Handmade Gifts

"Handmade" is a word that has been stretched a long way. Here is precisely what it means at Sew Heart Felt.

Nothing we sell is moulded, stamped or machine-formed. Every piece is felted by hand using one of two traditional techniques. Wet felting — warm water, soap and friction, worked by hand until the wool fibres bind — makes our slippers, rugs and larger pieces. Needle felting — repeatedly working the wool with barbed needles — makes the fine detail on the Tiny Animals: the ears, the tails, the faces.

The wool is organic, sourced from Tibet and New Zealand, and coloured with eco-friendly dyes produced in Switzerland. The designs come from Faringdon, Oxfordshire, where Sonia Spencer, an award-winning British designer, draws them. The making happens in Kathmandu, Nepal and Jaipur, India, where skilled craftswomen are paid fairly, work in safe conditions, and have the security of consistent, year-round work.

That combination — British design, traditional Himalayan felting, organic materials, fair pay — is unusual enough that it is worth stating plainly. Prices start at £12.99.

Frequently asked questions

Are Sew Heart Felt products really handmade?

Yes. Every piece is hand-felted using wet or needle felting. No moulds or machine forming are used, which is why no two pieces are identical.

What is the difference between wet felting and needle felting?

Wet felting binds wool fibres using warm water, soap and friction, and is used for slippers and larger items. Needle felting tangles the fibres with barbed needles, allowing fine detail such as the faces and ears on our Tiny Animals.

Where are they made?

Designed in Faringdon, Oxfordshire by Sonia Spencer, and handmade by skilled craftswomen in Kathmandu, Nepal and Jaipur, India.

Are the makers paid fairly?

Yes. Our makers are paid fairly, work in safe conditions and have consistent, year-round work rather than seasonal contracts.

What wool do you use?

Organic wool sourced from Tibet and New Zealand, coloured with eco-friendly dyes made in Switzerland.

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