FAQ
I placed an item in my cart, but it sold out before I could check out. why?
Online drops are limited stock because each piece takes a long time to make. Items sell out online very quickly on drop days. Placing an item in your cart does not reserve it. The only way to secure the items you want is to purchase them. If you place multiple orders on a drop day that ship to the same address, I will always combine orders and refund any extra shipping costs.
what is needle-felting?
My simple answer: Needle-felting is a dry method of felting wool. Notched felting needles push and pull fibers when poked into wool roving. With each poke, the fibers begin to interlock and the more you poke the more dense the wool will become, allowing you to sculpt any shape. It’s an accessible craft enjoyed by both kids and adults, all you need are a few supplies, a little patience, and your imagination.
where do you get your wool?
I am lucky to live within an hour of two amazing resources for fiber art here in Maine: Port Fiber and Halcyon Yarn. I am also lucky to have inherited hand dyed castoffs from a very talented friend in NY’s Hudson Valley who makes exquisite yarns from sheep to skein. I am always on the hunt for unique colors and have accumulated quite the puffy palette in my studio. Learning about the origins and attributes of each fleece is an ongoing education (there’s SO much to learn). My favorite core wool to work with is from New Zealand, but I do use a lot of domestic wool, many are grown and or hand-dyed here in Maine.
do you felt over real shells?
No, I do not use shells as a mold or felt around shells. Each piece is sculpted free-hand while referencing the real thing for form and shape details.
how long does one ornament take to make?
Most of my signature designs take around 2-4 hours to complete. Each piece is entirely made by hand, sculpted by needle-felting, color application also done with a needle, and the embellishments are hand sewn. Each piece is truly unique.
how long have you been felting?
I started felting in 2016. Previously, I had designed felted items but never made them myself. When I left my corporate design job I challenged myself to learn a new process and start creating in a new material. A few internet tutorials later, I understood the basic techniques and materials and I haven’t stopped since.
where & WHEN can i buy your work?
You can find my work in my online shop or in person at one of my events. Online releases are limited until the fall/holiday season. Sign up on my home page to be notified by email or follow on instagram to hear about upcoming shop updates.
do you have a store?
I do not have a brick & mortar of my own. My website is my storefront.
WHERE DOES THE NAME THIRDLEE COME FROM?
Lee is a family name. My grandfather Robert Boulanger changed his last name to Lee in the 1940’s. I’ve heard a few reasons why he did this, but I choose to believe this one: he did it for his profession. He was a commercial artist and a pilot. I agree, BOB LEE looks a lot more pleasing in the corner of an illustration or on a flight jacket than the alternative. My mother, Roberta Lee had wonderful artistic talents, but instead built an incredible career on her other love: science. Lee is my middle name, I am literally the third generation of “follow your passion” Lee’s. I consider myself very fortunate to have found my passion at a young age and for having their support as long as I did. Since branching out on my own, I think about them more than ever. I think about their drive, their unending curiosity, creativity, and passion for what they chose to do. It’s inspiring and it keeps me going.
