Deeply Felt (and the stories carried within)
This post is from guest author and our multi-talented felting friend, Sarah Ritchie, please check out her website to see all the incredible things she does (it’s not all felting!): https://www.sarah-ritchie.com/
Earlier this year, I had the privilege of being part of Deeply Felt (and the stories carried within) – a group exhibition by Auckland Felters, a Creative Fibre community of contemporary felters from across the Auckland region. The exhibition was held at Nathan Homestead Pukepuke in Manurewa, Auckland.
This exhibition was spearheaded by Teri Berry, whose vision and leadership brought the group together to present a cohesive and thoughtful body of work. Auckland Felters is a diverse group, and what makes this group so special is the breadth of practice within it. While we are united by wool fibre as a medium, the way each maker approaches it is entirely individual.
That diversity was evident throughout the exhibition. Works ranged from finely detailed fibre paintings and wall hangings, to sculptural forms and wearable works, each reflecting the interests, techniques, and creative voices of the felters involved. There was no single style or narrative, but rather a celebration of process, patience, and the tactile nature of fibre. It was also a privilege to bring fibre to the attention of the public as an artform – more than just a functional material or a craft.
As needle or wet felters and fibre artists, we all understand the time it takes to bring a piece into being. The process itself becomes embedded in the finished work. That sense of time and touch was present throughout the gallery, inviting visitors to slow down and engage with what had been deeply felt and carefully made.
This was the second exhibition held by Auckland Felters and it felt like a natural progression for the group. There was a sense of growing confidence – both individually and collectively – and an excitement in sharing felted works as art.
Held in Remembrance
Alongside the exhibition sat a special art installation titled Held in Remembrance.
The original idea came from Clare Hocking, who envisioned a collective work of handmade felted poppies to mark ANZAC Day. What began as a simple concept quickly grew into something much larger.
A call-out was made through our personal networks, social media channels and Facebook felting groups, inviting contributions from the wider felting community. The response was immediate and generous. 287 poppies were sent in by more than 50 felters from across Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world. Each poppy was handmade and unique, and many were accompanied by messages of personal connection with the men, women and animals who served.
What arrived was not just a collection of objects, but a gathering of individual acts of making. Different techniques, fibres, and interpretations came together, unified by a shared intention of remembrance, and a remarkable generosity of time, resources, and care.
I had the privilege of leading the installation, with the support of Clare Hocking, Teri Berry, and Jaq Spirrett. Jaq also created the felted barbed wire that formed a central element of the work, adding both visual structure and symbolic weight.
Constructing the installation was not without its challenges. Covering 3.6m wide and 2m tall, each poppy was attached to clear nylon thread and suspended between two battens. The felted barbed wire added a strong narrative to the artwork. Every poppy could be seen. Every maker’s contribution held its place within the whole.
The installation was created as a fundraising initiative for the RNZRSA (Royal New Zealand Returned and Services’ Association), supporting the health and wellbeing of New Zealand’s veterans of military service and their families. All qualifying donations will receive one of the poppies from the installation as a thank-you gift.
Apart from its fundraising purpose, what stands out most to me is the sense of international connection and camaraderie the project created. Felting can often be solitary, yet Held in Remembrance brought together a wide and generous community of makers – many of whom we have never met in person, yet are now connected across distance through a shared act of making.
The Open Day that wasn’t
We had originally planned to hold our exhibition Open Day on ANZAC Day itself, bringing together the Deeply Felt exhibition, Held in Remembrance fundraiser installation, a fibre market, and a workshop. However, we were advised (at short notice) that Auckland Council-run galleries would be closed that day, and the event could not go ahead (though, fortunately, the workshop ran as planned in an alternate location). This was immensely disappointing to everyone involved.
And yet, in some ways, it felt fitting. ANZAC Day is, at its heart, a day of pause and reflection. While we had hoped to gather, the quiet absence of that event served as a reminder of the deeper purpose behind both the exhibition and the installation.
What remains is the work itself – the hours of making, the shared effort, and the connections formed along the way. For Auckland Felters, Deeply Felt was more than an exhibition. It was a continuation of a collective journey, and a reflection of what can happen when individual makers come together with a shared intent.
1) Most of the students from the felted picture workshop (one had to leave early) (Ann sent a shot of her progress on her picture, but I should let her show you in another post!)
2) Glenn at the table by the window
3) Ann with a bag of balls of wool
4) Sample hat with brim
5) showing us various types of fibre we can use to augment our hat
6) Drawing out the patterns for each student
7.1-7.2- 7.3- 7.4) pulling thin wisps off the combed top, then laying them down like shingles over the resist.
7.5) A second way to pull off a staple length
8) My hat (black, strange shape), side one is done
9) helping a student add dreadlocks to her hat
10.1-10.2) adding water and soap to wet the wool
10.3) Gently pushing down, making sure the wool is wet all the way through.
11.) Side one, turn the edges around the resist.
12) My hat is a bit behind the others!
13.1-13.2) Adding embellishment fibres over wet wool.
13.3) Ann explained about rubbing directions and what happens if you go the wrong way.
14) The Tupperware juice container lid works great as a rubbing tool
15) Finally, I am rolling my hat!
16) Cut a hole to reveal the resist. Then heal the edges.
17) trying the hat on.
18) Hat block and brim 
19) This was a technique I did not favour, but it seemed to be very effective!
20.1-20.2) vibrant yellow green hat!
21) These two hats are done
22) Packing up the room after the workshop
1.1) the Wet felting kit from Living Felt. I will be using the purple Ball Brause Wet Felting Tool.
2.1) Ann prepping plastic for the workshop
2.2) bubble wrap, plastic and pool noodle
2.3) Ann Brought not just the fiber for the slippers, but a wagon load of fiber.
2.4) 100 gr balls of Corriedale fiber
2.5) slipper samples and patterns
2.6) ankle books resist shape
2.7) heelless slipper resist
2.8) slipper with heal resist.
3.1) starting to divide the fiber
3.2) laying out the first side of the resist, last of the 4 layers starting to go down
3.3) 4 layers on each slipper on each side
3.4) embellishment fibers filling the table
4.1) wetting the first side, and carefully wrapping the extra fiber around the resist
4.2) my slippers start to get wet
4.3) using the plastic to help spread the water (so the fiber doesn’t stick to your fingers)
4.4) wrapping the second layers edge fibers around the wool rapped resist
5.1) some of the embellishment fibers
5.2) embellishments added and then more water added
5.3) looking under the plastic at one of the tows of the slippers
6.1) the rubbing with Tupperware lid
6.2) pinch test after rubbing is successful and it’s on to rolling!
6.3) checking everything is still attached and looking for signs of shrinkage
6.4) The water was making a valiant effort to soak me but I dogged as much as I could! The towel, on the other hand has only a small patch that is still dry, the rest is quite soaked
6.5) Even the latest Mer I was working on, did not seem interested in getting wet! (Unrelated dry felting glute shot!)
7.1) checking with foot size agents the length
7.2) try it on
7.3) adjustments
7.4) still needs work but they now look like slippers, checking amount of shrinkage
