My path of discover in needle felting began many years ago when I was in a Waldorf teacher training program. Part of my training involved learning how to use natural, soft, beautifully colored wool to make dolls for puppetry. I learned how needle felting is a technique that allows the wool fibers to be sculpted together. And I fell in love!
Jump ahead 12 years and I still love making those beautiful puppets for the kindergarten. It was actually a challenge to create these simple dolls as compared to the sophisticate detailed dolls that I typically make for adults to enjoy. The simplicity of these dolls are what is most important. The lack of details and facial expressions allows for the child's imagination to provide whatever it is they need from the puppet. In other words, there is no predetermined expression and so the puppet can be sad or happy.
If you are interested in learning more about the Waldorf philosophy and how it applies to doll making, I suggest reading The Doll Book by Karin Neuschutz. The first part of the book is about child development and the roll of dolls and toys. The second part of the book is doll patterns and instructions. It seems that this book maybe out of print or hard to find, but well worth the extra money and effort to find it.
Happy Wednesday!

