My Girlfriend Got Me Addicted To Felt...

I hadn’t done crafts since elementary school. Even then, I loathed them. I couldn’t draw. I couldn’t cut a piece of construction paper in a straight line. I got more glue on my pants then on a project. Getting older I was relieved that no one asked me to do a project that involved art cause it showed my inherent inability to draw even stick figures well.

Then it all changed one day. It began innocent enough. "Lets make home slippers that look like foot prints.” Why not, its cold and we have hard wood floors. “If cut strips of felt and glue them together we could get the picture were thinking of. Great! Lets do it.

We never made the slippers. It took too long to cut and roll each of the individual strands of felt. And after taking that long, how could we ever justify walking on them. They needed to be on a canvas and admired by everyone we knew. That thinking has led me on a 4 year journey with felt. An unhealthy/healthy obsession with collecting colors and creating new pieces of art.

I slowly started making pieces from the 8x12 sheets and Michael's. It wasn’t enough. The art was getting too big. So I started getting tons of felt and the boxes started adding up. Now there isn’t a room in the house that doesn’t have a hidden and not so hidden stash of felt. My girlfriend created this monster and doesn’t know how to feel about it. She was the crafty one after all. She has a sewing machine and make patterns. She’s the one that can draw anything and everyone with no problem at all. But now i have my own rotary mat and Martha Stewart scissors that will not be used for anything except for felt. So put them down!

I’ve never been more grateful in my life for her and what she started in me. I’ve since quit my job in San Diego to pursue fiber art full time in Washington state. It’s never brought me more joy to be able to convey my artistic thoughts for the first time in my life and I have no plans of stopping or slowing down.

More info: xandergriffith.com