Finding Comfort and Creativity Through Needle-Felted Figures
Alyson Annette Eshelman knows how transformative artmaking can be. She’s seen it change perspectives, open up new pathways, and offer hope—especially for people who didn’t expect it. This summer, she brings that belief to Touchstone Center for Crafts with her Needle-Felted Figures workshop, running June 16–20.
“This is a workshop for all levels,” Eshelman said. “Even if you have no experience with needle felting, you will come away from the workshop with a finished product that you will be proud of.”
Her approach is welcoming, encouraging, and grounded in the joy of making. Whether in schools, museums, or family court programs, Eshelman has worked with people navigating hard moments—and she’s watched how art can shift something inside. “I know that art can change lives,” she said. “Participants generally begin the first session with an attitude of ‘I don’t want to be here, this is a waste of time,’ and after the last session, they talk about which mediums they liked and which ones they might use, and how the program overall changed their perspective.”
The Needle-Felted Figures workshop offers that same sense of possibility: a low-stress, creative space where participants can learn, practice, and take risks without pressure. “The act of needle felting is meditative and relaxing,” she said. “It’s so forgiving. I tell my students it’s the cheater’s art—if you don’t like something, simply take it off or wrap wool around it and start over.”
Throughout the five-day workshop, participants will learn techniques for creating expressive wool sculptures, from building mini-wire armatures to shaping features like noses, lips, eyeballs, eyelids, fingers, and toes. The process—using a special barbed needle to repeatedly tangle wool fibers—is tactile, intuitive, and deeply satisfying.
Each participant will leave with a completed figure and the skills and confidence to continue creating on their own. Whether the goal is to finish a piece or to keep exploring the process later, the workshop provides a strong foundation for personal creative growth.
“I create daily, whether it’s needle felting, weaving, sewing, or even cooking,” Eshelman said. “Creativity is a necessity in my life.”
Eshelman’s connection to craft runs deep. Raised in the foothills of the Appalachians and surrounded by quilters, woodworkers, and other makers, she found her way to fiber art through a combination of tradition and experimentation. Her work in painting, clay sculpture, fabric dyeing, and quilting all inform her needle-felted figures.
This year, Eshelman’s work is also featured in Fiberart International, a renowned juried exhibition opening soon in Pittsburgh. The honor reflects not just her skill, but the depth and care behind her practice—qualities she brings to every participant in the studio.
Fiberart International 2025 will be on view June 6 – August 30, 2025 at Contemporary Craft, and June 20 – August 30, 2025 at Brew House Arts.
Click HERE to learn more about the Fiberart International 2025 exhibition.
Touchstone Center for Crafts is located in southwestern Pennsylvania. Registration and more information about Needle-Felted Figures is available at https://www.touchstonecrafts.org/workshop/needle-felted-figures-w-alyson-annette-eshelman/
Needle-Felted Figures
JUNE 16-20 | 5-DAYS (MON-FRI)
Instructor: Alyson Annette Eshelman
All Levels
You won’t want to miss this fun, creative workshop with step-by-step instruction! Each participant will take home a completed needle-felted figure, having learned techniques for armature making and needle sculpting of heads, including noses, lips, eyeballs, and eyelids, as well as hands, feet, fingers and toes created on mini-wire armatures.