Tuesday, 26 February 2019

FUZZY-FELT!

This is a right old retro favourite, the psychedelic kids toy that anyone can play – FUZZY-FELT!!!
 


The simple, but effective, idea was to stick little cut-out coloured bits of felt material onto boards, creating pictures.
It could be whatever you fancied, animals, people, anything!










This particular one is the 'Fantasy' set from 1970, which is apt as the whole idea was like a completely crazy made-up world. 
It all feels very '1960s', but in fact the toy first came out in 1950, and can trace its roots back to a rather intriguing story from World War II.


The creator was an American called Lois Allan, who in the 1920s, studied art and fashion in Paris, which must have been amazing.
Fast forward to the War, and she was down on her farm in deepest Buckinghamshire doing her bit for the War effort, by producing sealing gaskets for tanks, made out of felt.

She also ran a creche for her fellow worker's kids, and noticed that the little 'uns loved playing with the felt off-cuts, and sticking them onto table mats. 
And hey presto, there was her light bulb moment!! 

It became a household favourite, and is one of those things that everyone seems to remember from their childhood.

So if you fancy getting creative with bits of felt, surrounded by a warm glow of nostalgia, then lucky you, as this will be on my stall at this Saturday's VINTAGE SOMERSET FAIR!!!


Run along to the Wells Town Hall in the beautiful city of Wells and it'll be waiting for you!!!






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