North Georgia Arts Guild Brenda Hutchings and The Fascinating World of Fiber Arts

Entering Brenda Hutchings’ studio is like being transported to a world where all things fiber reigns. Here in the studio she shares with two other fiber artists, she has the space and freedom to create to her heart’s content. That creativity is immediately obvious in her work. If it involves fiber, Brenda has probably done it, and that includes felting, quilting, flat fiber painting, spinning, knitting, crochet, and creating with paper. Her wet felted creations include gorgeous nuno scarves, wet felted vessels, unique felted purses, felt flowers and book covers. She also makes earrings from paper clay with a durable, polished finish, as well as designing and creating art dolls

Brenda’s affinity for fiber began when she was in the 6th grade, when she became ill with pneumonia and was out of school for two months recovering. She was introduced to fiber arts in the form of a crewel kit her mother gave to her to help her through this time of inactivity. Her love for art led her to pursue a BA Degree in Graphic Design from Columbia College in Chicago, Illinois. A job in advertising, marriage, and children followed. Through the years though, she never lost her passionate love for art, and especially fiber arts.

Brenda’s experiences with fiber arts include some adventuresome alpacas and the forming of a creative center. Around 16 or so years ago, Brenda acquired some Alpacas, which she put in her backyard. Evidently they decided they wanted to explore the neighborhood, so they broke through the fence and escaped. That led to her moving to a five-acre farm where the alpacas had room to roam. Then in 2015, Brenda purchased an old doll factory in Valparaiso, Illinois and transformed it into the Roundhouse Fiber Farm and Creative Center. Here she held classes, sold her art, had art gatherings and organized field trips.

By Tricia Moore

Brenda and her family moved to Sautee Nacoochee and made their home there in 2020. Although she has been in the Northeast Georgia area for only three years, she has already gained recognition for her wonderful fiber creations, winning the Producer’s Choice award in the NGAG 2022 Painted Fern Festival. In spite of the pandemic that the country was in the midst of at the time of the move, Brenda wasted no time getting acquainted with the arts community. In the time she has been here, she has, among other things, entered art shows, worked at the Spirits Fiber Works Mill in Cleveland and helped organize Fiber Fest, a fiber festival held on Mother’s Day weekend at the Sautee Nacoochee Center. Her work at the mill involves the processing of the fiber “from the shearing through skirting, washing, de-hairing, and carding into either roving, batts, or bumps.”

Tricia Moore is a retired teacher, having taught both English and Art in public and private school settings. She is currently an active member of the NGAG and has held several positions on the board. With her background in both art and writing, she feels that writing the NGAG featured artist article in the Laurel of Northeast Georgia is a good fit and something that she will greatly enjoy doing.

Wet felting is one of Brenda’s main interests and her enthusiasm in talking about it is contagious. Basically wet felting is using a combination of water, soap and agitation on animal fibers to cause the fibers to lock into each other. The most common fiber used is sheep’s wool, but fiber from alpacas, goats and other animals is also used. Brenda states she loves the versatility of wet felting and compares it to pottery in that respect. In many of the projects, Brenda uses what she refers to as a “resist.” This is used to separate sections of her felted project so that they do not felt into one another. For instance, she would use a resist between the front and back of a felted purse. In any case though, the agitation is what causes the wet, soapy fibers to lock into each other and cause the felting. In the creation of her beautiful nuno scarves, Brenda starts with an open weave fabric such as chiffon silk, layering the fiber roving on top. Brenda states that she generally orders the merino wool she uses from a wholesaler in bulk. She is able to obtain the alpaca wool locally at the Spirit Fiber Works in Cleveland, Georgia, and even closer to home, she is able to use the wool from her own two Pygora goats, that are a cross between the Pygmy and Angora goats. But no matter what fiber she uses, Brenda’s creations are always amazingly unique and creative.

For information on Brenda’s work and