Hedgehog Hiker

www.hedgehoghiker.com

The Hedgehog Hiker Story:

These pants are made with soft waterproof breathable fabric and partially lined with recycled cotton  t-shirts. The combination
keeps your little baby dry and warm.  I designed these pants after
noticing that my baby’s legs were always wet and cold during our
Portland winter walks.  All the pant legs would become too short
when sitting in a stroller or hiking back pack.

Hedgehog Hiker pants are designed to fit extra long.  For everyday use, wear the folded cuff up. When it is time to venture outdoors, wear the cuff down. This extra couple inches really helps keep little ankles cozy and provides parents confidence to enjoy some fresh air.  There is an adjustable waistband and awesome big pocket for treasures.

A sustainable product and business;  “Hedgehog Hiker” pants are made using material milled in the USA, recycled fibers, and eco-friendly print methods. 80% of the materials are purchased from vendors in the Pacific Northwest.

So grab a pair and get outside! 

Available at:

Milagros Boutique, NE 33rd  (Portland, OR)
Piccolina, 26th and Clinton  (Portland, OR)
Polliwog  (Portland, OR)
Bug a Boo of Ashland  (Ashland, OR)
Bambini of Eugene  (Eugene, OR)

Artist's statement:  My name is Emily Purdin of “Hedgehog Hiker”, hiking clothes for children. The “Hedgehog Hiker” clothing brand is designed to keep children dry, active, and comfortable. As a textile artist, I felt compelled to make a product that is 100 % unique. Every last detail has been designed by me, right down to the printed fabric. My customers really appreciate this attention to detail. Best of all, the clothing  is made specifically for the rainy Pacific Northwest! You know if it works here, it will wear well anywhere!  Thanks for continuing to support locally made and sustainable products.

(No hedgehogs have been tested in the making of these clothes.)

Cheers,
Emily Purdin
Seamstress & Proprietor

Location:  Portland, Oregon, USA
Online shops:
   Hedgehog Hiker
   Danedelion 

Blog:  hedgehoghiker
Social Media:  my.contactme 

Membership:  CRAVE of Portland, OR

Languages spoken:  English

Tags:  Kids, Baby, Pants, Raincoat, Outerwear, Portland, Patterns

colettecolor

ludvignicolette.hu

My name is Nicolette Ludvig. I live in Győr, Hungary, in the heart of Europe, halfway between Budapest and Vienna. It is 20 years now that I’ve been exploring the secret of colours. I do sewing, knitting, crocheting… and I’m passionately interested in whatever is made of yarn and textile. Lately, I’ve been enthralled by crocheting circles and varying the colours of the yarn. Then I make these circles into small artifacts: key-rings, brooches, purses, pouches, bags and so on. I use threads not only for knitting and crocheting. I like to twist them into spirals and sew them on to a woolen felt base. Exciting things are born this way right between my hands. Click here to read a nice blog article with a story about how my day goes.

Artist statement:  Welcome to the world of colours... COLETTECOLOR expresses that me and the colours are inseparable companions.  All inspired by that which is color and round. I’m exploring the secret of colours while my imagination is captured by round forms and spirals. Creation makes me overjoyed -- and all this to make You happy, too! 

Location:  Győr, Hungary

Online shop:  colettecolor 

Blog:  ludvignicolette.hu

Languages spoken:  English, Hungarian 

Circular pouch by colletecolor from Hungary

 

Tags:  textile art, fiber art, free style machine embroidery, handmade, circle, colorful, felted, crocheted, nature, recycling,

pedestrian

 

http://www.pedestrian.etsy.com

The Nomad Cowl by Pedestrian
The Nomad Collection is based on the idea of how clothing would be made after the apocalypse.  This cowl is knitted together from random bits of torn cloth and fiber remnants, complete with fallen tree branch buttons.

Hi there!  My name is Christine and I am the hands behind Pedestrian Designs!  I specialize in whimsical designs for children and grown-ups who like to dress up as part of their everyday attire.

I have been designing crochet/knitwear for nearly 15 years.  After making numerous hats, scarves, sweaters, and blankets for myself, I dove into consigning my line at B+M stores and craft shows.  This gave me the experience to open my own Etsy shop.  Now I have 'quit my day job', focused on Pedestrian via Etsy and have my designs in boutiques throughout the United States.  I still participate in fall craft shows and, most recently, am prominently featured at an indie shop in my local mall.

My work is available at Roadies in the Platte River Mall of North Platte, Nebraska, Wholly Craft in Columbus, Ohio, and Lemonade Couture in Austin, Texas.

In 2010, Pedestrian's Dragon Hats were included in the Parenting.com costume guide for Halloween.

This has been such an excited time for me!  With over 500 hats sold in the last year, I can't wait for the weather to get cold every year!  My customers are amazingly sweet with a zest for life that is contagious.  I really do have the BEST job on Earth!!!! 

Artist's statement:  I am inspired by the classic fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen, Grimm, and Louis Carroll as well as apocalyptic science fiction novels. 

What would Little Red Riding Hood wear if she walked her dog down my street?  What would Rapunzel wear if she had to shovel snow in a Nebraska winter?  What if Dragons worked at the post office?  How would a Nomad make a scarf after all modern technology broke down?  These are the questions I answer with Pedestrian Designs.

Location:  North Platte, Nebraska, USA

Online shop:  pedestrian

Blog:  pedestrianchristine

Other social media:

   Twitter

   Facebook (personal page) 

Memberships:

   Etsy FAST Fiber Artists Street Team

Languages spoken:  English, Latin, and Pirate

Dragon Hat by Pedestrian Designs
 Dragon Hats ferociously keep the chill off children and grown-ups.  Rawr!

Tags:   costume, halloween, cosplay, dress-up, pretend, fairy tale, imagination, children, colorful, nebraska

Sally Manke Fiber Artist

http://www.etsy.com/shop/SallyManke

Despite my high energy level, there is never enough time to create all the ideas bouncing around in my head!

Fiber and creativity have been a part of my life since a very young age. I created a pattern from newspaper then sewed my first garment on a Singer Featherweight at around the age of eight. An undergraduate degree in home economics and a master in art lead to a twenty-five year career teaching art and life skills (current idiom for home economics).

Although, I enjoy crafting traditional quilts, dolls and holiday items, my passion is fiber art. A perfect day is one spent in my home studio with fabric spread far and wide creating confetti art. Confetti quilts bring together color and texture with the skill and methods of stitching layers of fabric. Each confetti quilt has thousands and thousands of tiny bits of batik fabric “painted” on quilt batting and backing. Inspiration comes another pastime; hiking trails and beaches here in Michigan or on far flung family vacations.

My confetti quilts have been in several juried local quilt shows here in northwest Michigan and Wisconsin. Additionally, my quilts have been selected for display at the International Quilt Festival in Chicago, Long Beach and Houston. I teach at quilt shops and quilt guilds.

Artist's statement:  My mission it to delight others with textile art that allow for my joyful, creative expression with color and texture.

Location:  Arcadia, Michigan, USA

Online shop:  SallyManke

Memberships:

   International Quilt Association
   American Quilter’s Society
   Quiltsy Team on Etsy

Languages spoken:  English 

"Autumn Trees", Art Quilt by Sally Manke

Tags:  fiber art, art quilt. textile art, confetti quilt technique, machine quilting, wearable art, landscape artist, fine art, color, texture

Salley Mavor

www.weefolkstudio.com

I am a fiber artist and children's book illustrator. My fabric relief sculptures are photographed and reproduced in picture books. The books are not just for children--they're also used as art and reference books for all ages. I've also written the instruction book for adults, Felt Wee Folk: Enchanting Projects.

Salley Mavor

Artist's statement:  I have had a life-long fascination with little things and needlework. Toward the end of art school, I rediscovered my childhood delight in sewing and creating miniature scenes. Leaving traditional illustration mediums behind, but still interested in narrative work, I taught myself stitching and fiber art techniques, which I used in my class assignments. For me, manipulating materials with my hands with a needle and thread was so much more satisfying than rendering with a pencil or brush. I found that I could communicate my ideas more clearly this way and that my hands would direct me in a compelling way.

My early pieces were soft sculpture, and then turned flatter, with raised figures and objects on a fabric background. I came up with the term “fabric relief” in 1982 to better describe my evolving method. My 3-dimensional pictures resemble miniature, shallow stage sets, with scenery, props and characters telling a story. I embroider, wrap, appliqué and paint different materials and found objects to create scenes in relief, with figures imposed on an embellished fabric background. My work is decorative and detailed, full of patterns from nature, all stitched by hand.

For the past 20 years, I’ve been working in the field of illustration, making artwork which is then photographed and printed in children’s books. The original fabric relief pictures have a second life when they are mounted and framed under glass in shadow boxes, ready to show and sell as individual pieces. Through my books, I hope to inspire children as well as adults to see art in fresh and unexpected ways.

Location:  Falmouth, Massachusetts, USA

Online shops:  Amazon, Wee Folk Enchanting Projects

Blog:  weefolk

Memberships:  SAQA, SCBWI

Languages spoken:  English

Detail of Self Portrait by Salley Mavor: a personal history of fashion, fabric relief, 2007, 12”H x 12” W x 1”D

Click on the slide show images to go to Salley's books on Amazon:

Tags:  mixed media, found objects, wool felt, dolls, beads, wood, RISD

Threads of Peru

www.threadsofperu.com

Ariana Svenson with a Quechua Weaver

Threads of Peru is a not-for-profit, social enterprise registered in Cusco, Peru. The founding members, Fely Callanaupa Gonzales, Ariana Svenson, Angie Hodder and Adam Collins represent the countries of Peru, Australia, and Canada respectively.

We sell fairly traded, authentic, traditional Andean Textiles. These hand-woven fabrics are made using ancient traditional methods practiced by the indigenous Quechua people of the Peruvian Andes.

Traditional Andean weaving in Peru involves the shearing of organic fiber from herds of free range alpaca and sheep; the washing and dyeing of the fiber using natural dyes (from insects, plants, and minerals of the region) and local plant-based soaps; hand-spinning of the fiber into thread using the drop spindle; and the weaving of cloth using the ancient back-strap and four post looms. Woven items feature superb iconography specific to the mountain communities in the Sacred Valley region of Peru.

Threads of Peru funds and conducts weaving workshops in three rural Andean communities, which develop a better understanding of production for an international market, and broaden the use of traditional methods. We also administer a nutrition program for the Reach Out Children's Fund, as part of our mandate is to collaborate with other organizations to improve the effectiveness of development efforts in the region.

Threads of Peru also offers a 14 day tour of Peru, which offers a panoramic view of the past, present and future of traditional Andean textiles. From the museums of Lima and the islands of Lake Titicaca, to the indigenous communities of the Sacred Valley and the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu, this textile-focused tour reveals how important woven threads are to the fabric of Peruvian culture.  Click for Tour Info.

Peru, its people and their traditions are a vast and beautiful part of our world. They are connected to us - as we all are connected - through the common threads of fabric and fibre art. None of us can know it all, and we are happy to be included in this community; to learn and share in its collective strength.

Mission:  Threads of Peru supports Quechua weavers of Peru and their ancient textile traditions. By connecting weavers to an international market for their craft, we help to preserve their ancient culture and provide communities with important economic opportunity.

Threads of Peru offers high quality clothing, accessories and home decor which fit contemporary lives and fashions. Our products are created using traditional methods of hand production, which are environmentally sustainable, and serve to preserve the rich cultural heritage of the descendants of the Inca.


Location:  Peru
Online shops:  Threads of Peru on eBay
Blog: Threads of Peru
Other Social Media:  Twitter, Squidoo
Languages spoken:  English, Spanish

Threads of Peru

Authentic Andean Textiles from Threads of Peru - Angie Hodder on Vimeo.

Tags:  Peruvian textiles, alpaca scarf, wool belt, table runner, shawl, woven handbag, native clothes, indigenous decor, andean art, handicrafts Peru 

Hofmonsters

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Hofmonsters

Hi!  My name is Vanessa Orantes. I make recycled-sweater monsters, called Hofmonsters.  I have always made things with my hands. I love making and collecting  jewelry, I crochet, and sew. I love material, especially natural fibers. Hofmonsters came out of this love.

I started collecting natural fiber sweaters, going to all my local antique stores to find vintage and antique buttons, and I started sewing!

I want kids and adults to have toys that they will remember (and hopefully keep) their whole lives. Toys that are as unique and individual as they are. All Hofmonsters are made of 100% natural fiber recycled sweaters. They are stuffed with Eco fiber fill (made from corn!). All buttons are either vintage or antique .

 Mission:  To make Eco-conscious, earth friendly toys for children and adults.

Location:  Willits, California, USA

Online shop:  Hofmonsters

Language spoken:  English

Hofmonsters, All Recycled with Eco Fiber!

Tags:  recycled, natural fiber-sweaters, vintage buttons, monsters, fiber art doll, Eco fiber fill, one of a kind, handmade, GREEN

FibreHeart

 http://fibreheart.weebly.com/

I am a 34 year old mother of two. 
I am a jack of all trades kind of crafter.
I started needle felting a little over 2 years ago, but put it aside until now.
I have also been crocheting and knitting for many years.

I am a Felting artist.  I make custom and original needle felt sculptures and paintings for you. 

Needle felting is an involved process that was used over 100 years ago.  It involves taking unspun wool and poking it thousands of times with a special needle to make shapes.

I love the old school feel whenever I make a sculpture.  Even though the tools and techniques are more modern you can never shake that feeling:)

I research all commissions with your pictures and pictures from Google and Yahoo.  Nothing is copied.  Pictures are used for reference only.  Every piece is carefully handmade.  It is a long process but the results are the beautiful sculptures and paintings you see here.

Artist's Statement:  All things Fibre, Made from the Heart-FibreHeart.  

Location:  Ontario, Canada

Online shop:  firbreheart

Social media:  Twitter

Languages spoken:  English

Needle Felted Pets by FibreHeart

Tags:  Needle felt, dogs, wool, pet lovers, handmade, sculptures, OOAK, cats, pets, gifts

Stephanie Forsyth

 

http://www.thefibernation.com

I am a fiber artist with a degree in graphic design from Minneapolis Business College. I have always been attracted to the tactile nature of fabrics and fibers. As a child, I would used scraps from the clothes my mother and grandmother were making in order to make clothes and tiny quilts for my Barbies.

I began learning traditional quilting in 1995, making simple square piece flannel blankets. While I was earning my degree in graphic design in 2001-2002 I began to make art quilts rather than traditional pieced quilts. I was excited to see how I could apply the design principles I was learning, into fiber form.

The vast majority of my pieces are centered around or inspired by nature. I draw from the flora and fauna I find from trips around the country, as well as in my own backyard. I prefer dyeing my fabrics to mix with batiks in order to attain the desired colors for the most impact in my quilts. Color is the biggest factor in a piece for me, and something I spend a lot of time planning and testing in a piece, as I rely a lot on color play for contrast in my pieces.

I mix contemporary and traditional methods of quilt making, from fused applique to hand quilting in order to achieve the particular look or feel to a piece I am striving to attain. I also incorporate embellishments to give my pieces more depth; needle felted roving, angelina fibers, paint, inks, or anything that will give the visual impact I am striving for. I try to apply mindfulness (complete engagement) to the design and construction of my pieces. It is my desire that the view is left with a deeper appreciation of colors in nature, as well as with a renewed sense of hope and calmness.

I do open studios in my home studio and take part in art crawls. 

Artist's Statement:  I experiment with color and contrast, applying the knowledge I gained through graphic design into my artwork. I love pulling colors from nature to use in my work, and most of my work is representational of the natural world in some way or another.

Location:  Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA

Online shops:  

   stephanieforsyth on Etsy

   StephanieForsyth on Art Fire 

   stephanieforsyth direct sales on website

Blogs:  thefibernation, stephanieforsyth

Memberships:

   Minnesota Contemporary Quilters
   SAQA
   Textile Center Minnesota

Languages spoken:  English 

 "Eden Prairie: Wetlands and Tree 9" by Stephanie Forsyth

Tags:  hand dyed, simple, elegant, nature, colorful, zen, contrasting, playful, experimental, fun 

Jwrobel

http://jwrobel.com/

I have always been fascinated by fabrics and textiles.  Something about them just resonates.  Color and texture combine to not only create beauty, but function, as well.  While I work in and am enthralled by the exploration of numerous fiber techniques, knitting, in particular, seems magical to me.  The ability to create something from nothing is inspiring.  That I can sit with a ball of string and turn it into a piece that provides beauty, warmth, comfort, and usefulness all at once is awing.  I wait in rapt attention for each piece to descend from my needles.  Manipulating and combining my textiles with my experience in costuming, papercraft, and surface design is a never ending and enthralling pursuit. 

The pieces I create are all one of a kind or made to order pieces, created by one real person for another.  My design aesthetic is an amalgam of my bohemian and vintage sensibilities with a dose of classic design.  A retro/mod type of feel makes an appearance from time to time, too.   My inspiration is vast and varied:  sometimes it's from a textile, image, or museum artifact, sometimes a color or a texture.  Life experience is a frequent influential contributor.   I source my materials to be organic, fair trade, recycled, and/or re-purposed.   Frequently, my fabrics and yarns come from other artisans who work in small, exquisitely executed batches, who also maintain an environmentally friendly mind-set. This makes ""one of a kind"" an even truer description of some of my pieces.   Through my work and studio I seek to marry creative inspiration with mindful business practices to contribute to the strength of a meaningful community of artisans and the people we create for. In all, I aspire to make beautiful things for you.  

Thank you-
Jess

Artist's Statement:  Through my work I seek to create beautiful things for my clients in a way that is kind and respectful to our environment and communities, while fulfilling my own creative vision.  I further hope to contribute to an increasing sense of value of artisan work of all kinds by strengthening the dialog between artists and the people we create for.

Location:  Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA

Online shops:  

   Jwrobel
   broodbaby
   JwrobelStudio
Blog:  jwrobel

Languages spoken:  English

Knitted Hoodie by Jwrobel

Tags:  organic, natural, baby, clothes, accessories, bags, purses, eco-friendly, hats,  gifts

Green Baboon Designs

www.greenbaboondesigns.etsy.com

After the birth of my son, something shifted inside me.  A longing to create a home full of softness and comfort.  A safe haven for him free of harsh chemicals, toxic plastic toys, and commercialism.  A place where he could play gently, use his imagination, and engage in his surroundings and in nature.  

It was in that line of thinking, and with my husband's urging that I opened my Etsy store, Green Baboon Designs in November of 2009.   I wanted all my materials to be as natural as possible consisting of items that came from the earth, the plants, and the animals.   My hope was for all my creations to be things I would gladly place in my home, and that I would be proud to send to others' homes as well. 

I specialize in needle felted acorns, needle felted soft sculpture figures and paper star lanterns.  All items that are eco-friendly, biodegradable, safe for little ones and Big Ones who care for them.  

I draw upon my fine arts background to guide me through a new design process and gather my inspiration for new creations from my son - experiencing the world and all her mysteries through his eyes. 

-Danita Berg

Mission: At Green Baboon Designs we specialize in felted acorns, paper star lanterns, and natural and felted toys. Green Baboon Designs creates unique, eco-friendly items for your home in the Waldorf tradition using only the finest wool paper products.  All of our items are inspired by nature and made with love.

Location:  Portland, Oregon, USA

Online shop:  greenbaboondesigns

Blog:  homemadeserenity

Membership:  Crafting in Color Team on Etsy

Languages spoken:  English

 Needle felted dolls by Green Baboon Designs

Tags:  felt acorns, felted acorns, needle felted acorns, needle felted mama dolls, felted pregnant dolls, felted figures, paper lanterns, Waldorf Star Lanterns, felted toys

Dragon House of Yuen

www.dragonhouseofyuen.etsy.com

I have always loved animals and have spent my whole life with many wonderful friends so it was only natural for my art to feature my first love. I have a great affinity with hares, rabbits and all kinds of deer and antelopes.

I also love to write and have incorporated my short stories with my textile soft sculptures to give each one a positive and hopeful story.  My stories always carry some sort of sage advice or small wisdoms.

I create my sculptures so that they all come alive with endearing personalities and quaint traits and when you look into their glistening eyes you can feel that they are alive too.

To me the most important aspect of appreciating art is to enjoy and love what you see so all my creations come from my heart and hopefully will bring a smile to your face and will touch your heart.

My fine art is exhibited in local galleries in Scotland

-Annette Tait

Artist's Statement:  I am committed to making the world a better place by sharing my deep love of animals and hope that all who are touched by my work are also inspired to care for and love the animals of this fragile planet, and in turn protect and respect our planet.

I use as many vintage and not-new and thrift materials as possible in my work and recycle and reuse all my packing materials. I particularly love printed fabrics of animals and Scottish tweeds.

I am dedicated to my art and will only ever create positive works that spread love and hope and encourage others to do the same so that their lives and hearts may be enriched.

Location: Edinburgh, Scotland

Online Shops:

   dragonhouseofyuen  (Etsy)
   dragonhouseofyuen (web)
   hare-preservation-trust.co.uk/shop
       (Hare Preservation Trust's website)

Blog: dragonhouseofyuen

Membership: Artisan Gallery Team  (Etsy)

Languages spoken:  English, rusty Russian

 "Baby Squirrels", Soft Sculpture by the Dragon House of Yuen

Tags: hares,  rabbits, adorable, inspirational, caring, tweeds, vintage cottons, squirrels, soft sculptures, companions

Orit Dotan

 

www.etsy.com/shop/oritdotandolls

I am a Waldorf handwork and crafts teacher, doll artist and art therapist.  I teach sewing, knitting, needle felting, weaving, wet felting and wool painting, using soft, natural materials in my creations.  I recently discovered a love for buttons and started to use them in my work as well as selling them.  (See my second Etsy shop.)

I used to teach at Waldorf schools and at the seminar for training Waldorf teachers in Jerusalem.  I recently opened a private school where I work with young teachers, children, mothers and grandmothers.

As a teacher, I believe I have to be the example of how to create so I practice with making every single item I teach.  In this way, teaching and creating handwork and crafts in the Waldorf tradition are both my inner development and my occupation too.  I have taught for over 30 years now and needed a change.  So, I started my first e-shop as a hobby, as a way to study new skills [computer and English].  I was amazed to see that people liked what I created!  It encouraged me to go on with it-  and here we are...  Now I am a seller, too.  You never know what tomorrow will bring or where your destiny will lead you.

Artist's statement:  I believe Waldorf dolls provide healing forces for the child.  The love and warmth which is involved in the creation of these kinds of dolls streams to the doll in the process of creating and the child can feel it.  I can tell you from my experience that hyperactive children who did not sleep well began to sleep all night when their mothers created a waldorf doll for them. Also, the process of creating these dolls is therapeutic for the adults, as it is a process that requires forces from the soul which are different from any other creation i know...  It calls the creator to be in touch more deeply with their own inner powers.

Location: Israel

Online shops: oritdotandolls, oritdotan

Memberships: 

    Naturalkids team on Etsy
    Needlefelters team at Etsy
Languages spoken: Hebrew, English

 Waldorf Natural Dolls by Israeli Artist, Orit Dotan

Tags: Waldorf, dolls, felting, needle felt, sewing, painting, wool, buttons, vintage, hand painted