JUS' FELT LIKE IT (Debut designer)

Tell us about your label and what inspires your designs.
My label, Jus’ Felt like It, sums up the way I feel about design, felting and making unusual clothing pieces that are usually one-off and virtually never repeated. I am inspired by colour and the texture that comes from combining beautifully dyed Merino wool fibres with other fibres such as silk, alpaca, and interesting threads.

How did you get into felting?

With an occupational therapy background I had explored a wide spectrum of arts and crafts before I stumbled upon felting and thought that I had found my artistic and spiritual home. The process is transformative of the materials and of my artistic vision.

 

What item in your studio could you not live without?

I love using an old-fashioned ribbed wash board to work the fibres and to create strong felt. Apart from that I always make sure I have an array of eclectic music playing in the background to satisfy my interest in world music and the colourful costumes that go with it.

 

What can market-folk expect to find at the April event?

I have been working hard to produce an array of felted collars, strongly coloured wraps and scarves, felted cocoons as well as a good variety of button necklaces to match the other garments.

 

What is it about Hustle&Scout that made you want to be a stallholder?

I like the fact that Hustle&Scout has an innovative fashion focus which suits my desire to explore colour and texture to its limits.

 

MY FAVE THINGS

Guilty pleasure:

I find a glass of wine at the end of a hard day’s felting revives my spirit and helps me think about the direction that my creativity will take next day.

What you wanted to be when you grew up:

As a teenager all I could think about was the glamour of playing guitar and singing my own songs in smoky coffee lounges.

Fave fashion piece you own:

I cherish an orange linen dress and jacket ensemble by Prue Acton.

Fave place to visit in Canberra:

When I visit Canberra I always spend a few minutes looking at the James Turrell “Within and without – Sky Space”