As our Substack community is growing, I thought: Wouldn’t it be great to get to know each other? It might help us forge new connections, find collaboration partners, new friends, or simply open us up to new perspectives.
My name is Ania and I live and work in Berlin, Germany. I am originally from Poland, an ex-architect, I love dogs and textiles, and I am passionate about learning new things. I try to orient my life around mindful choices. I don’t eat meat, I don’t buy fast fashion, I try to make things I need by hand, and try to live plastic-free. I am in the process of building a tiny cottage in the Polish mountains that I hope to rent out and occasionally use myself. I didn’t design it but I think it’ll be cute anyway :) At the moment I am learning to paint with oils and connecting with my creativity. I am self-employed with all its ups and downs. I love Berlin's vegan-food scene, galleries, exhibitions, ballet, and movies! My website is www.kaliko.co and my IG is https://www.instagram.com/kaliko_co/
My name is Karin, I am 46, from Switzerland but moved to the Baltic States two years ago where we live with our dog (keeshond), our cats and two alpacas. All of them are my generos donators of fibers that I process. There we opened a Boutique Hotel by the lake (www.palaima.ch), surrounded by nature and calmness. We are also involved in local social procjects, mostly with women with challenging life stories and situations. We offer them a job and support them in their administration marathon that comes with the reintegration process back to work / back to life. We offer working spaces at our hotel for them. My dream is also, to grow my handcraft studio where I can employ them to create mindful and beautiful handcrafted treasures. Therefore I started my company "Up.Right." (www.up-right.ch) and attended many lessons, workshops, selfstudy, etc... This is what I want to do for my life: invest in people, support them, empower them with what ever skills I have... I love connecting with likeminded and learn from eachother.
Karin, I have to admit that your story was what inspired me to start this thread. It blew my mind.
You're such a powerhouse to run the hotel, have your work in Switzerland and organize social projects on top of that. I hope it takes off. Folks, make sure to connect with Karin!
So nice to read everyone's messages from all around the world.
My names Hollie and I live by the beach in North Scotland. Its really cold but I'm mad enough to wild swim in the north sea.
I'm a natural dyer and studied printed textiles at art school focussing on screen printing but now I'm in love with natural dyes and making my practice as sustainable as possible.
I live with my partner and 5 year old son so life if full and very busy.
Right now I'm taking an email online doll making class.
Hey Hollie, how lucky for you to live in Scotland, it's such a beautiful and inspiring landscape. We actually planned on moving there for 6 months two years ago but my burnout got in the way. Maybe one day?
Do you have anywhere you publish your work? Doll class sound amazing!
My name is Amrutha and I live and work in South India. I am an UX designer. I love dogs too. I am fortunate to have been adopted by my dog,🐕Mellow who is an absolute delight to get back home to :). I enjoy collecting leaves from every place I visit our travel to. I was a reckless shopper until recently when I have started to appreciate slow lifestyle personally and shopping wise. I am very intrigued to learn about natural dyeing and it's scope in rural India. Lots of brands recognise that this is profitable if youth in rural who are skilled, when intrigued with creativity and paid well will keep the art alive and thriving. This perspective gives me a lot of hope for a sustainable system to be in place. I am personally a very controlled person myself and my exposure to natural dyeing and eco printing has really helped me relax those muscles in my mind to let go and cherish imperfections. Imperfections reminded me of how little we really are. There is so much to learn from how nature restores itself to life. When did perfect living, style became the norm anyway? I am a hobbyist but I really want to take it up to the next level as a professional. I am looking for a community with like minded people. Will be great to know how to start the journey. Thanks for creating this space ☺️
Another dog lover, that's what I like! Sometimes I just sit on my couch together with my adopted dog Gustaw, we cuddle and I think that life couldn't be any better in these moments. I can imagine my life without a dog and he is really everything I could wish for.
I loved your story, Amrutha. That's also my experience - nature is healing us if we let it enter our lives.
About starting your journey. Just start. It will be a bumpy ride no matter how well you prepare :) and if you have any specific Qs I am happy to help.
Thank you for replying :) I am thinking of starting off with bandanas as it's easy to start off single handed. But open to learn what qs you ask yourself before deciding on a product /service niche... If you have any suggestions to begin with. That will be great.
Ha! That's a juicy question. Long story short would be - I just make whatever feels fun and let my customers take it from there. This is how project bags and eye pillows came to be, someone asked me to make one for them and the ball got rolling. I never knew someone needed something like that. But that was before I went full-time. Now I kind of have a feeling what my customers might like, and what will be fun for me to make. I would say when you're first starting out, maybe partner with a local shop and test, see what works and what doesn't for both you and the customers.
I always enjoyed Ania´s newsletter and following her journey. It´s inspiring to see other fight through struggels regarding any topics (business, personal, health, partnership...). Honesty and sharing is what connects us, no?
I live in Berlin but raised in NRW and born in Poland. I am married to a Moroccan. We have one 4y old daughter. I used to travel and live worldwide, such as India, Australia, USA.
I am a trained Architect but since the pandemic I started building a sustainable underwear business:
Colourful bodywear basics for all stages of life. Sincere in production, sustainably made, socially responsible and well designed underwear in size xs-3xl.
I love being my own boss, doing things in my own pace and trusting my intuition. Happy to connect with other women, thanks for creating this Ania!
Hey Magdalena, I completely forgot you're an architect too, I remember now! It was so fun to meet you last summer, maybe we can meet up sometime again and grab a (decaf) coffee? :)
Hi! I’m Sara, from Ohio USA but I’ve lived in Viña del Mar, Chile for several years, where I started my (still very) small business selling naturally dyed yarn. I love how natural dyes connect us to place while also connecting us with people who share the same interests and values all over the world. I’m on Instagram @neblina.wool and also write a bilingual Substack at neblinawool.Substack.com
Hey Sara, I didn't realize you're originally form the US. What made you move to Chile? I was there a few years back and met so many warm and welcoming people. And the nature was amazing!
I came after I graduated to teach English, planning to stay for one year, but I met my husband and ended up moving here permanently when we got married! The nature is truly incredible, I feel so inspired by it every day. Where in Chile did you visit?
My name is Claudia, I am Chilean and until December I lived in Punta Arenas in Patagonia.
Now I came to Spain and I'm moving to live in a motorhome (motorhome) to tour Europe and I hope I can go see you in Berlin. But first I have to spend a few months in England to improve my English.
Well yes, only in Spanish for now. My English is not very good. I use a translator to read your journal. I would love to speak and write English much better. I write to my community of knitters. It is a journal where I write about knitting and the life of a knitter who starts her own business.
Oye si quieres ayuda con la redacción en inglés no dudes en escribirme😊 Por mucho tiempo yo tenía miedo de escribir mi Substack en español pero vale la pena porque puedo compartirlo con mas personas
Yo estoy justo tomando decisiones sobre mi boletín. Mi negocio Wool Crafts (tienda online de accesorios de tejido y lana de oveja teñida a mano, escuela de tejido y comunidad por membresía) recopiló correos a través de Mailchimp con diferentes actividades.
El 99% es público hispano. Por tanto mis email marketing y mi Bitácora de un ovillo siempre los envié desde Mailchimp y en español.
Eso fue hasta diciembre de 2022, cuando dejé todo el stock de mi tienda en manos de unas amigas que estaban instalando una tienda física de lanas y artesanías.
Ahora que estoy en España (hace 1 mes) trabajaré mucho menos y por tanto generaré poquitos ingresos desde Wool Crafts, así que cerré Mailchimp porque se me hacía costoso y me mudé con mi base de datos aquí.
Este boletín debería seguir siendo en español pues el público base no ha cambiado.
Sin embargo, mi trabajo más personal y artístico lo manejo bajo la marca “Claudia Wool”
Que tiene su propia web y su Instagram
Y estaba pensando escribir el blog en inglés y aquí en Substack. Actualmente el blog lo tengo en la misma web.
Thank you for starting this thread! It’s warming and inspiring to read all your stories. I’d love to meet all of you ;-)
Ania, I have you to thank for my growing fascination with natural dyes - your pic about painting on fabric with vinegar and iron water popped up in my pinterest feed one day, and I was immediately hooked! I love foraging for food, and foraging for plants for color has broadened my horizon in a wonderful way, allowing me to connect even more intimately with wherever I am.
I’m mostly based in the Czech Republic, though a few years ago my partner and I chucked our flat out the window and decided to embrace our nomadic nature :-) which involves a rickety old cottage in northern Bohemia, where we spend our summers (where my dye pots are), and a slightly less rickety little caravan that shelters us in other places throughout Europe the rest of the time.
Which brings me to my other project, which I would love to share with you…
For some time I’ve been considering setting up a small e-business selling undyed, mostly artisan, natural textiles, because when I started on this colorful journey I discovered they weren’t that easy to find. I would love to hear your opinion on that, dear fellow dyers! Does it make sense? Would it be of interest to you? Where do you find your fabrics for your practice, beyond upcycling old sheets, of which I did a lot?
I have always loved textiles and handcrafts. I love interacting with people who make things and learning about their craft, and when I travel I’m very much interested in discovering what traditional handcrafts are managing to survive in our modern age.
We will be spending this Spring in Turkey, and I was thinking I would try to source a variety of artisan textiles there, the idea being to support the people who make them, while supplying affordable natural fabrics to people like me and you. What do you think?
I already have a number of samples (we were there last year, so I got a head start), and if any of you is interested, I’d be delighted to send you some to try out. I have various weights of cotton, two of which are made by small family businesses and washed in the sea at the end of the process :-D I also have some organic merino knit from the Czech republic.
And if anyone is willing to discuss the subject with me, I have a million questions ;-)
Hey Kari, I am also in Czech Republic, in Prague :) I am just starting my journey and would be very interested if there were more organic / artisan textiles available, because it is difficult to find as I have been searching. I would love to be in touch if you are open to it to receive some samples from you and maybe grab a coffee if you are ever in town.
Hi Christina :-)) I will be in Prague next week, I'd love to meet up! Where and when would be convenient? I'll be mostly around Letna, but anywhere is fine ;-)
Hi Kari, well that is amazing :) I would love that, and it so happens that I live in Letna :) I haven't figured out a way to send a DM to you here on substack, so can you write me a message to my instagram (instagram.com/mei.chicks.in.praha) so we can set up a day and time. Wow, what an amazing community!
Hey Kari and Christina, aren't you two the best! I love that you're meeting up 😍
Kari, the idea sounds definitely worth exploring. I get all my new fabric from Ecological Textiles in the Netherlands and second hand stuff from Textilhafen Berlin. Ecological Textiles have the GOTS label, so there's no need to double check the supply chain for me, which is great. But I would be definitely interested in more "heirloom" options too, and stuff like handwoven fabric washed in sea just sounds too magical to not give it a go, right?? So yeah, always open to samples ❤️
And by the way, your life design sounds just the best! I love that!!
Indeed! This time the virtual and physical worlds intersected marvelously and we met up in my old street 🙃 pure serendipity! Thanks for getting the ball rolling! I'll get in touch with you as soon as I'm back at our winter base and send you some samples😊
Feb 1, 2023·edited Feb 1, 2023Liked by Ania Grzeszek
Hi Ania, and everyone on the thread, my name is Marina and I am writing to you from Cyprus (island in the East Mediterranean). I have lived a fast paced corporate working life until I came to terms that it wasn't working for me and have started making changes. One of these changes was overcoming inbuilt negative biases towards crafts and taking my interest in textiles seriously! Weaving and lace making are what I am exploring and they ground me in such a wonderfully fulfilling slow pace - I have been trying to set up an ancient floor loom since 2018 and have been learning a traditional cypriot lacemaking technique (bibilla) from my grandma since 2019. I love Ania's blog for the inspiring visuals and the realistic viewpoint of what it means to be an artist practically. I hope soon to be able to incorporate natural dyeing in my process! great to be able to connect with you all x
Hey Marina, we are told by the society that weaving, sewing, knitting, and textiles in general are just female hobbies and like most labour traditionally done by women don't hold much value. The same goes for the labour of care, teaching etc. That's why it's so hard to take it seriously because it's so built in and conditioned. How wonderful that you took the chance. Did you manage to set up the loom? I remember the first time I got mine (vintage, a gift without instructions) it was quite overwhelming! But it gets easier with time. Is there anywhere public you share your work? Your IG seems to be set to private.
bonjour Ania, je suis du Québec, artiste en art décoratif qui a pris une pause de plusieurs annes pour prendre soin de ma mere en fin de vie. Maintenant , seule et approchant de la retraite, j'ai décidé de bien la préparer en m'ancrant encore plus dans mon environnement. J'ai la chance d'avoir une artisane agronome qui cultive des plantes tinctoriales. Depuis 3 ans, son installation de culture et ses cueillettes augmentent et mon intéret pour la teinture aussi comme un outil de création futur. En observant sa démarche lente, saisonniere et productive, je me suis dites que je pourrais me connecter a cette lenteur, a ce souffle, a cette energie bienfaisante. Avec elle et d'autres personnes oeuvrant avec les plantes, je me suis initiée doucement aux pouvoirs guérisseurs, savoirs ancestraux de mon territoire. Maintenant, j'aligne mes pensées vers une production qui vibre avec moi, et il reste toujours un équilibre a atteindre.
I love the way you described it (also, thank you Google for the translation tool, how amazing we can connect despite speaking different languages). I am so sorry to hear about your mum.
Did I understand it correctly, that you connected with a person growing dye plants and that sparked your interest in plant dyeing? For me the most important feature of plant dyeing is that it slows us down and makes us notice things we usually wouldn't notice. Sound like it found you exactly at this spot, that's great.
I’m Vickie and I live just outside of Cleveland, Ohio. I live with my husband and two ornery cats on a small lake right in the middle of an urban environment. It is our little slice of Heaven. I am a retired Arts Administrator. I was a vocal performance major in college, but didn’t really have the confidence necessary to succeed in the operatic/classical music world. So instead, I supported other people’s art. I fell down the rabbit hole of Pinterest about 5 years ago, and then the ideas came flowing from my head and heart and I started making. I am a mixed media artist and I love slow stitching, ecoprinting and dyeing, encaustic work, cement, felting, paper making and all sorts of ways to combine all of it! I’m 62, so I have found this calling a bit late in life, but I am so grateful that I can make art without having to make a living off of it. My inspiration comes from many, many artists out there, but the artists I resonate with the most are Willemien de-Villiers, India Flint and Christine Mauersberger. Since I’m an Ohio transplant (most of my life was spent in Madison, Wisconsin), I don’t really have a community to connect to, so I am hoping to form some online communities to be a part of. I’m looking forward to hearing more stories and seeing some of your work. @vickiekosarik
Hey Vickie, I loved that. Thank you so much for sharing! Making without the pressure sounds beautiful and freeing, and that's a testament to your creativity to learn new things just for yourself and for the fun of it. You told me about Willemien before, I know and love India Flint, so I will have to check out Mauersberger, too. Also, I will share a full link to your Instagram profile to make it easier for others to find you. Folks, check out the fox! https://www.instagram.com/vickiekosarik/
Hi I’m Sandy I live in Idaho USA I’m a seamstress doing alterations. But I design custom embroidered all natural linen purses and recently I started up cycling clothing. I do pop up events and festivals here in the Pacific Northwest. Which is much fun so summers I travel with my dog taffy selling purses and camping here and there. I’m really wanting to learn natural dying right now I’m only dying with black walnuts. I get a little confused with the or which mordant to use for which plants.
Thank you for this group and l look forward to hearing about everyone’s lives
Sandy, keep it simple to start. Any plant fiber can be mordanted with soy milk. Protein (animal) fibers most generally do not need to be mordanted. A 1:5 ratio of soy milk to water is a good mixture. Soak your fibers overnight (12 hours), squeeze out liquid and hang to dry. Once dry they’re ready to be eco dyed or printed, but if let to set for longer periods you may have more vivid results as the mordant will cure/bond more over time. Have fun with the process and keep us posted! -Vickie
Perfect, Vickie. Sandy, start with soy milk, that's the easiest process, the least to worry about anyway. Just please note that it's not a mordant, but a binder. The difference is that the bond it makes with fibers is mechanical (soy milk) and not chemical (metal mordants), so it's less stable. I wouldn't recommend selling products treated with soy milk, as they might bleach too soon. But for experimentations and developing a sensitivity for natural dyes this is a perfect start.
My name is Marie Elena and I’m from the USA. Currently moving from Colorado to Vermont so my life is in flux which makes it hard to do larger projects like dyeing. My ideal work would be fiber related. My problem is I want to do it all! I am a spinner, knitter, sewer, basket maker, crocheter, felter, and have dabbled with dyeing and weaving. I am really interested in the Fibershed movement and how I can help contribute to that in a positive way on a larger scale.
Oh, Marie Elena! Oh how I get it! 😅 my solution: to do all the things, but 95% of them just for fun and then 5% for work. It’s a difficult balance to strike and there’s always something that’s getting left “for later”... better that than being bored :)
Do you have a Fibershed group around where you live? I think it would be a good idea to get in touch with them, I was at a Fibershed meeting last month and it’s was super inspiring.
I’ll start:
My name is Ania and I live and work in Berlin, Germany. I am originally from Poland, an ex-architect, I love dogs and textiles, and I am passionate about learning new things. I try to orient my life around mindful choices. I don’t eat meat, I don’t buy fast fashion, I try to make things I need by hand, and try to live plastic-free. I am in the process of building a tiny cottage in the Polish mountains that I hope to rent out and occasionally use myself. I didn’t design it but I think it’ll be cute anyway :) At the moment I am learning to paint with oils and connecting with my creativity. I am self-employed with all its ups and downs. I love Berlin's vegan-food scene, galleries, exhibitions, ballet, and movies! My website is www.kaliko.co and my IG is https://www.instagram.com/kaliko_co/
Hello all :-)
My name is Karin, I am 46, from Switzerland but moved to the Baltic States two years ago where we live with our dog (keeshond), our cats and two alpacas. All of them are my generos donators of fibers that I process. There we opened a Boutique Hotel by the lake (www.palaima.ch), surrounded by nature and calmness. We are also involved in local social procjects, mostly with women with challenging life stories and situations. We offer them a job and support them in their administration marathon that comes with the reintegration process back to work / back to life. We offer working spaces at our hotel for them. My dream is also, to grow my handcraft studio where I can employ them to create mindful and beautiful handcrafted treasures. Therefore I started my company "Up.Right." (www.up-right.ch) and attended many lessons, workshops, selfstudy, etc... This is what I want to do for my life: invest in people, support them, empower them with what ever skills I have... I love connecting with likeminded and learn from eachother.
Karin, I have to admit that your story was what inspired me to start this thread. It blew my mind.
You're such a powerhouse to run the hotel, have your work in Switzerland and organize social projects on top of that. I hope it takes off. Folks, make sure to connect with Karin!
Hello!
So nice to read everyone's messages from all around the world.
My names Hollie and I live by the beach in North Scotland. Its really cold but I'm mad enough to wild swim in the north sea.
I'm a natural dyer and studied printed textiles at art school focussing on screen printing but now I'm in love with natural dyes and making my practice as sustainable as possible.
I live with my partner and 5 year old son so life if full and very busy.
Right now I'm taking an email online doll making class.
Lovely to meet you all.
Hollie
Hey Hollie, how lucky for you to live in Scotland, it's such a beautiful and inspiring landscape. We actually planned on moving there for 6 months two years ago but my burnout got in the way. Maybe one day?
Do you have anywhere you publish your work? Doll class sound amazing!
Hi Ania,
My name is Amrutha and I live and work in South India. I am an UX designer. I love dogs too. I am fortunate to have been adopted by my dog,🐕Mellow who is an absolute delight to get back home to :). I enjoy collecting leaves from every place I visit our travel to. I was a reckless shopper until recently when I have started to appreciate slow lifestyle personally and shopping wise. I am very intrigued to learn about natural dyeing and it's scope in rural India. Lots of brands recognise that this is profitable if youth in rural who are skilled, when intrigued with creativity and paid well will keep the art alive and thriving. This perspective gives me a lot of hope for a sustainable system to be in place. I am personally a very controlled person myself and my exposure to natural dyeing and eco printing has really helped me relax those muscles in my mind to let go and cherish imperfections. Imperfections reminded me of how little we really are. There is so much to learn from how nature restores itself to life. When did perfect living, style became the norm anyway? I am a hobbyist but I really want to take it up to the next level as a professional. I am looking for a community with like minded people. Will be great to know how to start the journey. Thanks for creating this space ☺️
Another dog lover, that's what I like! Sometimes I just sit on my couch together with my adopted dog Gustaw, we cuddle and I think that life couldn't be any better in these moments. I can imagine my life without a dog and he is really everything I could wish for.
I loved your story, Amrutha. That's also my experience - nature is healing us if we let it enter our lives.
About starting your journey. Just start. It will be a bumpy ride no matter how well you prepare :) and if you have any specific Qs I am happy to help.
Thank you for replying :) I am thinking of starting off with bandanas as it's easy to start off single handed. But open to learn what qs you ask yourself before deciding on a product /service niche... If you have any suggestions to begin with. That will be great.
Ha! That's a juicy question. Long story short would be - I just make whatever feels fun and let my customers take it from there. This is how project bags and eye pillows came to be, someone asked me to make one for them and the ball got rolling. I never knew someone needed something like that. But that was before I went full-time. Now I kind of have a feeling what my customers might like, and what will be fun for me to make. I would say when you're first starting out, maybe partner with a local shop and test, see what works and what doesn't for both you and the customers.
Hi there,
I always enjoyed Ania´s newsletter and following her journey. It´s inspiring to see other fight through struggels regarding any topics (business, personal, health, partnership...). Honesty and sharing is what connects us, no?
I live in Berlin but raised in NRW and born in Poland. I am married to a Moroccan. We have one 4y old daughter. I used to travel and live worldwide, such as India, Australia, USA.
I am a trained Architect but since the pandemic I started building a sustainable underwear business:
Colourful bodywear basics for all stages of life. Sincere in production, sustainably made, socially responsible and well designed underwear in size xs-3xl.
I love being my own boss, doing things in my own pace and trusting my intuition. Happy to connect with other women, thanks for creating this Ania!
https://www.instagram.com/zorabalzar/
https://zorabalzar.com/en
Hey Magdalena, I completely forgot you're an architect too, I remember now! It was so fun to meet you last summer, maybe we can meet up sometime again and grab a (decaf) coffee? :)
Hi! I’m Sara, from Ohio USA but I’ve lived in Viña del Mar, Chile for several years, where I started my (still very) small business selling naturally dyed yarn. I love how natural dyes connect us to place while also connecting us with people who share the same interests and values all over the world. I’m on Instagram @neblina.wool and also write a bilingual Substack at neblinawool.Substack.com
I was born in Vina Del Mar!!!
Hey Sara, I didn't realize you're originally form the US. What made you move to Chile? I was there a few years back and met so many warm and welcoming people. And the nature was amazing!
I came after I graduated to teach English, planning to stay for one year, but I met my husband and ended up moving here permanently when we got married! The nature is truly incredible, I feel so inspired by it every day. Where in Chile did you visit?
Te sigo en Substack 😉
Hello!
My name is Claudia, I am Chilean and until December I lived in Punta Arenas in Patagonia.
Now I came to Spain and I'm moving to live in a motorhome (motorhome) to tour Europe and I hope I can go see you in Berlin. But first I have to spend a few months in England to improve my English.
I am a journalist and textile creator. On Instagram you can find me at https://instagram.com/claudiawool and https://instagram.com/woolcrafts
I also have a newsletter here on Substack called La Bitácora de un ovillo 🧶
Oh gosh, if that doesn't sound exciting! You're a proper adventurer, Claudia. Please let me know when you're in Berlin, would love to meet up.
Is your Substack in Spanish only? What do you write about?
Well yes, only in Spanish for now. My English is not very good. I use a translator to read your journal. I would love to speak and write English much better. I write to my community of knitters. It is a journal where I write about knitting and the life of a knitter who starts her own business.
Oye si quieres ayuda con la redacción en inglés no dudes en escribirme😊 Por mucho tiempo yo tenía miedo de escribir mi Substack en español pero vale la pena porque puedo compartirlo con mas personas
Hola Sara! Muchas gracias 😊
Yo estoy justo tomando decisiones sobre mi boletín. Mi negocio Wool Crafts (tienda online de accesorios de tejido y lana de oveja teñida a mano, escuela de tejido y comunidad por membresía) recopiló correos a través de Mailchimp con diferentes actividades.
El 99% es público hispano. Por tanto mis email marketing y mi Bitácora de un ovillo siempre los envié desde Mailchimp y en español.
Eso fue hasta diciembre de 2022, cuando dejé todo el stock de mi tienda en manos de unas amigas que estaban instalando una tienda física de lanas y artesanías.
Ahora que estoy en España (hace 1 mes) trabajaré mucho menos y por tanto generaré poquitos ingresos desde Wool Crafts, así que cerré Mailchimp porque se me hacía costoso y me mudé con mi base de datos aquí.
Este boletín debería seguir siendo en español pues el público base no ha cambiado.
Sin embargo, mi trabajo más personal y artístico lo manejo bajo la marca “Claudia Wool”
Que tiene su propia web y su Instagram
Y estaba pensando escribir el blog en inglés y aquí en Substack. Actualmente el blog lo tengo en la misma web.
Uffff, disculpa, mucha información 😅
It’s nice to see someone else from Chile here! I’ve lived in Viña Del Mar for several years now and love meeting wool/textile/natural dye people here
Hello everyone, hello dear Ania !
Thank you for starting this thread! It’s warming and inspiring to read all your stories. I’d love to meet all of you ;-)
Ania, I have you to thank for my growing fascination with natural dyes - your pic about painting on fabric with vinegar and iron water popped up in my pinterest feed one day, and I was immediately hooked! I love foraging for food, and foraging for plants for color has broadened my horizon in a wonderful way, allowing me to connect even more intimately with wherever I am.
I’m mostly based in the Czech Republic, though a few years ago my partner and I chucked our flat out the window and decided to embrace our nomadic nature :-) which involves a rickety old cottage in northern Bohemia, where we spend our summers (where my dye pots are), and a slightly less rickety little caravan that shelters us in other places throughout Europe the rest of the time.
Which brings me to my other project, which I would love to share with you…
For some time I’ve been considering setting up a small e-business selling undyed, mostly artisan, natural textiles, because when I started on this colorful journey I discovered they weren’t that easy to find. I would love to hear your opinion on that, dear fellow dyers! Does it make sense? Would it be of interest to you? Where do you find your fabrics for your practice, beyond upcycling old sheets, of which I did a lot?
I have always loved textiles and handcrafts. I love interacting with people who make things and learning about their craft, and when I travel I’m very much interested in discovering what traditional handcrafts are managing to survive in our modern age.
We will be spending this Spring in Turkey, and I was thinking I would try to source a variety of artisan textiles there, the idea being to support the people who make them, while supplying affordable natural fabrics to people like me and you. What do you think?
I already have a number of samples (we were there last year, so I got a head start), and if any of you is interested, I’d be delighted to send you some to try out. I have various weights of cotton, two of which are made by small family businesses and washed in the sea at the end of the process :-D I also have some organic merino knit from the Czech republic.
And if anyone is willing to discuss the subject with me, I have a million questions ;-)
Sending you all much love!
Kari
Hey Kari, I am also in Czech Republic, in Prague :) I am just starting my journey and would be very interested if there were more organic / artisan textiles available, because it is difficult to find as I have been searching. I would love to be in touch if you are open to it to receive some samples from you and maybe grab a coffee if you are ever in town.
Hi Christina :-)) I will be in Prague next week, I'd love to meet up! Where and when would be convenient? I'll be mostly around Letna, but anywhere is fine ;-)
Hi Kari, well that is amazing :) I would love that, and it so happens that I live in Letna :) I haven't figured out a way to send a DM to you here on substack, so can you write me a message to my instagram (instagram.com/mei.chicks.in.praha) so we can set up a day and time. Wow, what an amazing community!
Hey Kari and Christina, aren't you two the best! I love that you're meeting up 😍
Kari, the idea sounds definitely worth exploring. I get all my new fabric from Ecological Textiles in the Netherlands and second hand stuff from Textilhafen Berlin. Ecological Textiles have the GOTS label, so there's no need to double check the supply chain for me, which is great. But I would be definitely interested in more "heirloom" options too, and stuff like handwoven fabric washed in sea just sounds too magical to not give it a go, right?? So yeah, always open to samples ❤️
And by the way, your life design sounds just the best! I love that!!
Indeed! This time the virtual and physical worlds intersected marvelously and we met up in my old street 🙃 pure serendipity! Thanks for getting the ball rolling! I'll get in touch with you as soon as I'm back at our winter base and send you some samples😊
Hi Ania, and everyone on the thread, my name is Marina and I am writing to you from Cyprus (island in the East Mediterranean). I have lived a fast paced corporate working life until I came to terms that it wasn't working for me and have started making changes. One of these changes was overcoming inbuilt negative biases towards crafts and taking my interest in textiles seriously! Weaving and lace making are what I am exploring and they ground me in such a wonderfully fulfilling slow pace - I have been trying to set up an ancient floor loom since 2018 and have been learning a traditional cypriot lacemaking technique (bibilla) from my grandma since 2019. I love Ania's blog for the inspiring visuals and the realistic viewpoint of what it means to be an artist practically. I hope soon to be able to incorporate natural dyeing in my process! great to be able to connect with you all x
My instagram profile has some pictures of the bibilla lace https://www.instagram.com/marinachara/
Hey Marina, we are told by the society that weaving, sewing, knitting, and textiles in general are just female hobbies and like most labour traditionally done by women don't hold much value. The same goes for the labour of care, teaching etc. That's why it's so hard to take it seriously because it's so built in and conditioned. How wonderful that you took the chance. Did you manage to set up the loom? I remember the first time I got mine (vintage, a gift without instructions) it was quite overwhelming! But it gets easier with time. Is there anywhere public you share your work? Your IG seems to be set to private.
bonjour Ania, je suis du Québec, artiste en art décoratif qui a pris une pause de plusieurs annes pour prendre soin de ma mere en fin de vie. Maintenant , seule et approchant de la retraite, j'ai décidé de bien la préparer en m'ancrant encore plus dans mon environnement. J'ai la chance d'avoir une artisane agronome qui cultive des plantes tinctoriales. Depuis 3 ans, son installation de culture et ses cueillettes augmentent et mon intéret pour la teinture aussi comme un outil de création futur. En observant sa démarche lente, saisonniere et productive, je me suis dites que je pourrais me connecter a cette lenteur, a ce souffle, a cette energie bienfaisante. Avec elle et d'autres personnes oeuvrant avec les plantes, je me suis initiée doucement aux pouvoirs guérisseurs, savoirs ancestraux de mon territoire. Maintenant, j'aligne mes pensées vers une production qui vibre avec moi, et il reste toujours un équilibre a atteindre.
I love the way you described it (also, thank you Google for the translation tool, how amazing we can connect despite speaking different languages). I am so sorry to hear about your mum.
Did I understand it correctly, that you connected with a person growing dye plants and that sparked your interest in plant dyeing? For me the most important feature of plant dyeing is that it slows us down and makes us notice things we usually wouldn't notice. Sound like it found you exactly at this spot, that's great.
Hi!
I’m Vickie and I live just outside of Cleveland, Ohio. I live with my husband and two ornery cats on a small lake right in the middle of an urban environment. It is our little slice of Heaven. I am a retired Arts Administrator. I was a vocal performance major in college, but didn’t really have the confidence necessary to succeed in the operatic/classical music world. So instead, I supported other people’s art. I fell down the rabbit hole of Pinterest about 5 years ago, and then the ideas came flowing from my head and heart and I started making. I am a mixed media artist and I love slow stitching, ecoprinting and dyeing, encaustic work, cement, felting, paper making and all sorts of ways to combine all of it! I’m 62, so I have found this calling a bit late in life, but I am so grateful that I can make art without having to make a living off of it. My inspiration comes from many, many artists out there, but the artists I resonate with the most are Willemien de-Villiers, India Flint and Christine Mauersberger. Since I’m an Ohio transplant (most of my life was spent in Madison, Wisconsin), I don’t really have a community to connect to, so I am hoping to form some online communities to be a part of. I’m looking forward to hearing more stories and seeing some of your work. @vickiekosarik
Hey Vickie, I loved that. Thank you so much for sharing! Making without the pressure sounds beautiful and freeing, and that's a testament to your creativity to learn new things just for yourself and for the fun of it. You told me about Willemien before, I know and love India Flint, so I will have to check out Mauersberger, too. Also, I will share a full link to your Instagram profile to make it easier for others to find you. Folks, check out the fox! https://www.instagram.com/vickiekosarik/
Hi I’m Sandy I live in Idaho USA I’m a seamstress doing alterations. But I design custom embroidered all natural linen purses and recently I started up cycling clothing. I do pop up events and festivals here in the Pacific Northwest. Which is much fun so summers I travel with my dog taffy selling purses and camping here and there. I’m really wanting to learn natural dying right now I’m only dying with black walnuts. I get a little confused with the or which mordant to use for which plants.
Thank you for this group and l look forward to hearing about everyone’s lives
Sandy
Sounds amazing, Sandy. Isn't it great when our work takes us places. Do you share your makes online, too?
Natural dyeing might be complicated to start with, maybe I will make a begginer-friendly post this month, for now check out this one https://kaliko.substack.com/p/how-to-dye-with-plants and this one https://kaliko.substack.com/p/list-of-natural-mordants
Sandy, keep it simple to start. Any plant fiber can be mordanted with soy milk. Protein (animal) fibers most generally do not need to be mordanted. A 1:5 ratio of soy milk to water is a good mixture. Soak your fibers overnight (12 hours), squeeze out liquid and hang to dry. Once dry they’re ready to be eco dyed or printed, but if let to set for longer periods you may have more vivid results as the mordant will cure/bond more over time. Have fun with the process and keep us posted! -Vickie
Perfect, Vickie. Sandy, start with soy milk, that's the easiest process, the least to worry about anyway. Just please note that it's not a mordant, but a binder. The difference is that the bond it makes with fibers is mechanical (soy milk) and not chemical (metal mordants), so it's less stable. I wouldn't recommend selling products treated with soy milk, as they might bleach too soon. But for experimentations and developing a sensitivity for natural dyes this is a perfect start.
My name is Marie Elena and I’m from the USA. Currently moving from Colorado to Vermont so my life is in flux which makes it hard to do larger projects like dyeing. My ideal work would be fiber related. My problem is I want to do it all! I am a spinner, knitter, sewer, basket maker, crocheter, felter, and have dabbled with dyeing and weaving. I am really interested in the Fibershed movement and how I can help contribute to that in a positive way on a larger scale.
Oh, Marie Elena! Oh how I get it! 😅 my solution: to do all the things, but 95% of them just for fun and then 5% for work. It’s a difficult balance to strike and there’s always something that’s getting left “for later”... better that than being bored :)
Do you have a Fibershed group around where you live? I think it would be a good idea to get in touch with them, I was at a Fibershed meeting last month and it’s was super inspiring.
I believe Vermont has one. Once I’m fully moved I will definitely be getting involved. I’ve been curious about growing hemp and sheep for wool.
Good luck on you move ♥️
Thank you Ania! So happy to have found your blog!