I was delighted to get a chance to ask Jamie Lewis of The Wool Felt Shop some questions about his work. I have admired Jamie’s felting wizardry for a while now – I love to see a traditional craft processes used in a contemporary way. I was interested to find out more about this process.
So…felt! You use the medium so beautifully – how did you get started using it?
Thanks for the kind words Catherine, things would certainly be easier if I could use some wizardry! Yes, felt. An odd choice perhaps. I like that felt is thought to have been the first man made textile and for some purposes, has never really been surpassed as a material. My mother showed me the basics of feltmaking one summer during a break from art school, 1998 I think. I guess I was initially drawn to its simplicity, it’s basically matted fibres and in that sense is not restricted to being created in sheet form like other textiles. I had no real textiles training so turning wool into felt meant I could essentially sculpt products. The first thing I made was a pair of slippers. When I went back to college I took a bag of wool and made myself things I needed like wallets and bags. A few years later when I was living in Birmingham and short of cash I started making things again and took them to market to sell. Eventually, about eight years ago, I took some time out from work to really learn the craft… and never went back!
It is lovely that the interest began with your mother. I too am grateful that my mother let me play with, and subsequently wreck her sewing machine! Is there any other medium you like to work with?
I’ve wrecked some of my mother’s sewing machines too! I used to sew 3mm leather straps on to really chunky felt satchels but I wouldn’t claim to work with leather, I’m not good enough and don’t have the proper tools. If I’m not working on my wool products I’m usually doing some kind of DIY in the studio, the medium being whatever I find lying around. I think it’s probably best to try and restrict any other creative activity to leisure time, just for personal enjoyment. You can’t turn all fun things into work!
So true! What is your design process? Do you design through making or do you sketch first?
Most of it is thought out in my head while I’m working on something else but I might draw things out too. I found an old school report a while back where my teacher had written “Jamie needs to learn that drawing an animal isn’t the answer to everything”. Think you’ll find it’s served me rather well Mr Peterson!
Sometimes I wake up in the night designing a new product in my head and can’t get back to sleep until I’ve worked it all out. I’m always trying to simplify things so I’m often taking aspects out of earlier designs. Whenever I simplify something, I always like it better and it tends to be more popular with my customers too.
Are there any crafters, artists or designers that you look up to?
Of course, but it’s not necessarily because I love their work. It might be an attitude thing. It might be that they have their social media under control or they have a really good website. Or that they always get their orders out on time and can lay their hands on a hi res image of any piece of their work at any given time. Noticing this kind of stuff keeps me motivated to always improve what I’m doing. I couldn’t really list who I look up to and why. One important inspirational moment for me came as a teenager on a family holiday to York. I came across a shop called My Pet Slug where a guy carved wooden slugs and I thought “that’s a nice job, I’d do something like that”. And here I am 25 years later with a felt mussels shop.
Any collaborations in the pipeline?
Actually, yes but pipeline is the right word right now. I’m working with another craft/design vendor and a tourist attraction but there’s nothing solid just yet. Although the process has led me to finally design a cat, something I’ve been putting off for years.
My last product collaboration was with Ben Harris (currently of technology startup Drop) on our Ovis table – a table whose base was made of an industrial felt cylinder. The Crafts Council took it to their exhibition at London Design Week and we sold a couple through the Conran Shop but for now we’re tied up with our own businesses.
I saw the Ovis table online and really love it – the texture of the felt and wood make a great combination. It’s a great sign that both of you are busy though.
When do you feel most creative?
Usually on days I’ve allocated as days off! Then I can work on the things that have been going round my head while I’ve been trudging through my To Do list.
All of that sounds very familiar! I get inspiration when I am at my busiest – or right before a deadline and it’s too late to act on it! I think there is a word for what you do when you should be doing something else? Anyway, I do a lot of that.
You have opened a shop/studio with the lovely Jennifer Slattery. How did that come about?
I met Jennifer renting space at The Malthouse Design Centre when I first moved to Dublin. Moving to Ireland was a great opportunity for a fresh start and it was a conscious decision to think less like a crafts person and more like a designer. I also knew I wanted to consolidate retail and production time so The Malthouse, with its established design businesses and showroom, seemed like the right place to start. I remember one day we were talking about hoping to have our own shops in the future. After that I moved on to a ground floor unit at Chocolate Factory, which was a step closer to a shop. I always kept an eye on property websites though and when these two units became available Jennifer was obviously the first person I called.
It’s been just over a year now and it’s been a fantastic move. It’s great to have your name above your door and a window full of your product. And it’s not just two independent shops – we each have access to both units and use the space for group events, workshops, meeting and talks. We’ve also let other people set up shop in there. We call the joint spaces The Old Butcher Studios and I like to describe it as a kind of mini design centre.
Have you any advice for someone wanting to do the same?
You mean open a shop?
Yes – shop or a mini design centre!
I’d love to say “go for it!” but it’s not quite that simple. There are affordable spaces out there, particularly if you group together but it can take a long time to properly compare costs, space suitability and location. I guess my best advice is be patient, keep your eye on all the websites and don’t just look in obvious places. Regularly review your opinion on places you’ve already looked at, it will change the more you look at. Also get a bit of experience in similar short term things. Back in the UK I organised pop up shops, events and regular markets so I don’t feel like I’ve jumped in at the deep end with this, it was more a natural next step.
You both have done an amazing job on the space both inside and out. I have no doubt it’s not an easy process and it’s a testament to you and Jennifer that you got through it so successfully. Definitely something I would love to do ‘when I grow up’!
I see you have come from the UK to Dublin. How are you finding working as a craftsperson/designer in Ireland?
Actually, I think it’s been the making of my business. As I mentioned earlier, I was already aware of certain changes I needed to make before I moved here but I think living in Dublin has enabled them. I think there’s a great sense of community in the design/craft scene here and that’s really helped me get settled. I hear jokes about how everybody knows each other, which is kind of true but I think that’s a nice thing. The media are really good to crafts and design businesses too, there’s usually somebody we know in the paper or magazine with their latest work.
Thanks Jamie. It has been great to get the chance to talk to you. I wish you continued success with your lovely work.
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