Cynthia Treen is a fibre artist and all-around talent. Having worked and played creative fields since studying at Rhode Island School Of Design and working with big names such as Martha Stewart, Cynthia has turned her hand to smaller things, much, much smaller. Cynthia is here to answer some questions about herself and the tiny felt world she is shaping. Complete with twitchy whiskered badgers and a picnic basket that makes you want to put down whatever you are doing and make it immediately, her book The Wind in the Willows – Felt Friends will capture your imagination and your heart.
Can you introduce yourself and who you are?
Hello, Friends! I’m Cynthia Treen, and thrilled to be here with Sara Peel on her Cool Crafting blog today! If you are reading this, I already know we have lots in common because I’m a fan of Sara’s enchanting stories and her lovable Luna Lapin! I am a maker too and love all things textile related. So Who am I? What a simple yet giant question! I don’t do justice by leading with “I am a designer,” but that did pop into my mind first. Perhaps it is more honest to say “I am a Creative” because creativity moves and feeds me and is at the heart of who I am. My work and play are synonymous, and I’m always happiest in a creative flow state, no matter what I’m up to (designing, cooking, cleaning, meditating, and sharing ideas). I love creative problem-solving in every area of my life!
How did threadfollower begin?
It began with my passion for world textiles. Threadfollower was conceived with the idea that I would design a product line inspired by textiles and my travels, following the threads where they led me. After some glorious travelling, I realized that more than research and design, I wanted to share the craft of stitching with people of all ages, and my DIY kit line was born in the spring of 2011. I still appreciate and collect textiles when travelling but do it for enjoyment and personal inspiration.
Have you always been a maker?
Absolutely! I can’t imagine life without making! I was sewing as early as I remember and constantly redecorating my childhood dollhouse. I suppose not much has changed, but I can now share it with a broader audience and get new makers started on their creative journies!
What are your first creative memories?
Indeed, the doll house memories, but there were two stuffed toys I made at a young age (maybe eight or so), and I still have to this day. One was a little gray corduroy house with fluffy felt snow on its roof and a red chimney and front door. The other was a reindeer made entirely from cylinders I stitched in felt. I remember how excited I was to have used elemental shapes to make something with so much life and personality!
Can you describe your workspace? Where is it, and what is in it?
I have two, one large and one small. The first is my production space, and it’s in an old mill with warm wood floors and a sloped skylit ceiling. I have large cutting tables, shelves of felt, and all the bits and bobs that fill my kits and Etsy shop. My fantastic studio manager Laura keeps that space and my production in order. I primarily work from home these days, surrounded by felt animals and supplies with just about everything in reach. My home studio is small, but I like that. It keeps things in check and doesn’t let me expand too far beyond capacity!
- What inspires you the most?
Oh, that’s hard! The world is full of inspiration! Animals and plants, the smell of the woods and the seasons, deep focus, glorious colors and textures, and all things small and adorable, to name a few! I must not leave out the joyful inspiration of learning and sharing creative ideas. I share my knowledge through my kits and with my Patreon group and, at the same time, learn so much from my community!
If you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing?
I have always wanted to rehabilitate wild animals. I once raised a baby catbird (Maxwell, I called him) who had lost his parents and siblings in a storm. He was so small and cold and had only pin feathers; I wasn’t sure if he would survive, but I raised him until he was ready to fly. Fearing I didn’t have proper mother bird skills, I brought him to a wildlife rehabilitator for finishing school. If I were not sewing and teaching, I would want to spend my time helping animals.
What is it about wool felt that you enjoy so much?
You might think this funny because I live and breathe felt now, but there was a time when I thought it too easy! A material for beginners without a challenge. I was young and wanted to push myself and make slow, glamorous complicated things, so for many years, I did. I made wedding dresses, hand embroidered and appliqued quilts and special commissions that took years to complete. In doing so, I satisfied my ego and learned that that process was not as rewarding as sharing what I knew. over the years, so many people told me they could not sew on a button or were not creative but wished they were. Finally, after hearing that enough, I decided to change people’s stitch-ability one project at a time – wool felt to the rescue! Now, felt’s extraordinary qualities challenge me daily in ways I could never have imagined! What I once thought its falt became its virtue.
Why Wind in The Willows?
Children’s literature has always inspired me, and of course, animals with sartorial style! As I warmed up to the idea of writing the book, I looked to Wind in the Willows (among other stories) for inspiration. I designed a badger and a mole and imagined a book of felt friends with my own story snippets tieing it all together. I have to credit Ame Verso (my editor at David and Charles) for the fantastic suggestion that we pair my proposal with Wind in the Willows, as it was a perfect match. I had read the story as a child and loved the friendship of Mole, Ratty, and Badger. I did not much like Toad as a character, but his canary-coloured cart intoxicated me!
In rereading Wind in the Willows, I find I’m still fond of the same parts. Grahame’s poetry of the changing seasons and his musings of life on the river are as lovely as ever, and Ratty, Mole, and Badger are a still delight! Our snappiest dresser, Toad, remains willful, boastful, and indulgent, alas, ever in need of thoughtful reform from his dedicated friends! In learning more about the story’s origin, I found that Grahame based Toad on his son Alistair, who was born blind in one eye and, for that reason (among others, I’m sure!) was overindulged. As people make the animals from my book of felt friends, I hope they will reread the story as I did with a lightness of heart, an appreciation for its beauty, humour, and friendships, and forgive any last-century ideas contained within. I hereby grant our felt animals freedom to be domesticated or wild and woolly, to be the gender of their choice with whatever pronoun they prefer.
Your photographs are so charming; how did you learn, and do you have any tips or tricks for people wanting to photograph their own felty folk?
I think it began with trial and error, an open mind, and just fiddling around a lot, but my long-time partner (now a dear friend) is a photographer and taught me many things. I’m a hack with a real camera and only shoot with my iPhone. I finally invested in the newest phone, and it has been fantastic! I use the phone’s camera and the Halide app for shooting raw because it has more control than the phone.
Lighting is obviously a big part of getting a great image. For shooting outdoors, it is helpful to work early in the morning when the sun is low, or on a cloudy day, so the light is defused. I usually bring a bounce card (foam core with a silver reflective side -See *DIY instructions below) or a small mirror to bounce light onto their faces (link or image) or under their chins as needed. The card reflects more softly than the mirror, depending on what’s required. I also like to get down to their level. I’m often in ridiculous positions, crouched down on the ground, photographing the animals; it certainly makes for interesting conversations, but it’s a small price to pay for a fun shot! After spending a lot of time with my critters, I know their best angles. A strategic cock of the head goes a long way! Back to light again, and this may sound basic, but having it on their face is essential. Sometimes you can’t capture the fantastic vista because the light is wrong for your animal, and you have to rearrange or come back at another time of day.
*You can make a bounce card by double stick taping tinfoil to a piece of cardboard. Tape around the edges of the card too to secure the foil.
*Makeup mirror link: I like hinged mirrors so you can be hands-free as often as possible.
- Can you tell us a little bit more about your Patreon? We recently joined and love what you do over there.
Thank you for joining my crew! Patreon is a pretty fantastic place! I discovered it shortly after it began and was immediately intrigued, but it was not until two years ago that I was ready to start building my community. I love the platform because it allows creators and patrons to discover and support each other in a uniquely symbiotic way. Each month, I design and share a pattern and its tutorial with my friends who support me. In turn, their collective donations help support and stabilize my income throughout the year – especially in my slow months! I wanted to set up my community without financial tiers (as many creators do) to make it affordable for anyone to join. Patrons can donate three dollars for full access to my group, projects, and full archive for one month. If their budget only allows for that, they can download what they want to make and cancel at any time. To make more later, they can join again. Patrons can also join monthly or yearly (with a 17% discount) at any amount that works for their budget.
It’s a fun way for us all to connect, be creative and learn from each other. As a self-employed artist, I am deeply grateful to all my past, present, and future supporters!
What’s the best thing about being creative for a living?
I think the best thing about being creative for a living is imagining and making what’s in my head every day and making people happy doing it!
Who are some other makers or creators do you admire?
There are too many to list, but here are a few…
Alison Kaplan @katagoulda – she has a beautiful spirit and makes lovely toys, gifts, and jewelry with a perfectly imperfect touch.
Maggie Rudy @Maggiemice Children’s book author and mouse maker extraordinaire! Her children’s books and tiny mouse houses are irresistible!
Clair Garland @dotpebbles_knits Another David and Charles author and knitter like no other! If you don’t know her work, her knit animals will thrill and charm you!
David M Bird @becorns – He is an Ex-LEGO designer who traded in plastic bricks for acorns and sticks, and he lives in my favorite little state of Rhode Island. His stick figures are like nothing you have ever seen, and he captures them in natural settings with real wildlife interactions! His patience humbles me! His youtube channel (and all his socials) are a must-see!
Sharon Ojala: Where the gnomes live youtube
Sharon’s techniques for building tree-like dollhouses are so easy and fun that I know you’ll love them! I used her techniques to create all the sets for the book, including Mole’s kitchen set, Mole’s courtyard, Ratty’s parlor, and the front door tree set and kitchen for Badger’s house. To give full disclosure and heaps of gratitude to my friend Pete Mars, he took over making the sets when I ran out of time and made them all extraordinary! He and I are both professional artists and designers and felt completely liberated building with Sharon’s techniques and humble materials! Sharon transforms cardboard, hot glue, tin foil, masking taps, paper towels, and white glue into absolute magic! She has tons of videos to learn from, which are great for kids and adults.
Sharon Ojala: Where the gnomes live youtube
Sharon’s techniques for building tree-like dollhouses are so easy and fun that I know you’ll love them! I used her techniques to create all the sets for the book, including Mole’s kitchen set, Mole’s courtyard, Ratty’s parlor, and the front door tree set and kitchen for Badger’s house. To give full disclosure and heaps of gratitude to my friend Pete Mars, he took over making the sets when I ran out of time and made them all extraordinary! He and I are both professional artists and designers and felt completely liberated building with Sharon’s techniques and humble materials! Sharon transforms cardboard, hot glue, tin foil, masking taps, paper towels, and white glue into absolute magic! She has tons of videos to learn from, which are great for kids and adults.
Marcia Lois Riddington @marcialouisriddington is an antique dealer (Smoking Monkey Antiques) and maker of me-made clothes. I started following her a while back on Instagram because her outfits were a riot of delicious colours and always made me smile! I’m a redhead (as she is), and for some reason have always felt that my hair was too colourful to wear prints. I’m often a vision in grey, relegating colours to my felt animals and my textile collection… but she has inspired me to be more colourful, and I am grateful to her.
Marlene from @filomeluna is a wonderful doll maker and so generous to the community by curating her @dollmakers Instagram feed. She features dollmakers from around the world and brings the dollmaking community together with endless inspiration and talent!
Karen Philippi @karen.philippi taught me much of what I know about photography. She is an incredible technical photographer and artist, and her seascapes will sweep you off your feet.
If you had to big one design as your Magnum Opus, what would you pick?
I’ve been sitting here for a while contemplating your question, and I think my Magnum Opus may be more internal than external at this point. I’m working quietly towards balance, worthiness, and being kinder to myself. I love the Buddhist idea of “Original Goodness” so I guess I’m working toward a deeper knowing and belief in mine. Definitely the work of a lifetime!
What are you working on now?
I’m not sure yet! I’m still recovering from the birth of my book! That said, working with David and Charles was an absolute delight, so there may be more books in the future. For now, I want to get back to my Patreon group and dream up some special projects in thanks for all their support this last year!
GIVEAWAY
To be in with a chance of winning a copy of Wind In The Willows Felt Friends head to our Facebook group LunaLapins Little World, find our giveaway post and tell me what makes you love it so.
Giveaway opens 09.08 at 9am
