The Woolwich resident has been working with felt for five years.

``I like my art to be functional,'' he says. ``For me it is the perfect medium to make beautiful garments.''

Dubois makes broad-brimmed felt hats, vests, blankets, scarves, wall hangings, and boots.

Wearing a pair of boots he made several years ago, Dubois shows off some of his earlier work.

``They go on every day. When I walk around, my feet go right to the felt slippers,'' he adds.

With a sparkle in his eye, a smile on his warm face, and the sound of excitement in his voice, Dubois describes why he enjoys the art so much.

``It's magical every time. In a very short period of time, I can turn hair into fabric,'' he says. ``It's very cool. You can do any color - it is like painting with fiber.''

Dubois started felt making five years ago. His wife, Mari Anne, is a weaver who shares similar interests with her husband.

Although Dubois believes there is a market for selling his clothes, he plans on staying behind the seams.

``I'm focused more on teaching compared to marketing for the time being,'' he notes. ``Felt is a relatively simple thing. I'd rather teach someone how to work with felt than to sell. It is most satisfying for me to see people enjoying it and learning the process so they can create whatever they want.''

Dubios has worked several years at the Maine Arts Festival in Brunswick teaching others his trade.

The Process

To begin, Dubois takes wool that has been cleaned and lays it in one direction on ``bubblewrap'' or bamboo mats.

Then he lays the design out in layers. After wetting the wool, Dubois rolls the mat, which jostles the fibers.

After spending five to eight minutes working the mat back and forth, the fibers get tighter.

The last stage is the hardening stage which involves a washboard.

``You rub it back in forth on the washboard with really hot water,'' he describes. ``You do that until you reach the desired hardness of the felt. And that could take a while. For a hat it takes 45 minutes to an hour.''

The final product is something one can enjoy for many years, as Dubois can attest to.

``For me, I get great pleasure creating something of such beauty,'' he adds.