About the Strays

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I have received quite some questions about my "Vagabond Strays" miniature pull-along animals, so in this blog post I'll share some more information about them.

Each little Stray is handmade by me of high quality 100% wool, using a solid sculptural needle felting technique built upon a wire armature, which makes the head (and sometimes arms, tail or trunk) gently poseable.
Needle felting is a time consuming process, using sharp barbed needles in various gauges to repeatedly stab loose wool fibers to form a dense material that can be shaped into detailed wool sculptures. My wool of choice for the core is usually a natural off-white South German Merino batting, with a topcoat of fine, dyed New Zealand Merino roving for a soft, smooth finish. I have dyed Merino in many colors, but I also blend those to create my own color palette when needed. For some animals I use coarser Nepal lambswool in brown or gray, or, like for the mammoth and the dodo, a mixture of natural colors to resemble their original fur or feathers.

I start with sculpting the torso and legs, and slowly work my way to the head - as that is the most challenging part. When the proportions and the ‘face’ are right, I add the smaller details, and end with trimming any loose fuzz.
After completion, each Stray is securely mounted on a hand painted, rectangular wooden base on a working 4-wheel structure, with a crochet pull cord tied to a small metal ring on the front. With this base included, the Strays range from about 7cm/3" to 12cm/4.5" tall. So far, the llamas and dromedaries are the tallest.
They all come with a red signature bandana scarf, that shows their membership of the "Vagabond Strays" - and before they travel to their new homes, they also receive a certificate of authenticity with their self-chosen name, hand-signed by me.

The very first bunch of 14 "Vagabond Strays" had their official premiere at BlytheCon UK in London on October 6, 2018, where they were all promptly adopted. Since that memorable day, over 80 Strays (and counting!) have found a loving home with new families all over the world.
I'm still happily experimenting to further improve my skills and technique in this fiber art form, and there will be close relatives and look-alike friends of the members already adopted, but also some yet unfamiliar faces and even a few outsider protégés, who are patiently waiting in the wings to make their debut.
These new representatives of the "Vagabond Strays" will become available via the Zolala! Shop as I make them, and I will introduce them on Facebook and Instagram first. Those are also the places where I post additional information about the next shop update. (If you like, you can subscribe to the Zolala! Newsletter to be among the first to know about these updates.) I intend to present several new Strays every month, except when I'm working on stock for an upcoming event.

Unfortunately, I can not take orders or commissions for "Vagabond Strays", and they can not be reserved in advance. I'm beyond thrilled and thankful that they are so loved, but as little as they are, each Stray takes about three days to complete - and by taking orders for specific Strays, I would continuously be making the same critters over and over, with no time left to dream up new ones. This would not only take the joy out of the creative process for me, but also deprive the Strays of their individual personality.. which, I believe, is their greatest strength.
So, they come as they are, when they are ready! 😊

< Zolala! Blog

Zolala! Blog

Mostly musings and meanderings about my work as a seamstress and miniaturist, with all of the joy and struggle that comes with it.

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Hello!

My name is Zo, and I'm endlessly fascinated with all things small: dolls, animals, miniatures, dioramas..
I feel very fortunate to be able to combine them all in my work!
Sewing doll clothes and bringing little critters to life allows me to do what I love every day - and connects me with some really amazing people all over the world.

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