The Farm Store is thrilled to debut gorgeously crafted felted ornaments, designed and made by long-time community member Lori Thalasinos, owner of Felt Needs Studio.
Lori first began to needle felt over a dozen years ago when a fellow homeschooling mother offered a class. Lori immediately connected with the art form, and began to make items for herself and to give as gifts. At the encouragement of her friends and family, she launched Felt Needs Studio this year.
Needle felting involves starting with a core of wool and interlocking the fibers together by poking it repeatedly with a special barbed needle. More wool is added to help the object take shape before she adds in colored felt and yarn to decorate it.
“I think that wool is an amazing medium for creative expression,” Lori says. “The warmth of it, the texture, it’s so adaptable. You can work flat, you can work 3D—the only limitation is one’s own creativity.”
Many of the ornaments Lori crafts are classical Christmas ornament shapes in vibrant colors, decorated with Celtic knot work patterns. As she’s become a grandmother, she has started to try her hand at more whimsical shapes, including gnomes, snowmen, and animals. She hopes to grow her line of decorative items as her business develops.
In all her work, Lori strives for the highest quality, from selecting the kinds of wool that lend themselves best to needle felting, to selecting the colors and ensuring the felting is done firmly and well. Her attention to detail shows in the intricate designs and elements in her ornaments.
Currently, Felt Needs Studio ornaments are being carried exclusively at the Farm Store. Lori is taking an organic approach to growing the business, and plans to join the craft fair circuit at some point. For now, she says, “It’s more about just developing the skill and the joy of it, and sharing that with others.”
You can find Lori’s beautifully crafted ornaments in the holiday endcap in the Farm Store, and can also bid on a beautiful set of needle felted autumn gourds from Felt Needs Designs in Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School’s Holiday Auction here.
Lori's website is in the works, but in the meantime, you can reach out to her about orders by email.
