TrendeFemme sprang out of a love for fibers and commitment to outstanding design. Educated as a graphic designer and inspired by illustration, organic forms, and romantic details, I discovered felting in 2008 and fell in love with the unpredictable juxtapositions of fibers and shapes allowed by wool.

I strive to bring a human touch, contemporary aesthetic, and artful presentation to my work. Many pieces are one-of-a-kind or limited edition designs and each is lovingly made by hand in my North Carolina studio. Whenever possible, I try to incorporate recycled or fairly traded fibers in my collections.

Felting is an ancient textile art that predates spinning and weaving. Felt forms when wool fibers are stacked and then subjected to moisture and friction using warm, soapy water and rubbing. This process, called wet felting, causes the fibers to bond into a durable fabric. The texture and thickness of felt will depend on the type of wool(s) used and the number of layers of roving that are stacked. Sometimes, wool is felted into fabrics using Nunofelting, a more modern textile technique of binding wool to natural fibers, like cotton, muslin, or silk to form a durable fabric without sewing.

I also use Shibori techniques to texture wool by binding, sewing, and pleating during wet felting. Shibori comes from Japan and was originally used to dye and pattern cloth, but has been adapted by felters to create unique textured effects. Lastly, I sometimes use needle felting for fine accents. Needle felting is a process of binding dry wool fibers by poking them with a special, barbed needle that causes the microscopic scales on the fibers to lock together. This technique allows for incredibly flexible color blending and fine detail.