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Hello!
There's been some tumble weeds blowing along the nature // street blog front while I've been pursuing my dual interests in weaving and sustainability. As I wrote about here, I launched my Etsy shop, Nature Street Weaves, in November 2014 and have since found myself immersed in not only creating handwoven tapestries but also exploring the sustainability side of fibre arts, including researching sustainable making approaches and practices, sourcing ethically produced materials, connecting with like-minded individuals... and creating a collaborative blog series with a fellow Australian weaver [more on that below!]
When I commenced weaving mid last year, my work was primarily influenced by the natural world, and I have been steadily working to integrate materials and practices that reflect my personal values such as environmental and social sustainability, authenticity, integrity, and community. There are still improvements to be made, yet I'm really pleased to see the cumulative impact of many small decisions, and the depth this mindfulness has added to my process and resultant weavings.
There's been some tumble weeds blowing along the nature // street blog front while I've been pursuing my dual interests in weaving and sustainability. As I wrote about here, I launched my Etsy shop, Nature Street Weaves, in November 2014 and have since found myself immersed in not only creating handwoven tapestries but also exploring the sustainability side of fibre arts, including researching sustainable making approaches and practices, sourcing ethically produced materials, connecting with like-minded individuals... and creating a collaborative blog series with a fellow Australian weaver [more on that below!]
When I commenced weaving mid last year, my work was primarily influenced by the natural world, and I have been steadily working to integrate materials and practices that reflect my personal values such as environmental and social sustainability, authenticity, integrity, and community. There are still improvements to be made, yet I'm really pleased to see the cumulative impact of many small decisions, and the depth this mindfulness has added to my process and resultant weavings.
As part of this journey, I've connected with some inspiring sustainable practitioners and fibre folk, including fellow Australian weaver Holly Marlin of Hollin Textiles [@holly_marlin on Instagram]. Holly and I bonded over an Instagram post and ensuing discussion about our individual quests for sustainable yarns. Email addresses were shared, followed shortly afterwards by knowledge, thoughtfully-collated yarn samples, and lots of ideas… which quickly gave rise to the decision to scope and create our collaborative blog series, A Thoughtful Thread - which we launched last month!
A Thoughftul Thread has been crafted from our love of weaving and textile arts, sustainability and mindfulness, and a desire to positively contribute towards a growing community of fellow designers and makers. We want to support conversations about sustainable weaving and textiles practices, and we are so fortunate and grateful to have some amazing people contributing their perspectives through interviews throughout the series [so far we've interviewed Belinda Evans of Alchemy, and Cass Harris and Megan Harris of String Harvest which you can read about here and here].
We hope that A Thoughtful Thread provides inspiration and encourages readers to consider how as individuals, and a collective fibre community, our choices and practices can not only provide the opportunity to create, but to also tread lightly, give back, and support one another.
We hope that A Thoughtful Thread provides inspiration and encourages readers to consider how as individuals, and a collective fibre community, our choices and practices can not only provide the opportunity to create, but to also tread lightly, give back, and support one another.
If this type of content sounds up your alley, please head over to the www.athoughtfulthreadblogspot.com.au and check it out!
From here, blogging for nature // street will continue at a leisurely pace, and I'm very much looking forward to sharing my next post on our first family camping trip to Deep Creek shortly. In between, there's always Instagram!
Wishing you all the best,
Claire
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| My wall-hanging, 'an ochre coast' styled in the March 2015 issue of Australia's Home Beautiful magazine |
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| A selection of my environmentally and socially responsible yarns [photo: Rebecca Hall] |
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| A second of my wall-hangings, 'karkalla'' styled in the March 2015 issue of Australia's Home Beautiful magazine |
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| A weaving from my Wild Wanderings Collective, which predominantly features sustainable materials, including upcycled rope and metal beading; eco-dyed organic cotton; yarn made from recycled fashion industry off-cuts, and sustainable plant-based fibres including kenaf and banana silk |
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| I was honoured to be a feature artist for one of Australia's Home Beautiful's Instagram accounts, Home Beautiful Creative Collection, 'a unique creative space which brings together all the talented designers and makers [the magazine] meets'. February celebrated all things woven and it was a great experience and opportunity to share my creative processes and work [Image: @HBcreativecollection - my work is featured on the top right and centre of the bottom row] |
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| And last but not least, a special weaving I created for my Mum's birthday present. I used a selection of savored materials to create her wall hanging, included numerous sustainable yarns which were gifted to me and I have slowly collated. She requested a piece to suit the wonderful Aboriginal art my parents have collected on their travels and it was so lovely to step outside of my colour-palate comfort zone to create a thoughtful and much appreciated piece. |
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