fawn&forest

I've been a big fan of Filzfelt, so I was crazy excited when Chris picked it as a February Forest Finds. Wool felt is simply, fantastic. Equally fantastic? Kelly + Traci of Filzfelt. Thank you ladies!

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Traci:  I honestly don’t know, it was so long ago!
Kelly:  It was constantly changing. At one point a lawyer, later an art teacher, professional gymnast/soccer player, traveler...I did go through a bout of making clothing for my cabbage patch kids in elementary school and then later in high school making dresses and bags for myself out of old clothing, so that designer/maker part of me has always been there.

You ladies are the felt queens! Why felt? How does this 1 material inspire you?
Kelly: I've been working with since 2005 with my other company (Etcetera Media) and can't get enough of it! It's a monolithic material that is quite structural on it's own, it's edges can be left raw without finishing, it's 100% wool (recycled from sheep!) which means its eco-friendly, recyclable and renewable. It's also conveniently water resistant, and just gorgeous on it's own.
Traci: For me, the inherent beauty of materials has always been appealing. Too much embellishment or froofrooness (is that a word?!) is not for me. And wool felt is beautiful and surprisingly textural and saturated in color. Its also a material that's been around forever and there’s something wonderful about taking an ancient art and putting a modern spin on it.

What does 2009 hold for you?
Hopefully profit and fame. No really, besides just selling felt on a regular basis, we hope to spread the love of felt in this country. We are currently working on a permanent felt installation in a retail space in Boston and collaborating with other designers and architects on their own products and projects. We’re also totally excited to be an exhibitor at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in NYC this spring.