Woolettes.
A few days ago, I learned how to make needle-felted wool animals: read about my attempt here. These little guys might make you smile, but they are not the easiest to make. In all honesty, my very first attempt at needle-felting ended up being a blue lumpy something – we’ll call it a storm cloud… I was unable to salvage it. I thought you should meet the pros. The Woolettes create handmade gifts felted from wool – including animals (pictured) and wonderful seasonal items. One of the frustrations I faced when making Peep was making sure that the outer surface was smooth (without any unsightly bumps). Not an issue here – everything looks like it’s made out of cotton candy. I know my littlest students would absolutely be in love with these little guys. This family team takes custom requests – so don’t worry, there’s an unlimited supply of cute to go around.
Meet the Woolettes….
Your name? We are Bob & Sandy Ouellette and Julie Ouellette Earp – a father, mother and daughter team.
How did you get started? We have always been interested in handcrafts and ran a small business from our home in the 70s. We sold to local shops and retailers in Boston. Several years ago, Julie saw a book with needle felting projects and suggested that Sandy try it out, and make some gifts for her grandchildren. Bob, who had recently retired, decided to resume his interest in rug hooking which his mother had done, and also started making gifts for family and friends. Julie was more focused on papercrafting – invitations and party decorations for her children, but started doing more rug hooking after her oldest started elementary school. Two years ago, our church had a craft fair, we decided to participate and Woolettes was born. We started selling at a local retailer and participated in a larger juried craft fair in Woodstock, VT. Shortly thereafter, we opened our shop on Etsy.
