Firebirds, foxes and autumn dates for your diary 🔥🦊

Long-eared and tawny owls, wolf half mask, harmony green man, dryad and rabbit

It’s been a very busy summer here at Valerian Fibres, with visits to Sherwood Forest, Pilton Green Man Festival and Chippenham Folk Festival — as well as plenty happening back in the studio.

One of the things I've particularly enjoyed this summer has been experimenting with a new style of ultra-lightweight mask, designed with performance and festivities in mind.

I've become rather enthralled by combining wet-felting techniques with my usual dry needle-felting. The result is a much lighter mask which feels quite different from my traditional animal masks. I've been exploring the technique with a range of owls, as well as my new Dryads and Forest Guardians.

Unlike my traditional animal masks, these don't have the removable eye-pad that allows the mask to become wall art when it isn't being worn.

The Dryads have a different purpose — they simply invite you to release your inner dryad!

Sirocco the Hare, Black Phoenix, Billy Goat White, Rabbit, Red Firebird and Fox half mask

🔥 The Firebirds have returned

One of the lovely surprises of the summer has been the popularity of my Firebirds.

I made my first pair earlier in the year and was delighted when both flew away to new homes.

So I've returned to the fiery feathers, and two more have now emerged from the wool: a Black Phoenix and Red Firebird.

There is something rather addictive about making these fantastical birds, and I've found myself being drawn back into the old stories of Firebirds, magical creatures and enchanted forests. I suspect these may not be the last to emerge from the Valerian Fibres workshop...

🦊 How does a fox emerge from a bundle of wool?

Felix the Fox

For all my experiments with mythical creatures, foxes remain among my most popular masks.

My latest fox is called Felix.

If you've ever wondered how a bundle of wool gradually acquires ears, eyes, a muzzle and — eventually — a personality of its own, I've written about the process on my website.

See how I make a needle-felted fox mask →

🧶 What do a bag of mysterious pencil rovings, a Victorian machine and a visit to the National Wool Museum eventually become?

The answer, for Valerian Fibres is not surprisingly...

a mask.

On a visit to the National Wool Museum of Wales

Earlier this year I was delighted to be commissioned by Trowbridge Museum to create a new piece for their WEFT exhibition, exploring the textile heritage of the local area.

The result was Spinning Jenny, a piece that took me on a fascinating journey through the history and processes involved in turning wool into something new.

Jenny now belongs to Trowbridge Museum and is currently on display as part of the WEFT exhibition, which continues until November.

Read the story of Spinning Jenny →

🍂 Where to find me this autumn

My next outing is very close to home:

19 September — Iron Duke Festival, at the Hall, Bradford on Avon from 1.30 -5pm

I'll be there with a selection of Valerian Fibres masks and other creations, so if you're local, do come and say hello.

And then I'm heading considerably further north for:

24 October — The Winter Droving, Penrith

I'm delighted to be returning to Penrith for The Winter Droving for the third time. It's a wonderfully atmospheric celebration and always feels like a particularly appropriate place for Valerian Fibres creatures to gather.

🌿 Would you like to join the Green Man Rosette Draw?

Those of you who joined my mailing list at Pilton Green Man Day may remember that I promised to enter you into a draw to win my handcrafted Summer Green Man Rosette.

If you joined at Pilton, you're already entered — there's nothing more you need to do.

But it seemed rather unfair to leave out those of you who have been following Valerian Fibres for longer, so I'd like to give all my existing subscribers the opportunity to join the draw too.

I've extended the date to join this free competition to win one of my green man rosettes

If you'd like to be included, simply email me (valerie@valerianfibres.com) with the words “Green Man Draw” before 19 September and I'll add your name.

I'll make the draw after the Iron Duke Festival on 19 September, with the roll of a D100 dice.

And if you know someone who enjoys folklore, woodland creatures or unusual handmade creations, you're very welcome to send them my newsletter signup link. Anyone new who joins before the draw will also be entered.

White Raven, Dryad, Brock, Kingfisher mask and cowl, Summer Green Man and Felix the fox

🧶 And if you're in Bradford on Avon...

You don't have to wait for an event to encounter some Valerian Fibres creatures.

You can find a changing selection of my work at The Crafty Hive, 11 Silver Street, Bradford on Avon, alongside the work of other local makers

And, of course, you can always step further into the forest online at Valerian Fibres.

Thank you for continuing to follow my adventures in wool. I hope you've enjoyed this little glimpse of what has been emerging from the workshop over the summer.

Until next time,

Valerie

Valerian Fibres