DreamWoven

http://dreamwoven.com

DreamWoven provides an uncommon space for your head.

I am a designer with a penchant for hats. My items have been sold to every type of person imaginable. From Divas to Drag Queens, Fashionistas to Home Grown Dread Wearers, to women of Pristine Condition and men of Worldly Charm. Runways to Festivals, from next door to 7000 miles away.

We all need a special place for our head.

My work can be found at Fine Craft Studio, Paso Robles, California.

Location:  Paso Robles, California, USA

Online shops:

   DreamWoven.com
   DreamWoven on Etsy
   DreamWoven on Facebook

Blog:  DreamWoven

Other Social Media:  LinkedIn

Memberships:   

   Studios on the Park
   Paso Robles Art Assocation
Languages spoken:  English

Art For Your Head by DreamWoven

Tags: hat, hats, headwear, couture, accessories, dreads, wool, felt, handmade, milliner, hat designer, dreadlocks, hand dyed wool,

ColourSpun, Dana Biddle

www.colourspun.com

I'm a fibreholic - slightly off beat, dancing to my own tune, a whizz at multi-tasking - I juggle being a wife; mother; fibre artist; consulting editor - textiles for Stitches magazine; indie dyer and owner of “ColourSpun – Natural Designer Yarns”; creative workshop presenter; speaker; author of ""A Knitting Adventure with South African Yarn""... and anything else that takes my fancy.

My days are spent in my studio - dyeing, knitting, spinning, stitching, dreaming up projects for Stitches, making fibre art.... just generally having fun. I have my perfect life!

All my ColourSpun yarn is coloured by hand, so each skein is imbued with my creative energy and will have its own unique characteristics.  I only use the finest quality, locally grown merino wool roving and yarn, kid mohair and pure cotton: the dyes are the most earth friendly available and have excellent wash fast and light fast properties. My studio is a smoke free and pet free environment and I use methods that use the minimum amount of water and sun stoves to dye the yarn.

I am a member of Fibreworks and my work has been exhibited at home in South Africa, in the U.K., Brazil, Europe, U.S.A., Japan and New Zealand. I have work published in a number of books including Innovative Threads - A Decade of South African Fibre Art by Liza Gillespie and 1000 Artisan Textiles by Sandra Salamony and Gina M Brown.

Artist's statement:  I am not one of those artists who use their work to make profound statements. I don’t plan my work to express deep feelings or beliefs. Mostly, I am inspired by the beauty in things, sometimes in people, sometimes in nature and often in the materials I love to work with. The pieces I make often seem to create themselves as they develop and evolve into something completely different to what I have in mind at the start. I don’t follow rules but do believe that if something is worth doing it is worth doing well and stop if you’re not having fun.

ColourSpun's mission is to produce the best quality, natural, earth friendly fibre and yarn - filled with creative energy to give joy and pleasure to everyone who works with it.

Location:  Heidelberg, Gauteng, South Africa

Online shops:  ColourSpun, ColourSpun on Etsy

Blogs:  ColourSpun, The News Thread

Other social media: Linkedin, In 2 crafts, Ravelry, Twitter 

Memberships:  Fibreworks

Languages spoken:  English, Afrikaans

Hand-dyed eco yarns by ColourSpun of South Africa

Tags:   hand crafted, textiles, hand spun, fibre art, jewellery, soft sculpture, yarn, felt, knitting, hand dyed

MarketPlace: Handwork of India

www.marketplaceindia.com

MarketPlace: Handwork of India is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing economic opportunities for women artisans in India, and empowering them to bring about changes in their lives, the lives of their families, and their communities.

Our clothes are rooted in a long tradition of artisan work, rather than based on fleeting trends. Reflecting classic styling, our designs are fresh and versatile.

“Leadership By Design” sums up our strategy. Planning and controlling every aspect of production has given women basis skills that they use in planning other aspects of their lives and taking initiatives in community actions, their children’s schools, and changing relationships between them and their husbands and children, especially their daughters.

Women are involved in design workshops, executing plans for production, the entire quality control, and managing the transfer of skills. MarketPlace is currently working with 14 cooperatives, representing over 480 artisans, most of who are women. The clothing and textile products made by these groups are marketed in the U.S. through an attractive catalog, website and a number of specialty and clothing stores. Sales in the U.S. in 2008 was almost $1 million.

Location: Evanston, Illinois, USA
Online shop: marketplaceindia
Blog: marketplacehandworkofindia
Memberships: MarketPlace is well recognized in the Fair Trade Movement and was one of the founding members of the Fair Trade Federation and is a member of the World Fair Trade Organization.
Social Media: Twitter, YouTube
Languages spoken: English

Reversible jackets by MarketPlace: Handwork of India

Tags: fair trade, veggie dyes, embroidered clothing, cotton clothing, Indian clothing, economic development, Mumbai, SHARE

Inkyspider - Morgen Bardati

www.inkyspider.etsy.com

My name is Morgen Bardati and I am a textile artist and designer living in the mountainous Kootenay region of British Columbia in Canada. My home is in a tiny village nestled next to the Slocan Lake across from the beautiful pristine wilderness of Valhalla Park.

I enjoy working with a mixed media of traditional and innovative textile design techniques on natural fibers including cotton, linen, hemp, silk and wool. I use dye, shibori, screen printing, painting, sewing and piecing to transform cloth into garments, accessories, housewares and bags.  My passion for the environment inspires me to make use of repurposed fabric as much as possible in my clothing and accessories.

Artist's Statement:  My early inspiration comes from first memories: the red dirt, bold patterns and vibrancy of Africa where I was born and raised.  I am  inspired by nature, culture, pattern and geometry.

My designs have a universal, personal and tribal resonance. I like to design garments and textiles that celebrate our cultural diversity and our connection to nature. I express this through vibrant and earthy colour, pattern, movement and texture. Many of the techniques and materials used in my textiles have roots in cultural traditions used worldwide. It is important to me that we preserve these traditions from cultural extinction so that we may continue to expand on them with new innovations and personal expression.

I began as a mixed media painter and printmaker, receiving my arts education in South Africa. I had been working with surface designed textiles for 18 years, doing mostly t-shirts for markets and fairs. In 2005 I decided to really make the switch from painting to fiber arts and attended the Kootenay School of Art in Nelson, BC where I took courses in pattern drafting, clothing design, and reconstruction techniques. I enjoy deconstructing discarded jackets and coats and redesigning them, adding new linings and usually some accents of surface design techniques. I continue to explore organic fabrics and natural source dyes.

Location: New Denver,British Columbia,Canada

Online shop:  inkyspider

Blog:  whatdoesthegoldenmean

Other social media:  Twitter

Memberships:

   Surface Design Association
   Total Art Soul

Languages spoken:  English

 Japanese Inspired Tunic designed and constructed

by Morgen Bardati

Tags: surface design, shibori, screenprinting, hand dyed, natural fiber, reconstructed, wearable art, canada, nature inspired, geometry

Wrapture by Inese

http://www.inesedesign.com/Home.html

I travel through different genres of art and design, depending on circumstances... I can easily adapt. People who know me and have seen my work recognize me through my colors and sense of whimsy. My textile design experience grew from working in fashion design. Glassblowing started as ceramics ended. A move to Europe drew me into interior design, but the economy gave me the opportunity to go back to knitwear, this time with all my years of textile design experience to back it up. I welcome new opportunities that give me a chance to use all the knowledge I have collected over the years. I love giving joy whether it is a new life to an old home or the perfect knit wrap that gives your eyes a sparkle and makes you look and feel beautiful.

I designed knitwear as a way of making a living after graduating from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Prodded on by a friend I bought a knitting machine and developed a mohair mobius strip shawl long enough to fit comfortably wrapped twice around the neck. At a craft fair a woman pulled one of the loops of the double wrap up over her head and asked ""is this how you wear it?"" My reaction was, how did you do that, show me, yes of course that's it, that's exactly it! I sold thousands of those wraps.

I moved to San Francisco, worked for others, then five years ago I moved to Riga, Latvia, my parents' homeland, and vowed to never have a full time job again. Freelance CAD textile design work was a joy until the economy crashed. I remembered my mobius wraps of 25 years back, reinvented them, adding width to make a stole, and colorful stripes to make them unrepeatable. 

Artist's statement:  I play with colors, these are my sketches. Each wrap is as unique as the individual who wears it. Distinct and unrepeatable.  If you visit Riga, I often participate in craft fairs in Old Town. My Facebook fan page has the latest updates.

Every day when I go to my knitting machine I have no idea what will happen, what colors will appear, what moods will be revealed. I just go with the flow...

Enjoy!

Location:  Riga, Latvia, Europe

Online shop:  WrapturebyInese

Languages spoken:  English, Latvian and enough German to find the train station and to sell a wrap

 Multi-functional Knitted Wraps by Inese

Tags:  knitwear, textiles, CAD, fashion design, color, textures, wraps, accessories, interiors, home textiles, one of a kind, ooak, hand loomed

Line Dufour

"Osmosis" Handwoven tapestry by Line Dufour
www.tapestryline.com

I am a fiber artist and tapestry weaver who is interested in having exhibitions in public and private galleries. I  welcome those who would like to commission a site specific work or purchase existing tapestries. I also create unique one of a kind fibre fashion accessories using a variety of techniques such as weaving, knitting, felting and sewn constructions.  I have a studio and show room. The Guild Shop in Toronto also carries my work.

Artist's Statement:  To be whole, is described as being healthy, entire; recovered from a wound or injury; restored; free of defect or impairment; mentally and emotionally sound; constituting an undivided unit; constituting a person in their full nature; not having omitted or disregarded anything; a coherent system or organization of parts working together as one; Referenced from Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary

I have been exploring emotion  through colour, shape and form with my weaving and fibre related activities and I have been continuously experimenting with various materials within the structure of weaving or inspired by it. My own great need to be creative through fibre and tapestry weaving is a vital part of who I am and what I do. 

The two distinct groups of weavings are united in their theme – giving visual expression to the wide range of human emotion and states, and this includes our shadow/dark side as well as our more pleasant emotions. The pleasant emotions, the Well Being series,  are shown as bright and intense colours, simple in their composition and convey the lightness and buoyancy they bring to our spirit, body and energy.  Our darker side/reflective side is represented by the pieces in the Turbulence group, and they incorporate black as the dominant colour, and also a three dimensional technical aspect. This dimension of ourselves is more complex, and full of surprises and things to reveal to us if we are receptive and willing to heed its message.  If we  grapple with our inner uncertainties, fears and uncomfortable emotions in a way that honours them, those emotions and thoughts can be transformed and we can grow and change. This is represented in some of my tapestries that are three dimensional which are also interactive and are able to be hung in different configurations.

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Blogs:

   tapestryline
   tapestryworkshops
   linedufourevents

Memberships:

   American Tapestry Alliance
   Ontario Craft Council
   Handweavers Guild of America

Languages spoken: English, French

Weaving by Line Dufour

Tags: weaving, tapestry, fiber art, fibre art, wall hangings, fashion accessories

Marge Rohrer Designs

www.margerohrerdesigns.com

I specialize in creating hand-woven accessories for ""the woman who loves to wrap herself in luxury"".  Our elegant collection of  flings, capes and shawls are woven of soft and luscious fibers for a refined, classic look or in more rugged textured yarn for casual wear.  The hand-work and personal touches given to each piece proclaim each a MARGE ROHRER DESIGN.

I've been following the ever elusive thread for 40years, inventing and reinventing myself and my creations.  My husband, David, joins me in MARGE ROHRER DESIGNS as my chief weaver while I am the designer of both fabric and garment. Our studio is nestled amidst a forest of trees and a rippling creek high in the western North Carolina mountains. Nature's beauty constantly inspires us to produce exciting and ever-changing collections of  luxurious hand-woven accessories by MARGE ROHRER DESIGNS.  We would love for YOU to own one.

You can find our work in these shops: The Bascom Art Gallery (Highlands, NC), The Tin Roof Studio (Highlands, NC), and Arrowcraft Shop (Gatlinburg, TN).

Artist's statement:  I love yarn in any shape , size or form. I've been a weaver and designer for 40 years. As I will be morphing into my eighth decade of life this fall I find myself not only continuing the designing and creating of our luxury collections of accessories but yearning to play with other fiber techniques and mixing them all together in new shapes and forms.  Patterns and rigid techniques do not interest me, I want to indulge in a dialog between  ideas, materials and techniques to tame the beautiful, elusive threads to bend to my heart's desire. 


Location:  Highlands, North Carolina, USA

Social Media: facebook, twitter
Memberships:
   Southern Highland Craft Guild
   The Bascom Art Gallery    
   Highlands Chamber of Commerce
Languages spoken: English

"Fling", Handwoven shawl by Marge Rohrer Designs

Tags: hand-woven, fashion, accessories, luxury, flings, butterfly capes, hats, needle felting, rayon yarns, novelty yarns, shawls

Rosemary Boyd / Plumfish Creations

www.plumfish.etsy.com

I have always loved to create. I can't remember a time when I didn't knit or crochet or sew. My grandmother had the enthusiasm and patience to teach me when I was very young - but more importantly she shared her fascination with every stitch I created; showed her excitement and eager anticipation as each piece unfolded; and jubilantly celebrated every completed work.

I love vibrant colours, and rich textures... colours that ask to be noticed and textures that long to be touched.

The accessories I make are sometimes said to be flamboyant and lively - an expression of a part of me, that is otherwise hidden beneath a conservative quiet exterior.

I have long had a dream to develop a career where I would have the opportunity to showcase and sell my own designs, but have previously lacked the confidence to take the first step. In recent years this desire has grown stronger, and the passion for creating has become almost overwhelming.  I have been encouraged by many to pursue my dream, and inspired by my beautiful artist daughter, to freely explore and express every spirit filled emotion and idea - whether fleeting or enduring.

I often feel that my art takes on a life of its own, and somehow creates itself...


Location: Perth, Western Australia
Online shop: plumfish
Languages spoken: English

 "Silk Boa", Wearable Art by Plumfish Creations

Tags:  silk scarves, accessories, wraps, bags, clothing, fabric jewelry

Something Else Studio

www.somethingelsestudio.com

"I'm living my Dreams :)  As a full time artisan I have the sheer joy of getting up each morning and working in my studio to create wearable art in the form of purses, pockets  and renaissance inspired accessories.  I have many more ideas then I have time to create them, so I look forward to bringing to my festivals new items and new designs each season.  When I set off to college as a returning adult student seventeen years ago I had every intention of becoming an Art & Skills For Living school teacher, but somewhere along the way I ran off and joined a very talented group of gypsies know as renaissance festival artisans!  It is a lot of work to create, promote and manufacture your own designs for my festivals and websites, but it's an adventure I wouldn't trade for anything.  So follow your dreams and BELIEVE in the magic of our own creative soul. 

~ I am a self-supporting artist. With hard working hands & a creative heart I have crafted into reality my dreams with imagination and perseverance. Thank you for supporting my journey ~"

Find me at Sterling Renaissance Festival, Sterling, NY  USA  and The Maryland Renaissance Festival, Crownville, MD  USA.

Artist's statement:  "In 1995 I opened my design studio where my love for art, history and imagination could all take flight. I works out of my home studio creating enchanted accessories for  Renaissance, Faerie & Art Festivals.

With the focus on accessories as wearable art, I design a very unique look that transform the wearer from function to Fancy.  Each One-of-A-Kind creation brings it's own enchanting finishing touch, all handcrafted with extra attention to every detail.

I have been creating for 30 years, gaining experience with medieval design by making costumes for Renaissance Festivals. I have spent time doing quilting, fabric dyeing, crewel, beadwork, and photography, all of which I employed when my son decided on a medieval-themed wedding. Now I use all of my diverse skills to offer you all the services of a medieval guild.

I graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a Bachelors Degree in Fine Art with a focus on graphic design and drawing. I love working in mixed media with painting, textiles, murals, photography, and plaster relief paintings on wood, resulting in dimensional artwork. Some of my painting become interactive as viewers open doors or press buttons to interact with the artwork."

-Jannelle Olmstead

Location: Palmyra, New York, USA

Online shops:

   Something Else Studio

   SEStudio on Etsy 

Memberships:

   Arts Cultural Council for Greater Rochester
   American Crafts Council
   Etsy Fantasy Artists Team 

Languages spoken: english & ren speak :)

Wearable Art by Something Else Studio

Tags:  purses, pocket, bag, wearable art, fabric painting, mixed media, fantasy, whimsical, original designs, historical

Roselle Abramowitz

www.roselleabramowitz.com

For 18 years in Stowe, Vermont, I have created handpainted kimonos.  I use the “T” shape of the kimono as my canvas.  My pieces are presented to the public through galleries, art consultants and interior designers. The drama and delicacy of these art kimonos create stunning abstract art installations.

Artist's Statement: The form of the kimono has inspired my art.  They are presented as abstract handpainted works of art, made on natural silk.

My kimonos are an eclectic mix of the past and present, influenced by travel, life and art.  'Is it not beauty we love in man-made things?' 

Soaking up imagery from unexpected sources has influenced my painterly designs.   My inspirations lead me on a journey of color, abstractness, and playfulness.  I never know exactly where a piece is headed when I set out to create it.  My spirit of adventure is clearly evident in these works, which create stunning abstract art installations.

I live and work amongst the natural beauty of Stowe, VT.  My studio, with a center cupola, overlooks the Worchester Mountains to the east and my pond to the west. The snowy winters, changing to lush greenery and the blossoms in summer all find their way into my heart.

Being self-taught certainly has contributed to my artistic uniqueness.  Life, art and children are inextricable parts of the whole.  I fully enjoy my three children and eight grandchildren- 'the essence of life.'

Location: Stowe, Vermont, USA

Blog: Roselle-Artwear

Memberships:

   Member of the Stowe Area Association
   Helen Day Arts Center, Stowe, Vermont
   Member of the Vermont Craft Council

Languages spoken: English, French

Handpainted kimono by Roselle Abramowitz

 

Tags: Art on the Wall, Long Kimonos. Handpainted on Silk, Stowe, Vermont, One-of-a-kind

TAMMACHAT Natural Textiles

 www.tammachat.com

handwoven beauty ~ fairly traded

TAMMACHAT Natural Textiles is a fair trade social enterprise based in Nova Scotia, Canada. The co-founders, Ellen Agger (photo) and Alleson Kase, are passionate about handwoven, naturally dyed textiles and about supporting the women in rural Thailand and Laos who create them. These skills - passed down from mother to daughter for generations - are now at risk of being lost, especially the skills of creating hand-reeled silk yarns. We support this small-scale, village-based sericulture and the organic production of these silk yarns by accessing markets for this work in North America and beyond. Each year, we travel extensively in Thailand and Laos, meeting with women's weaving groups and development projects that work with village groups, collaborating on new designs, learning from each other. The work is rewarding, the women sericulturists, dyers and weavers are highly skilled artisans and the textiles -- truly "slow fashion" -- are beautiful.

We organize fair trade eco-textile events.
We wholesale to select shops that value fair trade and art quality, handcrafted textiles.

Mission:  TAMMACHAT’s naturally dyed silks and cottons combine contemporary styling with traditional skills to bring you timeless fashion accessories and home décor. Each piece is exquisitely handwoven in limited editions. Each purchase helps a woman artisan in rural Thailand or Laos celebrate and sustain her culture, family and community.

What's most important to us is:

• to support women artisans through fair trade (including building long-term relationships and ongoing commitments)
• to support their efforts to use sustainable practices that protect their environments and their health, and
• to help preserve these cultural traditions.

Location:  Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada
Online stores:    
   TAMMACHAT 
   Etsy 
   BLURB photo books 
   Ethical Ocean
   Source 4 Style  

Blog:  TAMMACHAT Natural Textiles

Other Social Media:  
   Twitter

   YouTube
   LinkedIn 
   Ethical Fashion Forum

Memberships: 

  SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates)
  Nova Scotia Designer Crafts Council
  BALLE-Nova Scotia (Business Alliance for Local Living Economies)
  Ethical Fashion Forum
Languages spoken: English, a little Thai, Italiano, Français

Eri silk scarf from central Thailand. Handspun silk, natural dyes.

From TAMMACHAT Natural Textiles. 

TAMMACHAT Natural Textiles on Facebook

Tags:  weaving, handwoven, naturally dyed, social enterprise, fair trade, organic, silk, cotton, Thailand, Laos

Urbanknit

www.urbanknit.com

Urbanknit is my on-going love affair with colours and patterns. I love to make stuff! I love bright and bold colours and shapes that are also simple and functional. My main focus is on creating handmade accessories for those with a taste for something different.

Each hand-made piece is created to give the wearer the satisfaction of uniqueness and also to provide everyday accessories to complement various styles and reinforce the spirit of individuality.

I enjoy what I do and hope you do, too.

-Dolapo James

Artist's Statement:   Urbanknit is a design collective started by me,  Dolapo James, with the aim of providing fresh and interesting handmade fashion accessories; bags and scarves, that are unique and offer the wearer a sense of individuality.

From handbags and purses in bright African prints and batiks, to handknitted, there is something for everyone who'd like something a little bit different.

New designs, shapes and styles are added regularly and I am constantly exploring and experimenting with new ideas.

Each piece is carefully and lovingly put together by hand and one of my most important goals is ensuring that no two items are the same.

Location:  London, United Kingdom

Online Stores:   

     Urbanknit, Etsy,  Big Cartel, Not On The High Street  
Blog:  Urbanknit
Other Social Media:  Twitter, MySpace
Memberships: UK Handmade Network. Indiepublic

Languages spoken: English, Yoruba

Accessories by Urbanknit

Urbanknit on Facebook

Tags:  knit, chunky, wool, batik, clutch, tote, tie dye, woven, colourful, print

Jane Porter

www.porterstudioshamilton.com

I am an independent fashion designer, lover of textiles, a weaver, spinner and dyer (natural dyes). I love to create unique accessories with unusual fabrics. I am of Armenian heritage and often incorporate vintage textiles from my grandmothers in my work. I also love collage and working with dry mineral pigments, which allows me to experiment with many different mediums.

The Pre-Raphaelites played a large part in shaping my outlook, as I was an English major in college. I also love cats, big and small, especially Siamese.

Many things inspire me--people who do their best at whatever they do; the art, music and crafts of different cultures; beautiful plants, trees flowers and shells. I enjoy collaborating with other artists and like the energy that is exchanged.

Mission:  To explore, promote and create interesting, beautiful, and cutting edge textiles using natural fibers, pigments and dyes.

 

Embroidered Tulle Scarf by Jane Porter

Location: Chadds Ford, PA and Hamilton, NY  (USA)

Online stores: Jane TexCat, Tangled Lair, Vintage Siamese
Brick and mortar: Porter Studios and Fine Arts Gallery  
Blog: Porter Studios
Other social media:  Flickr 
Memberships:  Philadelphia Guild of Handweavers
Languages spoken: English

Wild Feminine Fiber by Jane Porter on Facebook

Tags: textile, silk, vintage kimono, handwoven, handknit, handspun, fiber, fabric, natural dyes, felted


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