My Top 10 Needle Felted Sculptures of 2018

Every year, I like to look back at the needle felted sculptures I created and choose ten favorites.

It’s one of my favorite traditions because it gives me a chance to see how my work has changed, what challenged me, and which projects ended up leading to new kits, classes, and ideas.

Needle felting is a slow process, especially when I’m working on larger, detailed sculptures, so completing ten intricate pieces in a year feels like quite an accomplishment. The rest of my felting time is usually filled with designing kits, creating Academy courses, and making plenty of snowmen and Bear Creek Bunnies.

Some animals appear on my Top 10 lists more than once over the years, but they are never duplicates. Every sculpture develops its own expression and personality.

Here are my favorites from 2018.

1. Scottish Highlander

This was my second needle felted Scottish Highlander.

I created this one while developing the Scottish Highlander course for the Bear Creek Needle Felting Academy. Highland cattle are such wonderful animals to sculpt—the shaggy coat, horns, and expressive faces make them full of character.

2. Camel

The camel was another sculpture created while I was developing an Academy course.

Projects like this give me the opportunity to work through the sculpture carefully, think about how to break the process into teachable steps, and figure out which techniques will help students get the best results.

3. Puppy

The puppy was also created as part of an Academy course.

Dogs are always interesting to felt because small changes in the eyes, ears, or muzzle can completely change the personality of the finished sculpture.

4. Gotland Sheep

This Gotland sheep was made using actual Gotland wool as part of my Needle Felting Through the Sheep Breeds series.

One of the things I enjoy most about working with different sheep breeds is seeing how the characteristics of the wool affect the finished sculpture. Using the animal’s own breed of wool makes a sheep sculpture especially fun.

5. Needle Felted Plants

These little plants were something different for me.

Most of my work revolves around animals, so stepping outside that comfort zone gave me a chance to experiment with shapes, colors, and techniques in a completely different way.

They later became part of my teaching work as well.

6. My 1,000th Snowman

This snowman marked a pretty incredible milestone:

He was the 1,000th snowman I had needle felted.

After making that many, you might think they would all start looking alike—but somehow each one still seems to develop its own personality.

That is one of the things I love about handmade work.

7. My Favorite Bear Creek Bunny of the Year

I didn’t make as many Bear Creek Bunnies in 2018 as I had in some previous years, but this one was my favorite.

Like the snowmen, every bunny is individually sculpted rather than reproduced from a mold or exact pattern, so no two ever turn out exactly the same.

8. Clydesdale #2

This Clydesdale was created as a birthday gift for one of my longtime customers.

Horses are challenging subjects because their proportions and anatomy are so recognizable. That also makes them especially satisfying when everything finally comes together.

9. Baby Rhino

The baby rhino began as an idea for a beginner needle felting kit.

At the time, I wasn’t sure whether people would be interested in making a rhino, so I set the idea aside.

Then I took him to the One of a Kind Show in Chicago.

The response was overwhelming.

It was a good reminder that sometimes the projects I’m unsure about are exactly the ones people connect with most.

10. Natural Gray and White Pumpkins

These gray and white pumpkins were some of my simplest favorites of the year.

I especially loved making them with the natural colors of our sheep’s wool.

Not every favorite has to be complicated. Sometimes the beauty of the wool itself is enough.

Looking Back Through the Years

One reason I enjoy making these annual Top 10 lists is that they have become a record of my journey as a needle felting artist.

When I look back at earlier sculptures, I can see new techniques appearing, ideas turning into courses and kits, and my own style gradually changing.

And even after making thousands of felted pieces, I still never quite know what a pile of wool will become next.

That may be my favorite part.