The sky’s the limit with needlefelting

Usually, a creative craft has its root in an ancient trade or skill which was once a craftsmen’s industry or everyday task –knitting, pottery, whittling, weaving etc.

Wet felting is an ancient craft dating back millennia, but needlefelting is a relatively new way of working with wool, a spin-off from the industrial felting process. Special notched needles are repeatedly pressed through the fibres, gathering and matting them together as they go, producing a piece of felt. It’s possible to construct complex shapes and structures, particularly when built around a wire armature, and with no sewing or glueing it is an easy craft to learn the basics of.

Michelle Hickman of Furzies took up needlefelting just over ten years ago, and for the last nine she has been teaching workshops in the technique across the country.

‘It’s such a wonderful hobby. It’s so easy to pick up – it requires no sewing or needlework skills, the fibres in the wool simply begin to mat together as they are repeatedly ‘stabbed’.

But as simple as it is, it also has no limits for those who become more skilled. If you can imagine it, you can needlefelt it.’

Originally Michelle was travelling the country, holding classes at a variety of venues, but in 2022 she moved to Somerset to open her own workshop near Taunton. Here, on a site

‘It requires no sewing or needlework skills. But as simple as it is, it also has no limits for those who become more skilled. If you can imagine it, you can needlefelt it.’ overlooking the Somerset Levels, she can host small groups, one-to ones and masterclasses. Her first book on needlefelting was recently published by The Crowood Press.

‘I teach a single day’s course, and participants start with a six inch wire armature. It’s such a wonderful job, watching a group of very serious, studious crafters end a day with pride, beaming at their creations. It’s a very peaceful craft – usually with a nervous and polite start to the day, then as every one settles in there’s periods of chatter and laughter, interspersed with waves of calmness. It’s very companionable.’

At the Spring Show Furzie will be holding drop-in workshops to make a small wearable bear brooch – or you can buy a kit to make at home. The workshops should last about half an hour. Please note these are not suitable for under 12s due to the use of very sharp needles.

• furzie.co.uk

• Needlefelting by Michelle Hickman

‘‘On show day, it feels like you see everyone you know! Everyone‘s happy being here, mucking in and getting involved.’

Turnpike Showground volunteers Tom Milligan (left) and Jake Sheen

Just come and help with the car park ...

Our Shows simply could not happen without our army of volunteers –around 300 work the August show alone. We spoke to long-time Turnpike Showground volunteers Jake Sheen, 29, and Tom Milligan, 37, to find out just why they give up their time to work on the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Shows. Jake’s ‘day job’ is at local business Shean & Hare construction – starting out as a carpenter, he now takes on a more officebased role. Tom is a district distribution inspector for Wessex Water, where he’s worked since he was a teenager.

‘When I was 14 or 15 I was at school with the son of Sam Braddick, the G&S show secretary at the time,’ Jake says. ‘His son roped me into helping with the car park “just for one show” … and I‘m still here!’

‘I joined probably a year or two after Jake,’ says Tom. ‘We play hockey together, and

’It is like a family. I wouldn‘t change it. The work’s in my blood, and I hope it is for the rest of my life.’ one summer he said “come down the showground and help me out…” and here I still am!’

‘Yeah, I think I kept with tradition and asked you to just come and help with the car parking!

‘Our main role is the physical logistics – though sometimes we just come here and hinder, I think!’ continues Jake. ‘Anything that needs doing on the showground to put the show on, we‘re part of that team. If it needs doing, we just get on and get it done.’

‘When it comes to show week itself, we’ve been doing it long enough that we know exactly what we‘re doing,’ says Tom. ‘We don‘t need to check every two minutes, asking “Where do you want this fence? Where do you want this water main? Where do you want this generator?” We just know we know how it runs, so we can get on with what needs doing. One of the main things we do is the barrier-ing – all the fencing around the showground. There‘s five or six of us that have done the fencing for the last 10 years, so unless there’s a layout change we can just get on with it.

‘And we’ll offer suggestions too,’ says Jake. ‘Sometimes things have always been done a certain way, and can see what might need changing. The team do listen, and take our advice – but sometimes we’ll suggest something and they’ll say “that won’t work because of these reasons.” It’s always a team approach.

‘It‘s challenging if it rains though. My second year was a really wet one. That was bad. We were there til the early hours of the morning getting people out of the field. But I was 16, in a tractor, pulling people out – personally, I was having the time of my life!’

The Show matters

‘On Show Day you‘re so busy,’ says Tom. ‘We‘re here from five in the morning til late. You can‘t relax – you‘ve got the traders coming in, then the public arriving, you need to do all the little things that haven‘t been done (that we should probably have done already and we‘ve forgotten about…). Throughout the day we troubleshoot where needed, and there’s general stewarding required, like getting the main acts into the ring. Then as things start to calm down you‘ve got the traffic coming out… It’s absolutely non-stop for 14 or 15 hours!

‘People do ask us why we do it every year… and I don’t really have a good answer! Everyone just comes to do a good job and put on a great show. It is like a little family. I wouldn‘t change it.

The work’s in my blood now, and I hope it keeps going for the rest of my life.’

‘For the big shows we bring caravans and we move in,’ says Jake. ‘We obviously have full time jobs, but we put as much time in as we can. There’s a lot of pride in what we do. When you get to the end of the show and you see people leaving and they‘re happy – it just means that all the work we‘ve put in, it’s been worth it.

The G&S Show is one of the biggest dates on the calendar for the local community, everyone goes to the show! It‘s just nice to see people happy and enjoying it.’

‘That‘s what I love most,’ says Tom. ‘On show day, it feels like you see everyone you know, including people you don’t get to see all year round. Volunteering as part of the show is just brilliant, friendly fun. Everyone‘s happy being here, mucking in and getting involved.’

‘I’d say the same as Tom – I would recommend it to anyone,’ says Jake.

‘Come up and see us, and help out. It’s a great vibe, and a brilliant bunch of people. Everyone‘s so friendly. Just come and enjoy it.’