Featured Artisan: Melissa Frueh (Philadelphia)

I’ve met so many wonderful people from the Philly Etsy team since the site launched! Melissa Frueh is one of those Philadelphia crafters.

Melissa’s passion is felting. I’ve been intrigued with felting since I was introduced to it by the show “Crafters Coast to Coast.” So I had to know how she got started.

Like most of you, she’s been crafting since before she can remember. Melissa explained, “But I believe I started taking it more seriously when I got married and moved to LA, my Step-Mother-in-Law gave me her sewing machine. I could’t sew a straight line safe my life but I was hooked. I started making quilts out of scrap corduroy and other things I could find and just kept moving on from there.”

Woolies (larger felt sculpture) – Elephant & Fatty Batty Owl

Five years later, she received a needle-felted pig from her husband, Andrew. “I just died. I thought it was the cutest thing I’d ever seen.” Cute is definitely her calling.

Feltie – Pinky the Owl

Why needle felting?

I think I prefer needle felting to other fiber arts only because my first favorite media was clay. I did it all though high school and then in LA I found a great studio and spend Monday – Thursday every night for 4 years there. Even in Humboldt (HSU) where my husband went to school I would sneak into the ceramics dept. at night and pretend to be a student.  I was obsessed. So when I found wool and realized I could sculpt it (almost) like clay I was hooked. Hey, you don’t need a kiln for wool.

Currently, Melissa’s Etsy shop, Sqrl & Bee Studios, is small. But her websites have extensive galleries, so please check out more of her work at MelissaFrueh.com and SqrlBee.com.

I asked Melissa about her business goals for 2009 – I think this is a great way to learn from each other – and she replied: exposure.  “I’m trying to get my stuff out there. I could just continue to work in my little bubble and live under a huge pile of Felties and Woolies. But I just keep making and they all need homes. I can only adopt so many.”

Exposure is why this site is here. Are you looking for more exposure for your work? All you have to do is ask.

And congratulations to…Heather Yellen of Castaway Creations for winning the Sea ‘n Sand Coasters from Monday’s giveaway!

AND, I realized I never announced a winner for the Studio Captura giveaway! Oh the shame… Congratulations to Lori from Scarlet Wire!