Custom Design and Ordering Q & A
What is custom design?
How can I design when I have no artistic training?
Where can I look at color charts and pattern books?
How do I know I am going to get what I want?
How do I know you're not just going to try sell me something I don't want?
Can you make fabric in a pattern I design?
Can you duplicate a fabric I have?
Will the finished piece look exactly like the sketch?
How does the Custom Design process start?
So, how much is all this design going to cost?
Do I need a sketch?
What if I want more than just felt design?
Okay, so how does the Ordering part of Custom Design work?
What IS felt?
So, why Festive Fibers felt?
Am I buying furniture you have in studio? Or am I recovering my own piece?
What if don't have a piece of my own to recover?
I don't live near you, how can I re-cover my furniture?
I have never seen your felt live. How can I know what the finished fabric is like?
How long will the order take?
Can I get something sooner?
What are the costs?
How do I get started?

Custom Ordering

What is custom design?
Custom design is a process of creating something from scratch to perfectly fit in your space. We have an infinite palette of color, size, shape and pattern that we can use to work with your style.

How can I design when I have no artistic training?
Do you know what you like? If so, the process will work for you. With a Bachelors in Fine Art, Nicole trained at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York and had a very successful 16 year career as a Textile Designer. You may have sheets or shower curtains or other fabric that she designed the patterns for, already in your home. It is her life and training to be able to look at a room, and listen to your ideas, and not only see the possibilities, but also help you envision them.

Where can I look at color charts and pattern books?
We have an infinite color chart. We can dye any color. You can go to the hardware store and find paint chips you like (or yarns from a yarn store) and send them to us. We also have an infinite array of patterns. We have a blank canvas and the freeform nature of felt allows us to put pretty much anything on it. We are not limited to anything we have ever created before. If fact, most of our great orders are something we had never created or envisioned previously. That all said, if you're used to shopping this way, then use our whole website as your color chart and pattern books. Any color or pattern that sings to you can be a good starting point for your custom order. A pattern on a chair may make a great rug or wallhanging pattern.

How do I know I am going to get what I want?
Our design process is very interactive with lots of back and forth between you and us. What do you like? What don't you like? (Much of this you will discover through the process.) What colors? What patterns? What feel? You give us pictures, paint chips or pieces of colored yarns, swatches, anything you may have that can help get your space and your ideas. You and Nicole discuss possibilities. Nicole makes sketches. In your own time you look at the sketches and see what works and what doesn't. Nicole modifies the sketches. We keep doing this until you are sure to get exactly what you want and need (or even better). We don't dye your fiber or make the felt, until you're 100% happy with the design and sign off on it.

How do I know you're not just going to try sell me something I don't want?
The whole point of Festive Fibers is to bring joy and beauty into people's lives (and hence ours). We want to make sure you get something that brings you joy, not just today, but for a long long time. Our process is designed specifically to make sure you get something that not only works, but hopefully goes beyond all expectation you have. (This happens a lot, especially with customers who are open to the free flow of possibilities.) Each customer's personality takes us in new directions, which is often captured in the piece we create (one of the reasons we don't do rush orders).
Working with our customer's best interest in mind is good business for us as well as you. This process for us is so positive, that we have found if we sell you something you love, then you are very happy, you tell all your friends what a wonderful experience you have with us. They decide they'd like to have a wonderful experience, and get something beautiful, unique to them and that they love, too. Your joy does the selling for us. But most importantly, not only have we brought joy into your life, but into ours as well. We look forward to building new working relationships and many times new friendships. So, no we are not going to try to sell you something you don't want.

Can you make fabric in a pattern I design?
Most likely, yes! There are some things, like intricate detail, that don't translate to felt that well, but we'll be able to let you know what can work and what can't.

Can you duplicate a fabric I have?
No, there are copyright laws protecting those fabrics. Nicole is very good at creating patterns that blend with your existing fabrics. We will not make anyone else's designs except ours or yours.

How does the Custom Design process start?
The process has started as simply as a phone call or e-mail saying "I love your work, I have no idea what to do with it, but I'd like to talk about making something happen in my home." Some things you can have ahead of time are:

For instance "I need an 8' x 6'4" rug for my bedroom. I'm sending a few pictures of the space, including the main bedspread we will use. I like the Spirals and Leaves pattern, (somewhere on the site - know that patterns on furniture can be translated into floor coverings and vise-versa) but am concerned it will fight with the chair pattern. Here's a paint chip of the wall color, and some threads from the blanket." Any information you have, especially any ideas you have, is helpful - paint chips, swatches, a piece of fabric to coordinate with, and of course pictures, pictures, pictures.

So, how much is all this design going to cost?
The design is all built into the cost of the fabric! Most customers are ready to order even before Nicole discusses actual designs. No "design fee" happens for these customers.

In the event that you would like to see sketches before committing to an order, we charge a sketch fee of $400. This fee covers Nicole for time invested working through a design, especially before a deposit on a job is given. If you (or your client) do not like the presentation and a solution cannot be resolved in a second rendering, then you have paid for ideas and a designer's time.(Remember that all designs are the property of Nicole and Festive Fibers, even if you buy the sketches or the product.) If you do like the sketch (and so far, everyone has!), the $400.00 fee will be subtracted from your final payment, once you place the order. The sketch fee covers an initial set of sketches, and then after discussion, a revision - if needed.
Note: As you can imagine, on small fabric orders, the sketches and custom design can become prohibitively expensive. We may need to charge some sketch fees or do without sketches.

Do I need a sketch?
No. Many orders are done verbally, as in "I like 'Green Clematis Runner'" on your rug page, but I need it to be 10' long by 2'8", and done in maroon."

What if I want more than just felt design?
If we have your piece in studio, we can certainly work on all aspects, such as paint and refinishing, if desired. This will be an additional charge, as per each piece. Often your local upholsterer can do these things too, or at least usually knows someone who can do this work.

Okay, so how does the Ordering part of Custom Design work?
Once you have determined you want to proceed with the process, we write an estimate (for upholstery, once Nicole receives your upholsterer's "Cut Sizes", the Estimate is revised) or an actual order (in the case of rugs and wall hangings) We require a 50% deposit, and the balance + S&H is due upon completion. Some people like to see digital photos via e-mail, of their fabrics and rugs being made, this is fun and gives you an eye into the studio.

What IS felt?
Felt is the oldest utilitarian fabric in civilization. It has been used to make such things as tents, rain coats, rain hats, snow boots, sound insulation, and of course Turkish Rugs (and in many other cultures, too!). Our felt is made from a blend of US grown sheep wools, picked for their soft feel and luster, yet durability. The felt is made by naturally locking together different colors of the wool fibers. It is naturally soil resistant and spill resistant.

So, why Festive Fibers felt?
Quite frankly, no one else does what we do. Festive Fibers brings felt to the home furnishings in a style that no one else does. Our colors and patterns in felt set us apart. We can custom design pretty much anything for your home. Infinite colors. Infinite patterns. Infinite shapes. The exact size you need. The freeform and personal nature of our design process can bring your personality, your joy, your warmth, right into the fabric, and take our designs beyond what either you or we might have imagined. Take a spin around the website. Does the color and pattern speak to you? We are purposefully not for everybody. Are we for you? We make our felt to feel great to sit in, to walk on, to rest your feet on, to cuddle up in, to be joyous on the eyes. Surround youself in comfort.

Am I buying furniture you have in studio? Or am I recovering my own piece?
Sometimes we have frames we are planning on working on "some time in the future", if after speaking with us, that style seems to be for you (we can send digital pictures and dimensions) we can use one of ours, otherwise most people do recover their own piece.

What if don't have a piece of my own to recover?
Antiques shops, yard sales, on the curb, at the dump, in mom's attic, friends, you'd be amazed at where you can find a great chair or sofa frame for cheap or even free. If the frame sings to you, and the frame is solid, everything else can be fixed. (Obviously, the more wrong with it the higher the cost to fix.) If just the fabric needs work - excellent! If you see a piece, at say an antique store, but don't want to purchase before you have a sense of the finished product. Send us a picture, and lets start talking.

I don't live near you, how can I re-cover my furniture?
We work with customers all over the US (and conceivably the world.) The first step would be to hook you up with an upholsterer. If you're in one of our regular craft show stops, there's a good chance we already have worked with at least one upholsterer in your area. If not, ask your friends, and we can try to find one for you also. You also can ship your piece here (if you're in the northeast you can drive it here - or if we're in your area, we may be able to pick it up.)

The upholster should be able to measure your piece. We'll need "cut sizes", so that we can make the exact size fabric needed (no waste!). The upholsterer can also give you an idea of how much work the piece needs (repainting? retie the springs? Reglueing the joints? Restuffing the cushions?) -the COMFY part. (If you have a beloved old piece we highly recommend doing the upholstery part right at this stage - it will be well worth any expense. Reupholstered pieces are often much better than new!) At the same time you will work with Nicole on design - the FUN part! When design is finished, we will make the fabric and ship it to the upholsterer who will upholster the chair/sofa and deliver to you.

I have never seen your felt live. How can I know what the finished fabric is like?
We'll gladly send a piece to you. Please specify Rug, Upholstery or Blanket weight. You can request colors, and we'll send the closest approximation we have available. Call us at 603-835-2247 or e-mail us for a swatch.

How long will the order take?
In general, we say 3-6 months. Factors affecting the time:
* How long it takes you to get back to us and make design decisions is usually the largest time eater.
* Your piece is being hand-dyed and handmade. This is not a factory.
* Festive Fibers is a studio of two artists - Nicole & Tom.
* We often have a large backlog of orders. (Hey, we're very popular!)
* We want to take our time and make the best piece possible. Remember, you're going to have this for a long time.

Can I get something sooner?
If you have a deadline, let us know. Definitely don't call us two months before a holiday and expect to get any sympathy. In a rush? See our In Stock page.