Sarah Waters MSDC

Sarah is a textile artist with a passion for feltmaking that originates from her love of sheep. Living in the New Forest her work reflects her desire to connect with nature and the importance of sustainability.

Sarah has been spinning, weaving and dyeing her own fleeces for over thirty years. Having graduated in Agriculture she set up and ran her own company, producing yarn and knitting kits from her own flock of several hundred Rare Breeds of sheep. Feltmaking was a progression after having to disperse the flock when her father sold his smallholding. Sarah now has over thirty years of experience in teaching feltmaking from school children, adults with learning difficulties to community projects.

She currently runs her own textiles business teaching, exhibiting in the UK and internationally and selling her work though galleries and online.

The work she produces is not only functional but has colour, texture and tactile qualities. Using both traditional and innovative techniques she aims to show the diversity and qualities feltmaking can be taken to and pushes the boundaries with her work.

Sarah’s work is usually in relief and very often three-dimensional. She is a very ‘hands on’ person and loves the tactile feel of felting. Each piece she produces is unique and she loves that fact it can never be replicated. Felt making is a passion, her life and in her soul.

Working with local and sustainable fleeces where possible, Sarah creates large scale wallhangings, installations and artworks, together with small items for the home. Felt is an ancient art for modern day living.

Exhibitions and Work Undertaken

April 2025 Reflections from the Land – Selected for a collaborative exhibition at Spudworks, Sway, Hampshire

Oct 2023-Jan 2024 Selected for a solo exhibition at the World of Threads Festival Toronto, Canada

Oct/Nov 2023 'Illuminate' Group touring exhibition with Art Textiles Made in Britain London and Harrogate Knitting and Stitching Shows

Oct 2023 Felt artwork included as a part of Decorex, Europe's largest design show, Olympia, London

Sept – Oct 2022 Selected for 12th "From Lausanne to Beijing" International Fiber Art Biennial with Yunnan Minzu University and Yunnan Provincial Museum.Sept - Nov 2022 Above:Below Solo exhibition, Farfield Mill, Sedbergh, Cumbria

Summer 2020/21 Online virtual selected exhibitions:

• ‘Kaleidoscope’ and 'ReConnect' - International Feltmakers Association
  
• ‘The Big Pause’ - Artful collective
  
• <> 50th Anniversary Demarco Archive

April- July 2019 ‘Between Warp & Weft ll ‘ – Solo Show, Ashcroft Arts Centre, Fareham, Hampshire

Mar –April 2019 ‘Between Warp & Weft’ – Solo Show, New Forest Arts Centre, New Milton, Hampshire

Feb-March 2019 'Demarco in Dunoon: Homage to Beuys in the Celtic World of Dunoon, Dunoon Burgh Hall, Dunoon, Scotland

Jan -Feb 2019 'Venus in the Landscape' - Salisbury Arts Centre, Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK

Oct-Dec 2018 Solo Show, World festival of Threads, Toronto, Canada

Sept-Dec 2018 'Homage to Beuys'- Demarco Archives, Summerhall, Edinburgh, Scotland

Oct, Nov 2017 ‘Stone’ -Twisted Thread’s Knitting & Stitching Solo Show (London, Dublin and Harrogate)

May 2017 ‘Under the Microscope’-Joint exhibition with artist Helen Sill, Rum’s Eg Gallery, Romsey, Hampshire

Jun 2016 ‘From the Earth Textiles’ Exhibition, Hertfordshire

Jan 2016 ‘Lithic’ alongside artist Peter Jackman, New Ashgate Gallery, Surrey

Nov 2016 MADEBrighton, Brighton

Nov 2016 Contemporary Textiles Exhibition, New Ashgate Gallery, Surrey

Oct 2016 ‘Stitched’ – Romsey Abbey, Hants

Jan 2015 25x25x25 Society of Designer Craftsmen, Mall Galleries, London

Summer 2015 Flitti ‘Black & White’ Finnish Felt Association, Jamsa, Finland

July 2014 10 out of 6, Degree Show, Desborough College, Eastleigh

2011-2014 Hampshire Schools Sustainability Project

April 2011 Lead artist -Woodgreen Community Felt Banner Project

2010-present Art tutor on international cruise ships

June 2009 Lead artist- Cranborne Community Hall Mural Project

2004-Present Run a Feltmaking business: teaching in schools, workshops for adults, groups and selling into galleries and via own online website

2004-Present Hampshire Open Studios (10 days annually)

2002 Lead artist- Hale primary school Felt Hat project

Awards

2016 Craft & Design magazine selected maker 2016 finalist: Textiles & Needlecrafts

2016 Salisbury Contemporary Craft and Heritage Festival ‘Best Local Maker’ Award

1992 Runner Up – Daily Mail Young Countrywoman of the Year

1988 NatWest and NFU Venture Cash winner - £1000 research project into fine wool production culminating with a speech in front of 500VIPS and HRH Princess Royal at the NatWest tower in London

1988 Winner -Graduate Enterprise Program, Bristol

Publications

2022 ‘From Fleece to Felt’ - Felt Matters magazine, International Feltmakers Association

2021 British Fibre Art Magazine – 2 articles

2019 SEWembroiderers guild – featured article ‘From Fleece to Felt’

2018 FiberArtsNow (Summer edition)- selected and featured felt artist

2018 Grima-Danish International Felt Magazine

2017 ‘Stone’ - Felt Matters, International Feltmakers Magazine

2016 Worldwide Colours of Felt by Ellen Bakker – work included

2016 Felt Collars –Workshop on the Web

2015 Who and I? - Felt Matters, International Feltmakers Magazine

2014 Indigo Dyeing -Felt Matters, International Feltmakers Magazine

Work held in Collections

Muzuem Sztuki, Lodz, Poland

Robert McDowell, Summerhall Art Centre, Edinburgh

Wessex Archaeology, Wiltshire

Private Collections including Canada and Scotland

Membership

A full member of the Society of Designer Craftsmen

Member and joint regional Co Ordinator of the IFA (International Feltmakers Association)

A selected member of the group ArtTetxilesMadeinBritain

Member of the Scottish Society of Artists