As one of the UK's leading needle felters, Fi Oberon is much in demand for her gorgeous animal sculptures created from felt. The Natural World of Needle Felting, her first book, aims to be the most beautiful and engaging on the market on this increasingly popular subject. Taking inspiration from both the farm where she grew up, and the countryside and seaside in the north of England where she lives, she has created a delightful collection of projects. Ranging from simple to more complex, they include a charming selection of animals found in different natural environments, from a woodland owl, hedgehog and a farmyard cow and hen with her chicks, to a polar bear and penguin from the frozen plains of Antarctica. Divided into four chapters – 'Uplands', 'Frozen Plains', 'Farmyard & Fields' and 'Coast' – each adorable creature is presented in a specially designed set to reflect its habitat. There are additional instructions for making incidental items such as dandelions, mushrooms, plants and trees.

As an experienced tutor, Fi's instructions are clear and engaging, as she teaches new skills and techniques while encouraging experimentation and self-expression. Her irresistible felt sculptures will appeal to animal and nature lovers as well as crafters.

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FI OBERON has 30 years of experience as a designer-maker, artist and tutor and is a Grant for the Arts award winner. At the age of 18 she sold her first knitting pattern to a Fleet Street newspaper. She has written craft pieces for various magazines, and her work has been featured in Country Homes and Antiques, Country Living, Ideal Homes and Cotswolds Life. She has developed and led courses on a diverse range of crafts, from furniture-painting to tile-making, both based in her own studio and on behalf of other organisations.

In 2005, Fi sold her successful craft centre to move to the seaside, where she opened a small seasonal art and craft gallery, selling a ceramics range to wholesale customers throughout the UK. Her felting and fine artwork is displayed at galleries in the Midlands and the north of England, including the prestigious Dean Clough Galleries in Halifax. A lifelong advocate of the environment (she has set up two farmers markets) Fi is now working on projects felted from her own hand-dyed pre-felt, using organically sourced wool. This is her first book.