meet your fwens
Who we are
The Fwens are a community of needle-felted creatures that belong to the same, interactive, narrative universe. There are 16 types of Fwens and counting, all with their own bios and histories. Each comes with an observation booklet and activities for people to get to know their Fwen. People tend to leaf through their stories and pick the one that “is” them or a friend. Our mailing list keeps folks informed of new stories, projects, and events.
Fwens are completely handmade, and we encourage people to make the Fwens their own as well. Tell their own stories with their Fwens on their own and with us through online and in-person sharing, activity prompts, and other interactions.
We also make more elaborate sculptures on commission (the fwens of Fwens), as well as applique designs for sweaters. Contact us for more information.
Who are the fwens?
Our Story
On a rainy afternoon sometime in February 2023, we kept hearing a wet “plat” against our kitchen window, mingled with the regular “pit-pats” of raindrops. When we went outside, what we found caught in the bushes was a very small, very wet ball of orange fur. It had two brilliant, beady blue eyes and no arms.
We warmed him up, dried him off, and welcomed him to our home. Turned out he wanted pizza—we were eating pizza that day, and he could smell it all the way from whatever world he came from. So we gave him pizza every day, and he quickly became our friend. Because we still aren’t sure what they are, and because it’s cute, we call them “Fwens.”
Very soon another Fwen showed up at our window sill. And then two more the next day, and six more after that, until very soon we had a whole Fwen family on our hands. But not all of them wanted pizza, and not all of them were orange with beady blue eyes—some of them wanted to dance, some wanted you to listen to its jokes, and some wanted to steal! And they came in many different shapes, sizes, and colors. We realized that there was no way we could learn everything about these mysterious, wonderful little folk and the world they share.
That’s where you come in. Your little Fwen is unique, not another like it in the whole world. So only you can find out what they are like through your observations: what do they do, what do they like and what to they think about—bees? Fine caviar? Butterfly training? Who knows. We’d love for you to study them and add your findings to our Instagram page @your.fwens. Send pictures of your adventures!
the look book
Deeda is a very special Fwen. No one knows how he does it—not even the other Fwens—but Deeda is known to take the nighttime scaries of his friends/Fwens, scramble them up, and turn them into a special dust. This dust is much too small for humans to see, but he and his pet cloud sure can.
Right before bedtime, he blows this special dust all around your room, until it covers everything in a tiny, glittery coat of protection. All scaries are strictly banned from this zone. No shadow monsters, under the bed or closet creepers, window tappers, or the ones that go “creak.”
And as for the other bedtime scaries—the tiny ones that like to sneak beside you at night and whisper in your ear all the things you’ve lost, and the person you’ve wanted and failed to become. They tell you about the horrible thing that will surely happen in the morning. And the shames.
In these cases, Deeda will sit beside your pillow, and sing to you protective songs with lyrics about all the ways in which you are brilliant, and perfectly woven into something awesomely massive and beautiful.
He will sing about how these pieces of you can never, ever be broken. And he will remain by your side like this, singing to you softly into the daylight.
How to care for your fwen
How to care for your fwen
Each little Fwen is needle felted by hand out of dyed sheep’s wool. This means that they are very special! Keep in mind, the nature of natural fibers means that your Fwen needs a little more care than a factory made item.
Fwens love to play and travel, and fit well into purses, pockets, and other things. However, at the end of the day they do prefer to have their own space to call home. In order to keep them in the best shape possible, keep them stored standing on a shelf, desk, or table, or even by your pillow on a nightstand.
As with anything natural wool, they should be cleaned only with a small amount of water on a cloth and let to air dry
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Play gently with your Fwen. Fwens thrive with consistent engagement: ask it questions, try to learn its language, and make sure it feels loved and cared for during its daring mission into this new world.
Fwens have fantastic health insurance: 100% coverage for life! So if your Fwen gets ripped or mangled in an accident, or simply wants a little sprucing up, we’ll gladly repair it free of charge plus shipping. Contact us on Instagram @your.fwens or by email below for further information.
Fwens of fwens and other creations
The fwens of fwens are a class of creations requiring more time and commitment. They come to our world more gradually, probably because they have more moving parts and bells and whistles. There is little predicting what types will come to our doorstep, with new fancies arriving unpredictably. If you are interested in a specific creature that has been available or someone who only so far exists in your imagination, reach out to us and we will do our best to bring them to you
These delightful gentlefolk enjoying high tea. They were made during a class we led to teach people how to make their own fwens. We are happy to lead workshops for groups, birthday parties, or anything else! If you are interested in a workshop or kits to make your own fwen, please email us at your.fwens@gmail.com or message us on instagram @your.fwens.
