GAL'S ARFS AND CRAFTS
UWS dog lover makes teeny look-alikes
A crafty dog lover is unleashing a series of stunningly lifelike miniatures modeled after real New York City pets.
Linda Facci, 56, of the Upper West Side, creates the mini canine replicas using photos of actual dogs to capture the colors, details and quirks of each animal — turning wool into a 3-D object by prodding it with a barbed needle in a process called needle felting.
“When they see them people say, ‘Oh, my god’ and tell me they can’t believe how realistic they are,” Facci told Caters News.
“I look for individual nuances and see it like a painting — there’s a little grey or black there [or] darker spots around the nose or eyes, some pink in the ears.”
Facci has made more than 100 of the animals, ranging in breed from terriers to Labrador mixes, which are so realistic people often can’t tell they’re made of wool.
Customers have ranged from owners mourning the death of their beloved pooch to folks simply wanting a fun gift for a friend.
In one case, a customer requested that the canine creation be made entirely out a dog’s hair.
Another asked for a pooch’s ashes to be sewn into the design.
“I really capture a pet’s spirit and one person told me they started crying when they opened the box and saw their [late] dog again,” Facci said.
“I get people believing they are real dogs a lot, which is always what I’m striving for. I’m always wondering how I can make them even more lifelike,” she added.
The weirdest request she has had is for a life-sized stuffed dog.
“I had to reject it as I’m nowhere near that level yet,” she said.
Facci, who has a background in sculpting, fell in love with the hobby after taking a felt-designers workshop six years ago.
Pet owners can now get their paws on the stuffed animals for less than $400 apiece.