"How I Felt" - a must have wet felting book

If you’ve been in my felting world for some time, you’ve heard me talking about this book for sure. It’s one of my absolute favorites in my collection.

If you’ve just recently discovered my blog, and you’re as obsessed about felting books as I am, there’s still time to add it to your Christmas presents wish list :)

I’m talking about “How I Felt”, a book about the work of the late Christine Birkle.

There are many felt makers I admire. But after over 20 years of looking at other artists’ work, Christine Birkle is still number one for me.

She founded the label HUT UP in Berlin in the 90s and was an absolute pioneer of modern wet felting. She has created many of the designs that inspired much of what is currently around in our field.

I was extremely lucky to have come across her work in Berlin in the early 2000s and have spent many hours admiring her pieces live in her shop in Berlin.

I’ve always been fascinated by Christine’s use of color and transparency, and the way she manipulated shape by placing wool in particular places of the garments.

She created a very personal style, with minimalist forms, and so many pieces that are now “wet felting classics” and that inspire so many people.

Christine started selling her clothes and hats in Japan, Italy, and New York, just a couple of years after finishing her studies in fashion design. She worked with famous fashion labels like Dries van Noten, Comme des Garçons and Dior.

She also collaborated with choreographer Sasha Waltz for many years, creating garments for her shows.

“How I Felt” is not easy to find, but it’s definitely worth the time and money investment. In this book, you won’t find any instructions, but hundreds of photos of Christine Birkle’s jaw dropping felted work, that I’m sure will grab your attention and inspire you for many years to come.