Meet the Maker - Nadia Rein
Company overview
Artist, designer, “wool magician” and teacher Nadia Rein lives with her husband and children in the UK and has been felting for more than eight years.
Nadia values people and nature and tells stories about traditions, friendship and love in her work. She creates bespoke items of fashion and décor and her favourites are wall murals and vest coats.
Nadia is passionate about felting, saying the process helps to calm the mind, as it makes people live in the moment. She runs online and in person classes plus one-on-one tutorials, taking people into the world of ancient craft, with some twists, to make it accessible even for those with limited physical strength.
How did it all start?
I was born in a country where wool was at the heart of everything at some point in time. It was the material which made their homes and material which created the decorations for their homes – Yurts in Kazakhstan.
My first winter boots were made of wool and I spent lots of happy hours on shyrdaks (woollen rugs) having meals and drinking tea with my family and friends.
Through the years I lost my connection with wool but it fully returned to my life when my dad was struggling with cancer. I found felting helped me through his illness and the process of bereavement. Wet felting is a very meditative process and it makes me extremely happy when I see relaxation and satisfaction on the faces of people attending my workshops and working with wool – dry and then soapy. It is priceless.
However, during pandemic we could not meet each other face-to-face but the restrictions opened new opportunities. My step-by-step pre-recorded online classes allow people to do a little bit at a time at their leisure. Also they can go back to the course when they like and as many times as they like. The minimum access is 6 months and that’s plenty of time to learn the process, do several projects and start experimenting with your own ideas.
The story behind the name…
My full Name is Nadezhda and it means ‘hope’ but to simplify the life of people I changed it to Nadja when I moved to Germany. However, now in the UK I find that the spelling of my name still confuses people hence I changed it to NADIA so that it is easier to pronounce..
It is basically my name and what I do – designs.
Where are you based?
I am based in Leicestershire near Loughborough. I run in-person classes from my home studio and community venues but also profound user of online facilities ☺
What inspires you?
People and nature, traditions and history, places and causes. Environment is very close to my heart. I believe we waste way too much and hope, through all I do, to draw our attention to unique, special, lasting and quality life for ourselves and our planet.
What is your creation process?
Ideas comes from different sides – it could be an article I read or research I made, a simple walk or a mood board of a client. Then I work it all in my head – sometimes for days, involving sample making, drawings and even felting full size samples.
Other times I can come from a walk with idea in my head in an unclear shape make of part images, textures, smells and colours etc. I open my chests of treasure – library of materials and choose a palette and make references to previous projects in search for textures and effects.
Sometimes I start working without even knowing what it is going to be, and half let my hands be guided by feelings from my heart and images from my head.
But in simple terms I lay the wool in a desirable shape, decorate it in a technique I like – using fibres, other types or colours of wool, fabric etc. Then I wet and soap everything and start felting from gentle movement, either by my hand or by rolling the project; in some cases even using a sanding machine! It depends on the project and its size. Then, after the fibres connect and I have already a kind of fabric, I continue to manipulate it using different movements, while encouraging it to felt and turn into a designed project – be it a flower., a hat, a wedding dress or a woollen wallpaper.
Then I might add dyeing techniques and after it is completely finished, washed and dried I might also add some embellishments using other techniques – like sewing, embroidery, knitting etc.
What makes you, your brand or products unique?
They tell stories. When I make bespoke items it is a merger of ideas and wishlists of my clients and myself, my diverse heritage and passion for cultures and environment. The pieces I make are individual and unique.
What is your next project?
David Attenborough’s programmes about our planet and the state we brought it to affected me a lot and I’m looking at the ways to continue to communicate his messages through my art, both in design and in fashion.
What are your plans for the next 12 months?
To make a collection for Spring 2023.
To record requested online tutorials on making shoulder blazers/ jackets, a fleece wall piece, continue with the bundle on making flowers for those who love small and practical projects, and add bonus décor techniques to my course on making reversible berets.
What is your biggest achievement?
To me my biggest achievement is making people feel relaxed and happy when felting in my courses and special with the pieces I make.
I made a wedding dress for Inga when we were in the pandemic. Neither parents could attend their wedding but the dress I made for Inga helped to make their day really special. After the wedding I got a message from Inga’s mum, via social media, thanking me for making such a beautiful dress for her beloved daughter.
What is your best-selling product/line?
- Online course on making flowers – simple and fun project., helping you make amazing flowers for presents, accessories, table decor and much more, not mentioning that the project could be a great relaxation time after a stressful meeting or conversation. Let’s face it we all need it in our lives.
- An online course on making nuno felted headband where I show on a simple project an amazing technique which I use over and over in many things I do, from a wedding dress to a foot stool in partnership with the City Girl Farm from Kansas, accessories and wall décor.
Your experience of your first Knitting & Stitching Show (year, exhibiting or visiting)
It is my first year demonstrating and teaching at the show. I have visited shows before and loved the choice of materials, kits and ideas as well as the congregation of so many talented people who make simply amazing things with their hands and clever machines.
What do you love about the Knitting & Stitching Shows?
The bringing together of so many talented people, celebrating and demonstrating the products of their amazing skills.
Your three top tips for crafters and makers…
- Be curious, explore, learn new things and apply them with what you already know
- Do it today rather than tomorrow
- Do not be afraid to express yourself in everything you do
Any advice for fledgling businesses…
Do not be afraid to get in front of a camera and show the world what you do and how you do it. It is mesmerising and people love to watch and will appreciate the work put into your product even more.
Website: www.nadiareindesign.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nadiareindesign/