Sarah Summers

Sarah Summers grew up on a small Lititz farm where a menagerie of pets… horses, swans, peacocks, donkeys, chickens, goats, ducks, and more were all part of the family. At five, her artistic streak caught the eye of her teacher, who encouraged her parents to enroll her in formal art classes. Sarah studied art, mostly painting, throughout her school years.

She later became a teacher herself, and her classroom memories are vivid with art-filled images. A favorite is of her 25 Kindergarteners sprawled on the floor painting giant yellow blossoms inspired by Eve Bunting’s “Sunflower House.”

After retiring, Sarah dove into textile art and discovered needle felting in 2019. She was intrigued,  but intimidated, since her art was mostly 2-dimensional. Venturing into the 3D realm of sculpting was a bit scary. Still, as a passionate animal lover, she saw this as an ideal medium for capturing their likeness and charm. Sarah quickly realized that sculpting in wool came naturally and, in fact, was very calming.

The craft soon became a blessing, too, when Sarah found herself caring full-time for her elderly parents on the family farm.
Every graceful swan, brilliant Cardinal, little fox, or likeness of a beloved pet that Sarah created brought them immense joy. The pure delight on their faces was priceless. Now her parents are gone, Sarah treasures knowing how much her tiny creatures contributed to their happiness.

Always a teacher at heart, today Sarah enjoys instructing needle felting workshops,  as well as producing custom pet sculptures. You can find her creations in Lititz at Artisan Mill and Purple Robin Reserve.