You might recognize this multi-talented friend of Shop Boswell, Kristina. We have her blankets for sale in the shop, you’ve definitely seen her on the website where she’s modeled our womenswear for the occasional ecomm shoot over the past couple of years, and you might even remember her from times we’ve featured her woolen homewares. We headed out to McMinnville last week to photograph her in her studio, where she creates incredible felted works—from rugs and blankets to sculpted light fixtures and 3-dimensional vessels. Included is a short interview where we cover her creative practice and other conversational tangents we love to find ourselves ruminating on…
Studio Visit: Kristina Foley
Kristina, our customers might recognize you from the modeling you’ve done for Brookes over the last few years. How did you & Brookes get connected?
I’m an admirer of the beautiful clothing that Brookes curates at Shop Boswell and her millinery. I love learning about the designers and the special fabrics and techniques they use.
In 2020, I participated in Portland Textile Month with a collection of second-hand cotton t-shirts transformed through nuno felting* into cold weather layers as a response to climate change. Brookes was generous enough to let me install the work in Shop Boswell’s window for a month.
*Nuno felting is the process of combining wool fibers with fabric through wet felting to create a unique and durable new material.
We’re longtime admirers of your creative practice. There’s something so texturally enticing about woolen or felted pieces, it elicits a strong desire to reach through the computer or phone screen and touch your handiwork. What got you started on wool?
I grew up immersed in nature and experienced play and learning through my senses. Later, I studied Fiber Art in college and was introduced to a myriad of materials and techniques. The tactile and physical process of feltmaking immediately captured my imagination and began a process of exploration that has been ongoing for the past twenty years.
Feltmaking honors the millenia-old relationship between humans and sheep. My artistic practice is shaped by a deeply personal sense of place and a commitment to sustainability. Through sourcing wool from local farms, supporting domestic mills, and building regional networks, I connect with the land and my community.
You teach classes on felting and botanical dye through a couple of different groups in and around Portland, OR. I was lucky enough to attend one once and got to share in the magical experience of turning wool fibers into a felted object through your patient guidance. What do you love, if anything, about teaching?
Knowledge sharing is very much a part of craft traditions. I’ve been fortunate enough to learn from incredible teachers who have generously imparted their techniques and resources. Everyone is committed to sharing the information necessary to keep these traditions alive. I like to focus on creativity, material exploration and connecting to nature when I teach. I always meet such wonderful humans in my workshops - artists, farmers, educators, designers…
This type of work makes me think about how much knowledge our hands can carry. Sure, it’s our brain that knows what to do with warm and soapy woolen fibers, but it’s just as much our hands and sense of touch that recognizes the specific texture, dampness, or resistance which tells us to move on to the next step in the process. What other forms of knowledge would you say that your hands carry? Where do they feel their most experienced?
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This is a beautiful question, Andrea! As you thoughtfully noticed, haptic perception builds and transmits knowledge. When I look at my hands I see strength, wisdom and femininity. I use my hands to craft my world and take care of myself and others. They are in contact with the earth when I garden. I love to prepare meals and share them with friends. Touch is a love language. My hands are instruments for expression. I am very grateful for my hands!
While together at your studio we got to talking about sun bleached wool—something about that idea really stuck with me. I’m reminded of old t-shirts worn in the garden bleached like a soft halo around the shoulders, or books on a bookshelf for one too many years too close to a sunny window. It’s at once a reminder of the passage of time and how everything, even an object, is in constant conversation with its surroundings. What are your most favorite, well-loved, carried everywhere, overused, sun-bleached (or otherwise) objects around your home?
I’ve made a few international moves and those are always moments where life gets pared down to the essentials. Which is to say, I keep a pretty minimal home these days. A few natural objects with the patina of time that have made the voyages with me are shells, special fabrics I've collected on my travels, hand woven baskets and of course a much-loved sheepskin. Beeswax candles are a part of my sense of home that I return to over and over again.
You can follow Kristina's work on instagram @foodshelterclothing and look for her pieces at Shop Boswell. She also has a few upcoming events:
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Solo exhibition at Hemmings Gallery. Ketchum, ID August 29th, 2025.
Artwork for the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Museum's permanent collection + exhibition ‘A Sense of Place.’ Dalles, OR. September 6th, 2025.
Group Show at Marcel Gallery. White Salmon, WA. October, 2025
