My day in cups of tea Needlefelt sculptor Mikaela Bartlett
WE ASKED NEEDLE FELT SCULPTOR MIKAELA BARTLETT TO TELL US ABOUT HER DAY IN CUPPAS
Morning! Kettle’s on. What do you fancy?
A strong Yorkshire Tea to help wake me up and make sure my two sons are out of the house on time for school. Next it’s time to take my dog Frank for his walk. Then it’s more Yorkshire Tea, with cereal, for breakfast.
Tell us a little bit about your work.
I needle-felt sculptures, mostly dog portraits and fox sculptures. Needle felting is the process of felting or entangling wool roving using barbed needles. The fibres of the wool are agitated until they lock together in a tight bond. For dog portraits, I work with photos and discuss poses with the owners. Each takes two to three days.
And we notice you have some furry company?
Frank is my constant companion and muse. He makes sure I take tea breaks from felting throughout the day. I have a continuous supply of fruit tea throughout the morning – my favourite is Hebden Tea’s Elderberry & Peach fruit infusion – pausing work to make tea helps me from stiffening with the monotonous action of stabbing the wool continuously.
What do you like to do on a break?
Taking a break with a cuppa usually involves collecting photos of foxes and other animals on Pinterest that I’d love to felt in the future. I also check Instagram and Facebook to catch up with what the artists and makers I follow are up to. I’ve made maker friends online from all around the world – the needle felting community is especially supportive.
When do you down tools for the day?
Felting begins again after dinner and the second dog walk of the day and continues until the early hours. I like to work late during the week to free my weekends for family and friends. The day is rounded off with an evening camomile tea.