Karen Stewart Textiles

Quality, handcrafted felt and textile accessories and artwork

Welcome to

Karen Stewart Textiles

Feltmaker and Textile Artist

Capturing the raw beauty of the British Landscape through the ancient, tactile medium of wet felting. Discover unique textile art, hand crafted accessories and immersive workshops in the heart of Leicestershire.

Karen Stewart wearing a wet felted shawl and carrying a felted handbag

Nature, Felted

​ the Alchemy of Wool

​​There is something quite magical about the way wisps of wool fibre bond together when combined with warm water, soap and the rhythmic motion of my hands. I am Karen Stewart, a UK-based feltmaker and textile artist. I don’t just create with wool; I “paint” with it—layering raw fibres, silk, and plant materials to capture the shifting moods, textures and colours of the seasons. But because of the inherent nature of the wool, the outcome is never entirely within my control. This unpredictability is where the excitement lies. Every bag, wrap, and gift is a unique, one-off creation, sculpted to be as enduring as the landscapes that inspired them.

The Art of Texture

The primary focus for all of my work is texture. Nature offers an endless array of textures to study, from the gnarled, knotted, twisted bark of an ancient oak, to the delicate lace of foam left by receding waves. These are the elements that truly captivate me and provide the starting point for all of my work. ​Everything I create—from richly detailed wall art to seamless, hand-moulded vessels, bags and scarves—is born from a love of texture.

​Colour is equally as important in my work, but I don’t just use colour; I connect with it. To me, colour is mood and energy. My palettes are borrowed from the ever-changing light of the UK countryside—the fresh lime greens of spring to inspire hope, the deep azure of a summer sea to spark joy, and the rich, coppery ochres of autumn to conjure warmth. Using the wool as my palette, I “paint” landscapes and seascapes, incorporating curly locks, yarns, and silks to create the craters, ridges, and hollows that make each piece a miniature world you can feel. My work is an invitation to pause, to touch, and to reconnect with the rugged, delicate beauty of the natural world.

Experience the Alchemy yourself

Whether you are a curious beginner or a seasoned maker, I invite you to join me in my light-filled Leicestershire studio. Together, we will explore the ancient art of the feltmaker, playing with texture and colour to create something beautiful—and perhaps unexpected.

To be the first to hear about my workshops and other opportunities, sign up to my mailing list.

Browse the Shop
Browse Workshops
Wearable gifts from Karen Stewart Textiles

ACCESSORIES & Gifts

My shop contains a variety of unique wet felted bags, scarves, wraps and other accessories, plus small gifts.

Browse Shop
Textile art by Karen Stewart Textiles

Textile Art

My latest passion is creating artwork incorporating a mixture of natural materials and free machine embroidery.

Textle Art for Sale
Wet Felting Workshops offered by Karen Stewart Textiles

Felting Workshops

I run a range of workshops, both at my studio near Melton Mowbray and at various locations around Leicestershire.

Workshops

News and Articles

Read about the latest news and dates for your diary from Karen Stewart Textiles

Some kind words

I’ve made a lovely bowl with the kit I bought from Karen at Burghley on Monday. A bit of a ridge round the middle which I think is because it wasn’t snug enough round the template. I’m very please for a first go at wet felting, instructions were great.

Melanie

Thank you for a very enjoyable workshop yesterday. We are all thrilled with our seascapes. You were very informative, we learnt a lot about the materials we were using and the techniques were carefully explained & demonstrated.

We had a great day and really enjoyed it I am thrilled with my picture. I went to show it to my son and daughter in law (they gave me the vouchers for Christmas) they were impressed. I’m sure we’ll be coming back for some more sessions. Thank you so much

Thanks so much for the workshop yesterday – I really enjoyed it. I’ve attached my picture – the colours and textures look great! I didn’t know much about felting prior to the workshop, but I really enjoyed the physicality of the processes, the artistry of choosing colour and texture and the magic of putting all the elements together and not really knowing how it was going to turn out until the end! The location was lovely, it was well paced. I’ll definitely recommend the course to my friends.

Karen’s workshop was such an enjoyable day, from her warm welcome to the well planned and fabulously resourced tuition. She is a patient and encouraging tutor drawing on her wealth of experience. A perfect course for learning about wet felting.

I really enjoyed the seascape workshop – a present from my son and daughter. I’ve shown it to a few people and they are very impressed. It’s all down to your excellent tuition!

We really enjoyed the session and the pictures have turned out really well – see the attached! We really fancy the autumn scene picture – I’ll keep an eye out for when you’re running one of those!

Absolutely fabulous day! Karen is a super teacher and very thorough in her tutoring. She has an amazing array of wools to work with and both of us came away with superb pictures that will definitely be framed!

Just to let you know that the Handbag has arrived and I am delighted with it.
Thankyou so much for making it for me.
I will send you a photograph of my outfit with the handbag when we have our Granddaughter’s Wedding

Just a quick note to thank you for the 2 courses I went on this year…. Thoroughly enjoyed them and have been buying bits and pieces ever since.

I really enjoyed the workshop.  Karen explained everything so well and we all achieved so much!  We didn’t expect to come away with such a lovely picture!