Mariana’s regular occupation is making artistic metal objects, but she has now become a huge fan of making items out of felt. Her figures of people in love made and funny caricatures of celebrities and politicians made of felt have earned great success.

“I have devoted myself to doing this because in making the figures, you give them life, so this is not longer a knot of wool with eyes and ears, but it is an object that has its own movements and feelings. Unfortunately, there is little information about felt making published in Bulgaria. So, the only way to preserve this ancient skill is to hand it down from generation to generation. I have taught my daughter and many other people how to do it. That is why we make these demonstrations. I am trying not only to recreate the old objects such as hats and shepherd’s bags but also to make scarves and hats according to modern fashion. They have different shapes, colors and patterns but the technology used is the same”, says Mariana Popova, one of the members of the Center for Studying and Promoting Applied Arts in Bulgaria.

Translated by: Rossitsa Petcova

Pictures are provided by Rumyana Tsvetkova