Felt & Thread: 3-D Appliqué & Embroidery ~ Book Review & Giveaway
Ever wanted to create three-dimensional embroidery that didn’t involve hours of couching down wire? Or perhaps your projects don’t have quite the pop you were looking for?
Well, buckle up, because fiber artist and newly published author Jenny Bolhofner is about to take you on the ultimate creative adventure with her unique style of storytelling through felt and thread.
Join me in discovering how to bring your most cherished memories to life in way you’ve never seen before, and enter for a chance to win your own copy below!
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Three-dimensional embroidery continues to fascinate the world, constantly pushing the boundaries of what fiber art can be, but it’s not all couched wire and thread painting.. Lately it’s become something else, something in between manipulated wires and your typical two-dimensional work.
Felt & Thread: 3-D Appliqué & Embroidery by Jenny Bolhofner embarks on one of the most creative fiber art publications I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing. With 10 different projects, not only does this book teach the basics of combing felt and embroidery, it challenges you to tell a story in your own unique way. Whether you’re new to the world of felt, or an all-out appliqué expert, you’re sure to discover something new and inspiring to help bring your treasured memories to life one stitch at a time!
A Bit of Backstory
Sometimes a person just feels like they’ve always been a part of your life, and, for me, Jenny is definitely one of those people. I couldn’t tell you what year we officially met or who initiated that first message, but I can say with confidence that her support has been a constant in my life for as long as I can remember. I’ve watched her grow both as an artist and as a person, constantly working hard to always stay ahead of the curve and be true to herself. So after spending endless hours discussing our love of fiber art and chronic illness woes, I cannot begin to describe the immense joy I felt when I learned Jenny was finally writing a book!
Her three-dimensional pet portraits were one of the first things that caught my eye, as was the case for many. If you’re involved in the stitching community you might still remember the hoard of people that begged for commissions a few years ago, so to finally have the pet portrait secrets revealed feels like we’ve all won the fiber art lottery.. and I promise the payout is a hefty one.
On behalf of the embroidery community - Thank you, Jenny. Thank you for always being a bright, shining light in my life, as I’m sure you are for many others; thank you for continuing to share your art with the world, despite how bleak things become at times, and for continuing to show us the silliness and imperfections are what make us who we are. I hope this book is everything you dreamed it could be and then some!
“Fiber art has come a long way from the day of Victorian samplers. Today, textiles and thread are being manipulated and challenged beyond their typical two dimensionality. On their own, felt and thread can be seen as basic, maybe even uninteresting materials. Yet together, through appliqué and embroidery, they can create captivating pieces of fiber engineering. I hope that this book builds your confidence in trying innovative processes and challenges any preconceptions about felt art.”
~Jenny Bolfhofner
Let’s Dive In!
We begin with a quick introduction to felt appliqué, embroidery, and some of the differences between the two. Admittedly I haven’t been embroidering as long as Jenny, but it’s clear that fiber art has really evolved from what it used to be. A few years ago I remember struggling to find books on some of the more advanced stumpwork techniques I was seeing across social media, whereas now there seems to be a vast amount of resources available.. people are beginning to see there truly are no rules when it comes to the world of thread, and this book is no exception!
Felt appliqué is quite new to me, so breaking down the differences between it, embroidery, and the combination of the two really helped me understand what to expect, and how my existing stumpwork skills would be helpful throughout the projects in the book.
“Investing in higher quality tools and materials makes a huge difference. Having the right supplies can make your crafting experience more enjoyable and more efficient. Better quality tools also stand the test of time, which is important when you are creating artistic keepsakes. If you are spending the time and energy to create a masterpiece, you don’t want to see that all go to waste just because the materials you used aren’t long-lasting.”
~Jenny Bolhofner
Tools & Materials
This chapter is one of the larger ones, but for good reason… The right tools and materials really do make all the difference!
It all starts with felt, of course, and Jenny gives a wonderful breakdown of not only what brand of felt she uses, but why she uses it and the benefits it’ll have for your projects in the long run. I actually started incorporating felt into my own stumpwork a year or so ago, and bought some cheap felt not thinking much of it. Well, let me tell you… the quality definitely matters. I struggled to get it to behave, and it really made my project a lot more frustrating than it needed to be. If you take nothing else from this, let it be that higher quality felt is not where you want to be pinching pennies.
In addition to the ins and outs of felt, she covers all the basics like recommendations for thread, needles, scissors, transfer tools, and adhesives, as well as some of the lesser known tools for filling, stuffing, markers, tracing sources, and stiffeners. There really is so much to discover here, and I found myself learning a lot more in this chapter than anticipated!
“In portraiture and still lifes, you often try to use colors that are true to the objects you are depicting. However, you can play with the mood of the portrait by simply varying the shades of colors. If you wish to inspire feelings of nostalgia, muted colors help represent that vibe. If you are stitching something you want to come off as playful or bold, it’s important to choose more vibrant colors. Even if you choose to represent your subject matter in its true colors, play around with background colors to help give the overall piece a certain mood.”
~Jenny Bolhofner
Basic Felt Techniques
Before the projects begin we go over the felt fundamentals, and Jenny does an amazing job of covering all the bases here!
From choosing felt colors and overall mood, to using color wheels and swatches, this chapter really lays the foundation and gives an amazing starting point for felt beginners such as myself. Not only does it go into the composition of your subject, it gives tips for deciding on detailed or minimalistic backgrounds, along with step-by-step pictures for various transfer methods that provide clear, easy to follow instructions. The most notable parts for me were easily the tips on how to layer, cut, and stabilize your felt.. things I really wish I’d known before beginning my own felt journey.
Basic Embroidery Techniques
Whether you’re a more seasoned embroidery artist, or a newcomer to the world of thread, this section is jam packed with information all the way from color charts, blending verses contrasting, and splitting thread, to a full 10-page stitch library! There are so many photos for the stitch examples, that I honestly found myself getting lost in the library a lot longer than intended.
This is definitely a chapter you don’t want to miss, and one I’ll be personally revisiting when I need some stitch-type inspiration!
“Text with names and dates can be great for a nostalgic piece, providing context to a portrait or event. It’s also important to consider the style. Don’t feel pressured to fill every empty space on a piece — it’s okay to leave breathing room!”
~Jenny Bolhofner
Stitching Text & Hoop Backing
Stitching text is often a common frustration in the embroidery community, but it’s also one of those things that can be incredibly satisfying when done well. From deciding whether your design needs text, which font to choose, where to place it, and how to transfer, Jenny does an amazing job of breaking down the various ways you can tackle it to help make your text a stand out in every project!
Now, for many that create stumpwork with couched wire (such as myself), backing a hoop is almost a thing of the past, but for the vast majority of people backing hoops is still very much a part of their creative process, and I love the simplicity this chapter brings to the table! It gives a few different options for how to back your hoop, along with clear, extensive directions, photos, and tips for each that really make the whole process easy and approachable for stitchers of all kinds to get the polished hoop-back they’re looking for.
“Your subject matter can sometimes be quite obvious — you may have a family home you wish to recreate, or a beloved pet you want to memorialize. But other times, inspiration can be more elusive. I find taking a long walk and getting outside to be the best way to brainstorm for project ideas. After all, nature offers up the most beautiful and unique inspiration. Doing a mundane chore like washing dishes or folding laundry, is another great way to come up with new ideas. While your body is physically busy, your mind is free to wander and imagine.”
~Jenny Bolhofner
Designing Your Own Project
I absolutely love that Jenny has a whole section that provides insight and tips on how to go about designing your own project, as it’s something I personally love to do!
Not only does she cover where to find inspiration, choosing backgrounds, and composition.. She also goes over how to work from both photos and sketches, giving clear instructions on how to create templates and trace photos — This is a great place to start if you love Jenny’s work, but want to incorporate felt & thread in your own unique, heirloom-worthy design!
“Edwin was more than a pet, he was a soul pup, best friend, and constant companion. His energy and character could not be contained in the confines of a two dimensional photo — which is why he deserved a non-traditional portrait, a feat of fiber engineering, with 15 layers of felt and multiple levels of thread painting. This portrait not only tests the limits of felt appliqué, it explores the use of various stitches to achieve striking textures and details.”
~Jenny Bolhofner
Patterns & Projects
Without further ado, we finally enter my absolute favorite chapter... the projects!
Felt & Thread contains a full collection of 10 colorful and inspirational designs for appliqué embroidery, and each project has a fun, almost whimsical vibe that’s sure to bring a smile to your face. It begins with the more simple Beach Bungalow and Riehle Family Home portraits, two designs that I think are perfect for beginners to test out the felted-waters, then moves onto the more complex pieces for pet portraits, mushrooms, insects, and ocean creatures. The most impressive project for me was easily the Edwin Dog Portrait.. The level of detail that Jenny goes into here is truly unlike anything I’ve seen, and further solidifies her place in my mind as an all-out master of felt!
Now, admittedly this was my first time reading a book that covered felt appliqué. So I was very curious how the projects would be laid out, as I’d expect it would be much harder to teach than typical embroidery considering the amount of layers, stacking, and thread painting needed for certain projects. Well, let me just say that Jenny does not disappoint here.. Not only does she provide an extremely comprehensive felt cut list WITH templates (QR code page 11 — don’t miss it!), she also gives a thorough list of materials and goes into great detail on how to prepare your hoop, background, and begin your felt appliqué. Every step is numbered with photos and instructions that move seamlessly from creating felt appliqué to incorporating your embroidery stitches, and it all finishes with tips on how to frame and display your project to ensure the perfect final touch.
Overall, I think the clever way these projects are laid out make this book a true work of art.. One that’s sure to bring joy and inspiration to fiber artists for generations!
“Just as stitching each project is about building up layers, the skills you learn in this book will continue to compound. I know you will be emboldened to create your own projects after tackling these new skills. I hope you enjoy stitching along with me and (quite literally) elevating your felt and embroidery game. I trust that this book will allow you to slow down, observe, and take time for intentional crafting. May you never have to rethread your needle, and your only knots be intentional ones!”
~Jenny Bolhofner
Thank you to everyone for taking the time to read my latest book review.. It’s an absolute honor to be a part of this amazing launch, and I’m so happy that I’m able to continue to support the community in this way! You can find more of Jenny’s work or order a copy of her book through the links below:
Support the Artist: https://www.instagram.com/olivethisfelt/
Purchase the Book: https://amzn.to/4gtb3y5
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The Giveaway
Now is the time you’ve all been waiting for… the giveaway! To celebrate this amazing launch I’m going to be giving away not one, but TWO copies of Jenny’s book for two lucky individuals to enjoy! One winner anywhere in the world will receive a digital eBook and the other will receive a SIGNED physical copy that’s available to ship anywhere in the USA (..if you’re outside the USA, no problem- just add “international” to your comment on Instagram). ♡
To Enter:
Follow us both on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeebamdotcom/ and https://www.instagram.com/olivethisfelt/
Like and Share our giveaway post to your Instagram story: https://www.instagram.com/p/DcdlyZ1kRaL/
Leave a comment on the Instagram post and tag TWO people who you’d want to win
Bonus Entry:
Subscribe to me (@zeebamdotcom) on Instagram to receive 1 bonus entry (you are absolutely welcome to unsubscribe after the giveaway is over, & you’ll still get all the subscriber perks, such as free sticker at sign up - ZERO judgement!): https://www.instagram.com/zeebamdotcom/
That’s it! The giveaway starts on 8/25/2026 and will close at midnight (ET) on 8/31/2026. The winners will be contacted by me (@zeebamdotcom) via DM the next day on 9/1/2026, and will need to provide their name, address, email, and phone number. If a response isn’t received within 24 hours a new winner will be selected.
Please note: I will not ask for any form of payment or confidential information. The winner will only be contacted from my direct email ( bc@zeebam.com ) or Instagram ( @zeebamdotcom )
☆ ⋆ ☆ Good Luck! ☆ ⋆ ☆
