Moxie is a Seattle-based self-taught fiber artist who creates clever sculptures with wool: in her own words, she “likes to make wool do impossible things.”   I recently took a private class at her studio to learn needle-felting.

Her organized and quirky workspace was accessorized with  metal lunch boxes, doll heads and numerous felting tools that looked a bit dangerous.  Moxie enthusiastically demonstrated how repeatedly punching through a bundle of  wool roving with a barbed needle, will cause the fiber attach to itself.  After a few minutes of ‘stabbing’ it turns from a fluffy blob to a very firm-to-the touch 3D object.  It was like magic. No water, no heat, just lots of patience.

While we worked on our projects, I asked her to share a few of her favorite sites: Craftzine ,  Make and Meaning, and Kung Fu Grippe.  She also gave me a list of her favorite musicians to listen to while crafting: Jonathan Coulton, Richard Cheese, The Who, The Tigerlilies, and the Mills Brothers.

Most excitingly, Moxie has an instructional needle-felting book coming out soon!  In the meantime you can find  her marvelous sculptures in gallery exhibitions, local workshops, and of course Etsy.

Update: 12/2010:  The wait is over:  Moxie’s book “I Felt Awesome:Tips and Tricks for 35+ Needle-Poked Projects”  You can purchase your very own copy on Amazon or in Moxie’s etsy shop.