Peeling Back the Layers: Why I Finally Decided to Share My Process

July 8, 2026

Before writing Felt & Thread: 3-D Appliqué & Embroidery, I had never divulged my entire process behind my dimensional portraits. For me, it was never about gatekeeping or pride. It wasn’t about a lack of interest or demand. It was the real fear that I wouldn’t be able to actually teach what had taken me years to refine. It was the apprehension of wondering how I, as a self taught fiber artist, had the qualifications to even share my methods.

Seeing Things in a Different Light

I developed my techniques for portraiture somewhat by accident. Well, partially by accident and partially due to my bad habit of overworking nearly everything in my life. My early portraits consisted of a few layers of felt and a vague attempt at conjuring texture with a handful of embroidery stitches. At that time, I craved more depth in my work but didn’t have the experience or confidence to push boundaries.

Over time, my perspective and self assurance shifted. I began seeing the photo references for portrait work as something more. One day something clicked and I suddenly saw two dimensional photos like those Magic Eye puzzles in the newspaper (yes—I’ve been around since reading newspapers was a thing). I could suddenly sense a photo come to life, recognizing which parts were popping out closest to me and which felt far away.

Developing My Method

My background in printmaking really began to come into play because I started to approach my work much like I had back when I was making silkscreens and wood cuts. I would focus on layering big blocks of color at the base level and then slowly working to the foreground with smaller sections of detail. Soon my portraits began to consist of a dozen layers of felt. It became almost a challenge for me to see how much depth I could accomplish simply from stacking felt.

As my felt layers increased, so did my desire to dive deeper into embroidery. I experimented with thread painting and various stitches for texture. I found that a well placed French knot could make all the difference in creating the sparkle of an eye, or that a few layers of brick stitching could transform the front of a house.

Once I was consistently incorporating both of my techniques of felt layering and embroidery into my portraits, things sort of took off. I began to get more custom requests than I could physically handle. As a people pleaser, I struggled turning people down, but I also didn’t have a choice.

Making My Methods More Accessible

Some people began to ask if I taught classes so they could learn to stitch their own pets and homes. The thought of teaching my process seemed even more overwhelming at the time. How could I put into words what I had only been able to accomplish with my hands in the solitude of my at-home studio? I worried, “Who am I to teach others when I’m not even traditionally educated in fiber arts?”

As time went on, I began to see the value of what I had learned and developed. I recognized how sharing my process could be a chance for me to give back to the creative community that had inspired and supported me for so many years. I figured that if I could help encourage just one person to explore the possibilities with felt and embroidery, that I was doing my part to keep the craft alive.

While Felt & Thread gives readers step-by-step instructions to recreate ten portrait projects, it includes so much more than that. I dive deep into my entire process and show readers how they too can transform their photos into dimensional keepsakes. I can’t wait to see what others are inspired to create!