Artful Textiles Inspired by Nature
- Jessica tends her own flock of Wensleydale and Romney sheep
- “Painting with wool,” she creates artisan textiles from raw fleeces
- Her felted pieces are made with a repurposed automotive needle-punch machine
Growing up in a national forest, Jessica Switzer Green describes her childhood as “a marvelous upbringing in the wilds of Oregon,” where she developed a deep bond with nature. Years later, after a career in marketing and PR, she returned to rural life on a Sonoma County farm and began raising sheep. Hoping to make blankets from their wool but finding her knitting skills lacking, she found a converted felting machine and pioneered her technique for making handcrafted, nonwoven textiles. Jessica works with wool from over 20 sheep breeds, including members of her own flock with names like Victoria and Clarence. With this natural "paint set," she produces one-of-a-kind fabrics, pillows, throws, and tapestries that celebrate the beauty and benefits of wool and other natural fibers.
Interview
- How do you paint with wool?
- Every piece comes from raw fiber. When I paint with wool, I put the raw fleece and carded fibers onto a big table to create a canvas. Then I run it through a giant industrial felting machine with 10,000 needles—we call her Luna—to make hand-painted fabric.
- What’s it like to care for sheep as your source of materials?
- It’s a symbiotic relationship that has deep resonance with humans. Nature has engineered wool to be this magical fiber that wicks water, resists bacteria and mold, and regulates body temperature. Our use of wool is like a gift the sheep give in return for caretaking. When I pull them into the work and use that palette as my paint set, it’s just a joy.
- Do you teach others?
- We host felting workshops and learning events about local sourcing and the benefits of wool. I get on a bit of a sustainability soapbox because I really believe in natural fiber. Some people come on repeat, almost like they are going to wool therapy.
- What have you found most surprising about your craft journey?
- The surprise and delight so far is how much people need and want a connection to animals, and this feels like a conduit for that. I've had people come in and just hug our pillows and not let go. It's like a connection in our DNA that I love to share.
Jessica Switzer Green is an : she began her career in 2018 and she started teaching in 2022
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Jessica Switzer Green
