This pony is one of my favorite things that I made for Play Toys With Me, my senior thesis. She is needle felted around a wire armature so she is fully poseable. This piece represents a shift in my project. When I made her (around October 2024), I had been spending a lot of my time learning traditional Waldorf methods of toy making, spending most of my time learning how to construct Waldorf-style dolls. I had done this becuase I admire the technical skills and eco-friendly (and sensory-friendly) materials that go into making Waldorf dolls. However, I’d spent so much time caught up in learning these new skills, I felt I’d lost my own voice. I was imitating what other artists had done before, and I needed something to pull me back to my own artistic vision. A big part of what brought me to this project was my love of toy collecting, specifically vintage my little ponies. My Little Pony as a franchise is entirely opposite to the values that underscore Waldorf toys, which are primarily open ended, natural materials, and simple designs. My Little Pony characters come with names and stories, are made of plastic, and are hardly visually simple (well, at least the newer ones). And yet I adore these toys, they bring me such joy and they are a big part of why I am drawn to toy design and fabrication. I wanted to combine Waldorf-style materials and technical skills and the fun and bright visual language of toy lines like My Little Pony. And thus this needle felted pony was born. She was not the first one I made, but she was the first I was really happy with. I love how the dyed wool locks give her mane and tail texture. To me, she is the best of both worlds - her design is bright and fun and she is made of natural materials that are (to me) very engaging on a sensory level. I love the smell and texture of needle felted wool, and I love that her legs are poseable. I’m really proud of this little lady.