Once upon a time, back in the 1980s, while working as an urban planner, I took a puppet-making class at the Center for Puppetry Arts. We made all kinds of puppets, but when we got to fabric puppets, a huge lightbulb went off in my head. I discovered my love for fabric.

How did I not know this? I'd been surrounded by textiles my whole life, but I'd never played with fabric, manipulated it, or shaped it into something new. Suddenly I could, and there were so many options! So many possibilities! I dove into puppet making and soon became known in my family as "Auntie Puppet" and to others as "the puppet lady."

Then, in 2018, I discovered SEFAA. I quickly became a member and started showing up all the time. The SEFAA Shop has become one of my favorite places to find amazing fabrics and creative materials.

Recently, I found this giraffe fabric in the shop and used it to make this giraffe puppet. I even went back and found the perfect trim for its mane.

I've taken both wet felting and needle felting classes at SEFAA, and I bought all of the wool batting for my projects from the shop. Here's the felted landscape I made in Katrina Jones-Stone's class.

One of the best parts of SEFAA has been the friendships. My fellow fiber artists have shared wonderful ideas and inspiration. Thanks to those new friends, I created a set of pollinator puppets and attached them to a quilt using buttons.

The SEFAA Shop is constantly full of inspiring materials that spark new ideas and find their way into my projects. I honestly can't imagine creating without it anymore—it fuels my creativity every week!

Come by and visit the shop, discover something new, and make some new friends (especially during Lunchtime Fiber on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m). Once a month, we also host a Sorting & Pricing Party, which is a great opportunity to be among the first to browse newly donated treasures.

What could be better than spending time with fellow fabric lovers and makers? I look forward to meeting you!