About Sheila

Sheila Smith

Very experienced feltmaker.
Sound understanding of how and why wool felts and the techniques employed in feltmaking.
Qualified teacher who has been teaching feltmaking workshops since 1991 in the UK and abroad, most recently in Australia and New Zealand.
1998 - 2001 Chair of the International Feltmakers Association.
Widely published (see below).

I am particularly interested in creating different effects within the felt by employing a variety of techniques. I enjoy combining a range of fibres and fabrics with the wool to produce innovative fabrics for wearable art. These fabrics can then be enhanced by the use of dyes which give rise to interesting effects arising from the diverse fibres.

Publications

2006	'Felt to Stitch' by Sheila Smith (published by Batsford) Creative Feltmaking for Textile Artists. A comprehensive reference work written as part of a series of 'textile art' books published by Batsford.
1995 (1st edition) 2005 (revised)	Joint author (with Freda Walker) and publisher of 'Feltmaking - the Whys and Wherefores'. This is recognised as a sound technical reference book. 'Feltmaking - the Whys and Wherefores' has been substantially rewritten by Sheila and Freda and a completely new edition has been released to take account of developments in feltmaking over the ten years that have elapsed since the original publication.
1997	Creative Textures - booklet on combining felt with fabric
2002	Series of Three Booklets Introduction to Feltmaking Felt without Seams Beyond the Basics THESE BOOKLETS ARE OUT OF PRINT. The latest edition of 'Feltmaking - the Whys and Wherefores' is recommended instead.
	In addition, articles on different aspects of felt in magazines published in the UK including: World of Embroidery, Beautiful Stitches, Sewing World, Workbox National Association of Teachers of Home Economics and Technology magazine.