year he's a little older, a little more independent, and somehow still needs me in completely different ways than he did the year before.

Part of that means I move my workspace into the house for the summer. My studio is only a few steps away from the house, but when school is out those few steps might as well be three counties over.

Today felt like our first test run.

He came downstairs while I was working and wanted to help with the project. Then he asked if he could use the felting gun.

Which was one of those parenting moments where you pause for a second and wonder if this is a great idea.

Thankfully, he did great.

After helping me, he decided he wanted to work on his own needle felting project, so for a while we sat there together, both working away on our own pieces.

Then we talked about summer. What I need to get done. What he needs to get done. What responsibilities look like. What freedom looks like.

We're still figuring it out.

But today felt good.

A little work got done. A little felting got done. A summer plan started taking shape.

And nobody poked themselves with the felting gun, so I'm calling that a successful first day.

Yesterday was the last day of school.

Jordan had a whole plan.

When I picked him up, he was supposed to get in the car and yell, "I AM IN 4TH GRADE!"

Instead, he climbed in looking like he might cry.

Not because school was over.

Because it was over.

He wasn't ready to say goodbye to his friends for three months. Even knowing he'll see many of them over the summer, not seeing them every day felt like a loss.

And maybe that's what got me.

Not the tears.

The reminder that he's old enough now to have people he misses.

This photo popped up while I was thinking about it. Years ago, he was sitting beside me needle felting. Back when he was little enough that I thought these days were a long way off.

But somewhere between wool projects, Minecraft worlds, school days, and countless snacks, he grew up a little more.

I still see the kid in this photo.

Yesterday reminded me that everyone else sees a 4th grader.

And while summer vacation is officially here, I have a feeling he'll be counting down the days until he gets to see his people again.