N.S. artist makes heart-'felt' tributes to pets

Pet portraits from The Girl Who Cried Wool Fibre artist Kaela Steeves creates one-of-a-kind felted pet portraits.

Last summer, Kaela Steeves’s dog of 11 years, Cash, passed away. She wanted to do something special to memorialize her pet, so after watching a few YouTube tutorials, she went to a craft store, bought some supplies, and got to work crocheting a felted portrait.

“I started crocheting about nine years ago now, that’s where my crafting abilities started,” she said.

Steeves, a Nova Scotia-based artist, now creates felted wool portraits of pets for owners, allowing them to have a custom-made tribute to their dog, cat, or anything else.

“It’s a nice memorial thing or even if your dog hasn’t passed on, it’s nice to have,” Steeves said.

Steeves said each portrait takes a few hours to complete. She asks clients to provide front-facing photos of their pet so she can properly catch their features.

“Some pets take longer,” she said. “It’s definitely a labour of love and I put a lot of time and effort into each portrait.”

Steeves said she’s seen some customers’ reactions when they receive the finished portraits, which can often be quite emotional.

“They’re in awe and the tears sometimes come,” she said. “It’s just something they can have forever now to remember their pet. It’s great.”

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