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Tell us about your work, how it is made and its style. My hats range in style from playful to elegant. They have been described as looking a bit Tibetan and a bit Dr. Seuss with a dash of Cirque du Soleil sophistication thrown in to pull it all together. I make two basic types of hats. The first are the sculptural hats that are made from recycled felted and sometimes over-dyed wool sweaters. The second type are freeform crocheted, a good example being my ongoing botany series. I expect to start making a third type that is a hybrid of freeform crochet and sweater felt. I mix in antique buttons and other embellishments from my collections. For the sculptural hats, I develop my own patterns to achieve the form I want. The freeform hats grow organically into the shape I need them to be. My philosophy is that around about February, when you're really tired of winter, a great looking cozy hat can really improve the quality of your life. It will keep you comfortable and it's hard to be happy when you're cold and shivering! Best of all, my hats have started a lot of nice conversations with people who probably wouldn't even say hello if they hadn't noticed my hat. Who does the work? I do. Each hat is hand stitched, the design evolving as I go along so that each is one of a kind.
How does your work differ from other artists? Well, I've been told by many clients that they've never seen anything like the hats I make! I'm also pretty fussy about the details and love that I'm giving new life to existing materials. How long have you been doing shows and how have craft shows changed since you started? I'm relatively new to craft shows. Previously I had my work in galleries only, but now that my son is older I'm looking forward to doing more shows. I absolutely love to see people try on my hats! The instant feedback helps me improve and expand my ideas. My first sweater hat was made to answer the problem of keeping my son warm on the playground. He didn't like any of the hats he had so I asked him to describe a hat that would be "cool" enough to stay on his head. The result was a simple hat with ear flaps and a yin/yang symbol on the front. Making it was so satisfying that I couldn't stop trying out new shapes and they've really evolved into wearable sculptures.
Where do you see yourself and your product in 5 years? I plan to do a fall through winter schedule of high end or fiber related craft shows and place my hats in more galleries and boutiques.I've started a line of complimentary scarves and more accessories may follow. I'm debating rather I want to start using a heavy duty sewing machine for some of the work to increase productivity, but only if it doesn't compromise the designs.
Where can your work be purchased? Since my work is seasonal, my show schedule starts in September and runs through the winter. I can be reached through my website anytime at http://www.pbase.com/jody/wanderinglydia. I also post work in progress on my blog: http://wanderinglydia.blogspot.com/