Lente Julcsi

http://kovacsnejulcsi.blogspot.com

My name is Júlia Lente.I live in the heart of Europe, in Hungary with my family.

I inherited the love of sewing from my Great-grandmother: she was a seamstress. At first I made toys and blankets.  Today I mainly create jewelry, bags and other accessories.  My creations are usually made from fabric and felt and are embellished with embroidery, beads and crocheting.  I love to have a needle in my hand and a thimble on my finger and I am delighted when I can create. I like bright colours, soft lines, the shiny and smooth surface of beads and the touch of yarn and fabrics. My work is inspired by nature, colours, shapes and feelings.

I think recycling is very important therefore I often work with used but high quality materials, thus protecting the environment.

 

Location:  Maklár, Hungary, Europe

Online shop:  LenteJulcsi

Blog:  kovacsnejulcsi

Languages spoken:  Hungarian, English

Embroidered Jewelry and Accessories by Lente Julcsi, Hungary

Tags:   needlecraft, recycling, handmade, wool felt, freeform hand crocheting, free machine embroidery, home decor

Design Talented One

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

I love colors and whatever possible colors can go into a creation.  I sell supplies on Etsy and started out with yarns, then moved into silk sari ribbon, silk cocoons, silk sari ribbon yarns, cording and rope.  I will recycle saris and rip them into a ribbon and then create by knitting or crocheting it into something wonderful.  If I can't find a color I need I will dye it using environmentally safe dyes. 

I found a fair trade supplier in India who is now working on ribbons and silk thrum yarns for me.  I decided that it would be nice to share this love and supply that I have on Etsy and it has really taken off, leading me to meet other wonderful artists.  Sitting at the table, I think back, never in my dreams imagining that I could share this with others and have it grow into a live business as it has.  

I make purses, accessories and clothing that are out of the ordinary.  When you work with fibers and silk sari ribbon you step outside of the box!

Artist statement:  I hope to provide a creative vision, guidance, knowledge, motivation and inspiration to all ages.  While heightening passion for fiber art I hope to push the boundaries of silk sari ribbon use and fibers in all applications.  I aim to provide joy to those who embrace color and love wearable art.   I love recycling, bringing the old into a new creation.  Through all of this, I hope to understand what the other person sees and feels through my work. 

Location:   Illinois, United States

Online shop:  Design Talented One

Social Media: Ravelry, Facebook 

Languages spoken:  English

Silk Ribbon Supplies by Design Talented One

Tags:   silk sari ribbon, handspun yarns, silk hankies, cocoons, silk, felted items, flowers, jewelry, recycled items, scarves

UpCycleArt

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

I learned how to do locker hooking from a book.  Most of the projects were fabric based, but one used plastic bags.  I tried it out with shopping bags.  Then I started thinking how I could use the plastic newspaper sleeves that we got every day.  Friends, co-workers and family started giving me theirs. 

Normal back and forth on the grid got boring and I began planning designs I could create.  The bags have a wide degree of variation in density, color and hue so I sorted them accordingly.  The ink printed on some of them distracted from my design, so I cut that part out and saved them in case I could use them in another way. 

I have a background in interior design and custom draperies, so neatness is very important.  My designs are supported by quality work to make the best foundation and finish work on them.  The base for most of my designs is 3.5 latch hook canvas.  I hem all four sides, paint the background dictated by my design, and bind all edges with the same plastic I’m using in the piece.  The back is anchored with either silicone sealer or ModPodge.  You can use tiny nail brads in the wall and push the wall hanging onto them.  Otherwise you can use drapery rods and rings or have them framed.  

In the beginning I thought I was making rugs, but soon my admirers assured me that "No, these should be hung on the wall because they are truly an art."  So, my first designs are a bit larger and took quite a long time to make.  Sometimes the size of available canvas left from another work will inspire my design, such as the tree and leaves. 

I have been doing locker hooking since 2009.  I have created about 6 pieces each year.  Working around 2 hours a day on them, it takes between 6 weeks and 3 months to complete a piece.  To help keep from damaging my body with repetitive motion, I also like to do knitting, crocheting, embroidery punch, jewelry design.  Right now I'm growing some cotton for my adventure into spinning cotton for some project in the future.

-Mary Gerstner

Location:  Topeka, Kansas, USA

Online shop:  UpCycleArt

Languages spoken:  English

Locker Hooking with Recycled Plastic Bags by UpCycleArt

Tags:  Locker Hooking, Newspaper Sleeves, Plastic Shopping Bags, Recycle, Upcycle, Reuse, Bright Colors

HEraMade

http://www.selyemfestes.hu/

My name is Era Hódi (HEra). I'm a Hungarian artisan and textile artist. I live with my family in a small town nearby Szeged, Hungary in the heart of Europe. Since my childhood, I've been fascinated by the colors, folk motifs, mystical and mythical world of wonders. I make modern home furnishings and clothes for everyday wear ​​using traditional techniques and natural materials.  They are  made by pursuing those internal expectations of creating miracles by combining patterns and colors. My style is a little antique and romantic.

Artist statement:  My confession is that the textiles are made with love, soul and heart to help all of us live in harmony in today's hectic world. During the long time of making all the handmade pieces, each one of them becomes filled with thoughts and ideas. Each color has a meaning and each motif has an emotional message. As a result, the textiles are filled with soul.  They are warming, protecting and hugging us.

Location:  Szeged, Hungary, Europe

Online shop:  HEraMade 

Blog:  selyempearl

Languages spoken:  English, Hungarian

Silk Painting by HEraMade

Tags:  colors, natural materials, traditional technique, handmade, folk motifs, mystical, mythical, silk painting, textile painting, freeform hand crocheting

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,

Julie Kornblum

Forever Yours, detail, by Julie Kornblum

upholstery piping, waxed linen thread

plastic and metal discards

20" h x 10" w x 5" d             2007

www.juliekornblum.com

I remember always wanting to be an artist as a child, but somehow I never picked up paintbrushes or pencils. I was surrounded in my home by fabrics, needles, thread, and yarn; and I gravitated toward them. I weave, knit, crochet, and make baskets; and love the interplay between textile structures and the colors and textures in the materials. I love using fiber art techniques to create my wall pieces, sculptural baskets, and jewelry. The process is as satisfying as the final product. 

Work available at:  Studio Channel Islands Art Center, Camarillo, California; Textile Art Center, Minneapolis, MN

Artist's Statement:  My work combines the immediate and the ancient. I apply post-modern materials to the centuries-old processes of basketry weaving knitting and crochet. As a fiber artist, I follow the path of a thousand generations of artists from around the world. As a contemporary artist, I'm concerned with how our plastic trash impacts the environment.

My materials are cast off, surplus, or waste: copper wire from the recycle yard; audio cassette tapes that even the thrift store wanted to throw away. Both physically and conceptually, my materials are creations of the modern age. Physically, they are by-products of industrialization.  Conceptually, the notions of disposability and one-time-use are purely modern inventions. I hope to help raise the awareness that leads to reducing our production of trash. 

Location:  Los Angeles, California, USA

Online shops:  JulieKornblumStudio (Etsy, in construction)

   artsthatwork

Blog:  juliekornblum 

Memberships:

   Designing Weavers
   Surface Design Association
   Southern California Women's Caucus for Art

Languages spoken:  English

Copper Lace Cuff by Julie Kornblum

Tags:  weaving, basketry, jewelry, recycling, crochet, beads, copper wire, fiber art, sculpture

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,

Pamela Penney Textile Arts

www.pamelapenney.com

Fiber, textiles, yarn and color have always been an integral part of life for Pamela Penney.  Her mother was an accomplished seamstress and quilter and had a large trunk of fabric that Pam would explore as a young girl.  She loved playing with the colors and the textures. Pam soon begged her mother to teach her to knit and sew at a very young age and both have been a passion for Pam ever since.  In high school Pam began to design and create her own garments combining sewing and knitting techniques.  Her interest in art, color, design, math and physics led Pam to study architecture and get her BA degree in Interior Design.  After several years designing corporate interiors Pam chose to develop her textile art business while at the same time raising her two children and doting on her husband, dog and cat.

Pamela Penney started her business out of her home when her children were young, designing and creating one-of-a-kind garments for women and children.  Using hand and machine knits, hand dyed and hand painted fabrics with crocheted edgings and beaded embellishments, each item became a work of art. In 2003, after several years working at home, Pam opened her studio on Harrison Street in Oak Park, Illinois.  This gave her the opportunity to expand the gallery space to show the artwork of several regional artists as well as offer more classes and improve her own studio working space.  She continues to grow and develop her business in the vibrant and funky Oak Park Arts District just outside of Chicago, Illinois.

Artist's statement:  Finding time to create is essential to my health and well being and I believe it is for everyone.  That is why I feel strongly that I must share my passion with others through teaching the textile art techniques that I find so enjoyable.  I’m interested in exploring a wide variety of techniques and looking for ways to incorporate them together in new and unique ways.  My work combines hand and machine knits, crochet, embroidery, fabric and yarn dying, wet-felting, needle-felting and salvaged woolens and cashmeres.  My credo:  Don’t box me in to one technique!  My current work combines the eco-friendly salvaged fabrics and the beauty of wet felted wools.  I love adding a dimension of hand and machine stitching and beading to give more texture and interest to my felted pieces.
 
In addition to producing her own artwork, Pam has been teaching for over 25 years to both children and adults and loves to ignite the spark of creativity in others.  She finds teaching is a path to continual learning for both her students and for herself.

Location:  Oak Park, Illinois, USA

Online shops: 

   pamelapenney on Etsy
   pamela-penney-textile-arts on smashing darling
   pamelapenney on mybisi

Brick and Mortar:

   Pamela Penney Textile Arts
   130 Harrison Street
   Oak Park, Illinois  60304
   (just outside of Chicago, Illinois)

Blog:  pamelapenney 

Memberships/Important links:

   Illinois Artisan Program
   Oak Park Arts District
   Visit Oak Park

Languages spoken:  English

Art to Wear by Pamela Penney Textile Arts

Tags: fiber art, nuno-felting, multi-media, art-to-wear, textile artist, dyeing, knitting, embellishment, teaching, chicago artist

Nothing But String

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

I am a lover of all things crocheted and knitted.  I currently live in Southern California where I spend most of my time trying to improve my fiber art.  I grew up on the east coast and spent many a day with my Italian grandmother who was a crochet master.  I remember her working on a customer's order with the finest of yarns, making fully lined jackets, skirts and dresses.  Since then I have developed my own style specializing in Irish Crochet thread lace.  I love taking motifs that are over a century old and giving them a new twist for the 21st century. 

Artist's Statement:  I use fine thread and crochet hooks to make rings, bracelets, brooches, necklaces, motifs, buttons and home décor.  I specialize in Irish lace embellishments which I often use to enhance knitted and crocheted scarves, fingerless gloves, and geeky accessories for women and men.

My work reflects and age old cottage industry which was lost but is once again found.

-Emily

Location:  Corona, California, USA

Online Shop:  Nothingbutstring

Languages spoken:  English and Italian

 Nothing But String translates century old crochet 

motifs into new ones!

Tags:  crochet, knitting, accessories, wholesale, fiber jewelry, fingerless gloves, lace, appliques, embellishments

Berniolie

http://berniolie.etsy.com

Hello, I'm Bernadette. As a teenager I learned to sew and was educated as a crafts teacher.  I worked for years with a collective where we sold our own designs and unique lady's clothing.  To have an outlet for my creativity my next logical step was to start working for a circus and design and make costumes.

Around 1990 I started to knit and crochet again, in my free time. I learned it at a very young age from my mother.  I found this so inspirational that I opened my Etsy shop in 2008 to have a place to share my creations.  I make shawls, shrugs and capelets. In my newest creations, I insert pearls.

While I knit or crochet, all kinds of ideas pop up in my head.  Inspired by color, yarn or a texture from my enviroment. I also convert my designs to patterns.

Artist's statement:  I love the magic when with only a hook, two needles and yarn something beautiful arises.

Location:  Groningen, The Netherlands

Online shops:

   berniolie on etsy
   bernioliesdesigns on etsy
   berniolie on artfire

Memberships:  Ravelry

Languages spoken:  Dutch, English and German 

Pearl Shawl by Berniolie

Tags:  Knitting, crochet, shawls, shrugs, patterns, gems, yarn, thread, accessories, unique

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

Renate Kirkpatrick - rensfibreart

 

 http://rensfibreart.wordpress.com

Simply put, I’m in love with fibre, colour and texture.

I’m a proud Aussie, living in the sub-tropics where the crystal ocean, grainy sands and textured rainforests are never-ending inspirations. I incorporate all types of fibre into my work, from natural to synthetics, and will try anything to achieve the effects I’m after.

Although I’ve traveled many fibre/texture/colour roads, exploring Handmade Paper, both recycled and plant fibre (cellulous) and Rag Rugging, Freeform Crochet/Knitting is where I’m at right now. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t exploring the fibre arts in one form or another and I expect it to go on and on for some time yet.

However, I’m not limited to the unusual… I also design easy to read crochet patterns and have two published craft books available world wide – ‘Crochet Techniques’ – 'Freeform Crochet and Beyond'.

Artist Statement:  An artist by nature but a teacher at heart, my main aim with Freeform is to encourage people to be spontaneous, trust their intuition and never stop asking themselves, ‘I wonder what will happen if I try this or that?’ and then give it a go. I say…..’Dare to be different’ ‘Step out of the box’ ‘Experiment, explore, enquire, you’ll never know until you have a go!’

Location:  Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia
Online stores:
    Etsy, Zibbet, Ravelry 
Blog: rensfibreart 
Memberships: Ravelry, Fiber Focus, FFCrochet (yahoo group) 
Languages spoken: English and German

 

 

 ‘Coraloid’ Freeform Wrap by rensfibreart

Books by Renate Kirkpatrick

rensfibreart on Facebook

Tags:  wearable art, freeform crochet, freeform knitting, crochet, knitting, fibre artist, accessories, purse

Papaver Vert

www.papaververt.com

 

Papaver Vert is a small creative studio in Northern California owned by designer Patty Benson. Based on form, function, and bold color, Patty's work utilizes the time consuming technique of crocheting and wet felting wool to create tactile pieces with a contemporary twist.

Artist Statement: 
"Working with wool as others may work with clay, to create bowls and vessels, is a never ending source of fascination for me. I love everything about wool - it's texture, smell, how well it shows off bold color and how it can go from one form to another with a crochet hook, soap and water."

-Patty Benson

About my business name, Papaver Vert:

It means green poppy in latin and french and is pronounced  

Puh-PAY-Ver   V-air. 

I have quite an obsession with the beauty of poppies and my favorite color is green. When coming up with my business name I wanted to combine my passions with a foreign sounding flair and Papaver Vert was born.

Location: Alameda, California, USA 
Online stores: Etsy, Supermarket
Blog: papaver vert
Languages spoken:  English, some Spanish, some French 

Tags: housewares designer, wet felting, crochet, fiber sculpture, installation, interior design, jewelry, wool, household items, surface design

Manitoba Gifts

 www.manitobagifts.com

I have enjoyed doing handwork for most of my life. I use hand-dyed wool for much of what I create. I then embellish my work with embroidery and crochet to achieve the look I desire. I also do applique work using silks and batiks.  

I used to own a brick and mortar shop and sold many local and regionally made handcrafted items. The name of the website comes from the name of the street my shop was on. The shop was in Wayzata, Minnesota, NOT Manitoba Canada. (Sometimes people are confused.) 

My partner does leatherwork, so you will see his work for sale on our website.  Now I am concentrating on selling my work through our website, galleries, and wholesale.

-Debra Gangelhoff

Pincushions by Debra Gangelhoff, Manitoba Gifts

Location: Long Lake, Minnesota, USA
Online Stores: Etsy and Manitoba Gifts
Blog: Manitoba Stitches

Find more photos like this on Fiber Focus

Tags: handmade, pincushions, hand dyed wool, embroidery, crochet, applique, handmade pillows, kitchen goods, handmade household items

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